New York, NY – Shail Choksi, a second-year M.B.A./finance student and president of the Indian Graduate Students Association of the School of Management at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), received a national award in India for his business achievements and innovations.

Choksi was presented with the Rajiv Gandhi Rastryia Ekta Samman award by the All India National Unity Conference, an organization working for the people's movement for national unity and integration of India. Recently appointed as the youngest IT consultant for the state government in Gujarat, India, Choksi was recognized for the innovative website he designed to market handicraft products such as wall hangings, purses, and tablecloths created by Indian artisans. Because handicraft sales are a main source of income for many Indian artisans, Choksi was hired by the government to coordinate the sales of the products and then developed a robust e-commerce website to market and sell the handicrafts.

"National awards are a symbol of pride for the nation, and receiving recognition for my work will continue to motivate me in my educational, professional, and personal endeavors," said Choksi, who was the first student to receive the honor.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, prime minister of India, presented Choksi with the award, which is given in remembrance of the late Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi to men and women from various fields for their outstanding services, achievements, and contributions.

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