Chennai-based CavinKare, in association with the Madras Management Association (MMA), presented the 14th edition of the ChinniKrishnan Innovation Awards to three ventures at IIT Madras Research Park on 20 September 2025. The event was presided over by R. Dinesh, Executive Chairman, TVS Supply Chain Solutions.
The winners were: Avay Biosciences, recognised for its 3D bio- printing platform to replace animal testing in drug trials; Dhanvantri Biomedical Pvt. Ltd. for developing the Sahayatha wheel-chair with an integrated toilet and cleaning system; and Urdhvam Environmental Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for its patented Bore Charger that revives low-yielding bore wells through rainwater harvesting.
CK Ranganathan, Chairman & Managing Director, CavinKare, said, “This award was about practical innovation that improves lives.” Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy, president, MMA, said that the more than 300 nominations received this year reflected the expansion of India’s innovation ecosystem.
Each winning venture received Rs 1 lakh, a citation and trophy, along with business support from CavinKare in areas such as marketing, packaging and R&D. Applications were screened by a jury that included Rahul Mammen Mappillai, MD, MRF Ltd., Hari Thiagarajan, MD, Thiagarajar Mills, and Ganga Priya Chakraverti, MD, Ford Business Solutions India.
Instituted in 2011 in memory of R. ChinniKrishnan, father of CavinKare CMD CK Ranganathan, the award’s motive is to identify entrepreneurs addressing social and economic challenges with scalable models. Since its inception, 39 ventures have been honoured.
