Ideas, innovations, insights

CHENNAI:  Innovation should not originate like effervescence and disappear over time. In order to sustain innovation and its vehicle, the company, there needs to be good leadership that can make the product grow not just within the lifespan of the innovator, but over a longer period,” said Suresh Krishna, chairman, Sundaram Fasteners, who delivered the keynote speech at the 7th edition of the CavinKare-MMA Chinnikrishnan Innovation Awards 2018. “One has to work 24/7 and think of the idea day and night to achieve the goal.

There will be no work-life balance. I have done it for 55 years so, I know,” he added.
The award function not only honoured three small-scale entrepreneurs for their innovations but also introduced a ‘Great Ideas’ category wherein individuals with the capacity to transform lives with ideas were felicitated.

“The award honours entrepreneurs and identifies growing SMEs in terms of uniqueness, the benefit to people, and its ability to scale. But, it doesn’t stop with the award. All the winners will be mentored by CavinKare and MMA across various business fronts,” said L Ramkumar, president, Madras Management Association (MMA).

Established in 2011, the award is dedicated to Late R Chinnikrishnan, the father of the sachet revolution. “When my father came with the sachet concept, little did he know it was going to become a revolution. But back then, there was little to no knowledge about patenting an idea. So, after his demise, his idea was imitated by several companies. My father was an innovator but didn’t know to market the product. We didn’t want any innovator to face that difficulty. With the intent of helping and recognising budding entrepreneurs with extraordinary talents, we launched this award and are happy to see it grow,” said CK Ranganathan, MD of CavinKare.

Entrepreneurs awarded under innovations category were TM Veerabahu, founder, Cybernoid Healthcare; Gokul Shrinivas, founder, MinionLabs India, and M Murugesan, director, Rope Production Centre. “To recognise an innovator like me, from a village, is an encouragement. My innovation will contribute in increasing the income of farmers,” said Murugesan who uses agricultural waste to manufacture home products like mats, baskets, rope and packing paper.

Under the Great Ideas category, S Ramani, for his manually-operated washing machine; K Mohanraj for a protection gadget for women, e-sword, and Saranya Sriram for her zero-energy electro chemical desalination cell that uses animal and human urine to remove toxic hexavalent chromium from leather tannery and textile industrial effluents, were awarded.