Industrialist Rata Tata on Monday received the maiden 'CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award" for successful commencialisation of 'Indica' and 'Indigo' from Dr Manmohan Singh amid requests from the Prime Minister to use India's recently-developed indigenous 'Saras aircraft technology to put the country on the map of world civil aviation industry, according to UNI reports.

"Indica's achievement is a tribute to Indian creativity, enterprise and team spirit, as well as to the dynamism of the Tata Group led by Ratan Tata," Dr Singh said after giving away the award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs, citation and a memento instituted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) last year to commemorate its silver jubilee.

The Prime Minister said the design, fabrication, manufacturing and marketing of Indica, the first indigenously developed passenger car, was a major milestone in Indian auto industry. Pointing out that the inaugural flight of Saras, an indigenously designed and built civilian aircraft, last month had demonstrated the country's technological prowess- on the ground matching in the air, he said. To me, Saras is not an aircraft, just as Indica is not a car. Both stand for India's determination to win in the global technology race.