Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Saturday unveiled the ‘TVS Cheema Scholarship’ to mark the birth centenary of T.S. Srinivasan, the founder of TVS Motor Company.
T.S. Srinivasan, fondly known as Cheema, was the youngest son of T.V. Sundaram Iyengar, the founder of TVS Group. Cheema is credited with the transformation of the TVS Group from a service and trading company to a manufacturing giant in the 1960s. He developed the industrial estate that is now Padi.
With a corpus of ₹100 crore, the scholarship will support 500 students each year from Tamil Nadu to pursue professional degrees in engineering and particularly in mechanical engineering.
TVS is one of the important identities of Tamil Nadu’s industrial sector. TVS also stands as a face for industrial development in the State, and T.V. Sundaram laid the foundation for it, Mr. Stalin said on the occasion. Like Sundaram, his son ,Srinivasan, also expanded the business. Srinivasan’s son Venu Srinivasan has also been running the business successfully, he noted.
“If the next generation is talented, we can safeguard anything. TVS is an example for it. I am not talking about politics here. I am just pointing out that if upcoming generations are talented, we can perform well and achieve success,” he said.
T.S. Srinivasan was well-versed in all aspects including administration, technical know-how, innovation and also gave importance to workers, Mr. Stalin said. When he had acquired 300 acre of land in Padi, many had questioned him. He said it would be required for 25 years, which shows his longer-term vision, Mr. Stalin noted. Despite health issues, he worked hard for TVS expansion in Hosur and was bold to take risks, Mr. Stalin said.
Mr. Stalin also hailed the role played by Srinivasan Services Trust. He also noted that the Namma School Foundation initiative, for which Venu Srinivasan is the chairman and chess champion, Viswanathan Anand, is brand ambassador, has received donations of ₹158 crore so far. “Tamil Nadu contributes about 10% to India’s GDP. We are gearing up to host the Global Investors Meet next year and I request groups like TVS to play an important role,” Mr. Stalin said.
The State and the private sector should join hands together for industrial growth, he added. Mr. Stalin also released a book The Painted Stork, a book chronicling the remarkable journey of conservation at TVS Motor.
“My father, who founded TVS Motor, believed in empowerment and transformation through education,” Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus, TVS Motor, said. “As we celebrate his centenary, we hope this programme [scholarship] will help nurture unstoppable leaders and fuel original thinkers who will build a better future,” he added.
B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coimbatore Kendra also spoke. Former Union Finance Minister and Congress Rajya Sabha member P. Chidambaram, MDMK Chief Vaiko and leading industrialists were present on the occasion.
