Bhubaneswar, July 5: Founder of KIIT, KIMS and KISS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, has been honoured with the AAPI Award for Transformational Social Work & Indo-US Partnership by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) during its annual convention, AAPICON 2026, held in Tampa, Florida, USA.
The award was presented at AAPICON 2026 and AAPI’s 44th Congress, organised from July 2 to 5, in recognition of Dr. Samanta’s contributions to social service, philanthropy, humanitarian initiatives and efforts to strengthen ties between India and the United States. The association also acknowledged his support during the Global Health Summit 2026.
The honour was presented by AAPI President Dr. Amit Chakrabarty in the presence of more than 3,000 physicians attending the convention.
According to AAPI, the award recognises Dr. Samanta’s long-standing work in promoting education, healthcare and social development, particularly for underprivileged communities.
AAPI is among the largest organisations representing physicians of Indian origin in the United States, with more than 120,000 members. More than 3,000 doctors participated in this year’s convention.
On July 4, coinciding with the United States’ Independence Day celebrations, Dr. Samanta addressed a special session of the convention as Guest of Honour and keynote speaker. In his speech, he highlighted the role of Indian-origin physicians in advancing healthcare and emphasised the need for greater collaboration between India and the Indian diaspora in addressing global health challenges.
During his address, Dr. Samanta urged AAPI members to devote a few days each month to providing healthcare services in India. In response, AAPI expressed support for the proposal and said its member physicians would endeavour to spend between seven and 15 days each month offering medical consultation and healthcare services in the country.
