He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2013, that bestowed on him the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of trade and industry.
[3][4][5][9] He was a known art collector[5] reportedly owning 600 works[4][10] and has also produced a film, Ek Pal, directed by Kalpana Lajmi.
[2] Six months later, on 31 July 2013, Barooah, aged 86, breathed his last at Bangkok, while on a trip to the Thailand capital for medical treatment.
[3] It was reported that Barooah had already built his mausoleum earlier, in 2004, decked with a green marble with only the date of death left to be filled.
[1][10] He is credited with efforts to bring tea tourism to Assam, by opening his ancestral home, Thengal Manor, and two other colonial buildings to tourists and by founding the Heritage North East, a Boutique heritage hotel[1] and the Kaziranga Golf Resorts, Sangsua.