His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan called on President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (April 7, 2015). Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated Prince Aga Khan on the Padma Vibhushan Award being conferred on him and said this reflects the admiration and respect India has for him and for the valuable public service being done by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The President said India appreciates the valuable contribution of AKDN in restoration and heritage conservation.
India has been inspired by the intelligent manner in which restoration and heritage conservation has been married with the goal of reviving traditional crafts, employment creation, education, improving health and urban renewal in the Humayun’s Tomb project. India intends to study the model carefully and see how it can be applied to other programmes.Responding to the President, Prince Karim Aga Khan said he was deeply honoured by the reorganization accorded to him through the Padma Vibhushan Award. He said the AKDN will continue to work in India and establish best practices in heritage conservation.