The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Chennai entrepreneurs honoured for innovation

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Saturday, Jan 19, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Chennai entrepreneurs honoured for innovation

Special Correspondent

Tamil Nadu to host centres of excellence to develop technology in several areas

— Photo: M. Vedhan

Making a mark: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with the award-winning entrepreneurs at a function in Chennai on Friday.

CHENNAI: Ten Chennai entrepreneurs from various industries were recognised on Friday for daring to innovate and their contributions to society.

The innovators included Prathap Reddy, founder of Apollo Hospitals, Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, who built up the network of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan schools from a shanty on her rooftop that held 13 students, and Vivek Anand, who set up ‘FitnessOne’ gymnasium and started a ‘working-out’ revolution in the city.

Commending their efforts, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said entrepreneurs and industries across Tamil Nadu should make the common man the focus of innovation. “Companies should realise that if the lifestyle of the common man improves, their bottom lines will improve automatically.”

The State will support the setting up of ‘Centres of Excellence and Innovation’ to develop technologies in areas of chip and electronic hardware design, leather product design and automotive design.

The Chief Minister said the colour television scheme was also designed to encourage the younger generation to innovate. “The scheme was not merely about entertaining or educating.” The State had created the right environment to allow innovators to flourish by becoming the “favoured choice” of investment for global companies. “In the last 20 months, we have signed MoUs with 11 global companies and we will shortly announce more MoUs,” he said. “These 11 projects will bring investments of about Rs.11,083 crore and give jobs to 1,25,000 people.” The companies include Motorola, Dell computers, Samsung, Nissan and Renault.

The State’s recently released industrial policy would create a further 20 lakh jobs by 2011, as well as double exports to Rs.1,40,000 crore. It would also set up industrial parks, nanotechnology parks, bio IT parks and industrial corridors such Chennai-Bangalore, Madurai-Tuticorin and Coimbatore -Salem.

The ten awardees were not just chosen on economic criteria such as profit and business success of their plans. “We have taken into account the social relevance of their innovations…,” Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman, Awards TiECON Chennai, said.

Kanimozhi, Member of Parliament and convener of the Chennai Sangamam, said entrepreneurs, like folk artists, needed a platform to express themselves.

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