Bhubaneswar: Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) has been conferred with the first ever Kautilya Award by Indian Economic Association (IEA).

Dr. Samanta was conferred with this prestigious award on the occasion of the 100th Annual conference of the IEA organised in Acharya Nagarjun University in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh yesterday.

Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner handed over the award to a representative of Dr. Samanta in his absent. Kautilya award recognised the spectacular financial model of KIIT and KISS and Prof Samanta’s efforts to make it reach the present position with just Rs 5000 as the seed money way back in 1992-93.

In his reaction Dr. Samanta said, “I am humbled to be conferred with first ever Kautilya Award by IEA on occasion of its celebration of centenary year”.