The 73-year-old 'Metro Man', E Sreedharan, was presented one of the most prestigious civilian awards of the French Government -- Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) in 2005.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief, who changed the face of public transport in New Delhi, was chosen for the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding commitment to the development of transportation infrastructure in India and his valuable contribution to enhancing Indo-French relations.

Not just that, he was also awarded the Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) from IIT Delhi and the Bharat Shiromani award from the Shiromani Institute, Chandigarh in 2005.

A recipient of the Padma Shree, Sreedharan has been successful in one of the toughest and biggest project in the history of Indian Railways -- Konkan Railway.