Rahul Shukla, CEO of S.S. White Technologies in Piscataway, New Jersey, was recently awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman by the Non-Resident Indians (NRI) Society of India at a ceremony at the House of Lords in London. ‘Pravasi’ refers to diaspora and ‘samman’ means honor.

The NRI society is an international organization based in India that connects non-resident Indians with India. The award recognizes those Indians who have made their mark overseas for outstanding services, achievements, and for keeping the ‘flag of India high’.

Every year, the group selects 30 NRIs globally for this award. The award ceremony was attended by accomplished NRIs from all over the world. Shukla has been recognized before as a successful industrialist. He is also a noted Gujarati writer and public speaker. He became is CEO of S.S. White Technologies based in Piscataway, New Jersey, which was founded in 1844. The company’s products are displayed in the Smithsonian Museum.

Shukla started working at S.S. White in 1973 as a second shift inspector. Fifteen years later, he ended up buying the company. Today, S.S. White, founded in 1844 with some products displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., is considered a world leader in flexible-shaft technology. Ninety eight percent of all airplanes – commercial and private – as well as fighter jets, use at least one flexible- shaft product made by the company.

Its subsidiary Shukla Medical has become a world leader in extraction tools for orthopedic implants. Its products are used in almost every orthopedic hospital in the United States.

The company’s India plant in Surendranagar, Gujarat makes power seat parts for cars made in U.S., Japan and Europe; whereas the S.S. White United Kingdom plant makes aerospace products for the UK market.

Shukla is often called by news media as a ‘businessman with heart’. At S.S. White, management and employees do not miss a single opportunity to mix hard work with fun. They celebrate ‘Ugly Hawaiian Shirt Day’, St. Patrick’s Day, ‘Take Your Kid to Work Day’, 5K runs, Diwali, retirement lunches, Safety Day, Health Day and a big Christmas party. The staff goes bowling and to baseball games several times a year.

In addition, the five best employees and their spouses are given an all-expenses paid trip to the Caribbean. S.S. White used to have a strong workers’ union for decades but under Shukla’s leadership, in 2006, the employees requested to decertify the union. This hardly ever happens in a company. Shukla has created a similar culture of excitement, creativity and hard work at the company plant in India.

A computer techie, photographer, and movie buff, Shukla is also a born storyteller. He married Meena Rawal in 1976. They live in Warren, New Jersey.