Shamsheer Vayalil Parambath, one of the youngest winners of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India's highest award recognising achievements of overseas Indians, says he has big plans for expansion of his healthcare business and India is on top of his list.

"I feel highly privileged and honoured to receive this prestigious award. I am very grateful to the people who have given me so much love, appreciation and respect," the founder and managing director of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based LLH Healthcare Group told IANS in an e-mail interview.

Parambath received the award in this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the annual gathering of the Indian diaspora that concluded Jan 9.

He said awards and recognition were materialistic, "they make one feel good but for me the greater feeling of satisfaction is to see general people benefiting from our group's efforts".

"To see people leading a healthy and better life through our efforts is priceless," he said.

"I have always aspired to provide the best healthcare to the world that would enhance the prestige of our nation across the globe and so I thought the UAE could be the best platform for the beginning."

Born Jan 11, 1977, in a prominent business family in Kerala, he started his healthcare business by establishing his first hospital in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, in 2007.

Soon he added eight more hospitals to his business. These include Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, LLH Hospital Electra in Abu Dhabi, LLH Hospital in Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, Life Care Hospital in Al Raha, Abu Dhabi, Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi, India, LLH Hospital in Sohar, Oman, LLH Hospital in Salalah, Oman, and Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery in Dubai.

Besides these, he has more than 30 operational clinics across the UAE, Oman and India.

Parambath, who is also the founder and head of more than 10 organisations ranging from pharmaceutical manufacturing to a pharmacy retail chain, said his family and team members have really been supportive in the journey that he has undertaken.

"Without their support and contribution I would have never been able to reach the position where I'm today. I would also like to mention that this is just a start, we have a very long way to go," he said.

Parambath said India was very much on his list of investment destinations. "I have big plans for expansion and India is on top of our list. We already have one hospital and pharmacies in the country and very soon we will have much more and diversified presence in the country," he said.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman also recognises Parambath for being actively involved in humanitarian causes and social projects that have benefited various communities across the Middle East, India and North Africa.