Pankaj Lal was among a handful of scientists to be honoured by outgoing US President Barack Obama with the Presidential Award. ‘India Global Business’ caught up with him to trace what led to this prestigious achievement and what being a Global Indian means to him.

What does an honour like the Presidential Award mean to you?

I am honoured and excited to receive this prestigious award. It’s always exciting for your peers to see the significant value in our work and for federal agencies to invest resources for this. This said, sharing the success with family, friends and students is the greatest reward.

Harnessing science for social good and developing sustainable energy and managing natural resources well are some of the grand challenges facing modern society, and I feel satisfied that that our work is contributing a bit towards improved understanding of this area. This award is a testament that hard work will be rewarded at the opportune moment, and will continue to keep me striving for more in the future.