After having received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, Dr Shilpa Shetty will receive the 'Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award' at a grand ceremony to be held on August 12, 2007, at National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, informed the actresses' spokesperson and publicist Dale Bhagwagar.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, leader of Congress party Ms Sonia Gandhi, Union Minister of External Affairs Mr Pranab Mukherjee, and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh are expected to grace the occasion.

"To be a worldwide achiever at such a young age; bestowed with flattering accolades, is a matter of utmost prestige for Shilpa. She is extremely grateful to be chosen for this honour," said Bhagwagar.

Earlier recipients of the 'Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award' include eminent personalities like Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Adi Godrej, Anand Mahindra, Sunil Mittal, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw , Sant Singh Chatwal, Shah Rukh Khan, Tarun Tejpal, Rajdeep Sardesai, Sania Mirza and Sachin Tendulkar.

The 'Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award' was instituted by the Bureau of Indian Standards in 1991 with the approval of the Government of India, with a view to encouraging Indian manufacturing and service organizations to strive for excellence and giving special recognition to those who are considered to be the leaders of quality movement in India.

The award has been named after our Late Prime Minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi, recognizing the new thrust he had given to the quality movement in India so that India could move into 21st Century with pride.

The award has been designed in line with similar awards in other developed countries, like 'Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award' in USA, 'Deming Prize' in Japan and the 'European Quality Award'.