TVS Motor Company on Saturday announced ‘The Cheema Scholarship’ with a corpus of ₹100 crore to offer financial support to about 500 engineering students in Tamil Nadu every year.
The scholarship scheme was launched to commemorate the birth centenary of TS Srinivasan, founder of TVS Motor and father of Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus of the company. TS Srinivasan was fondly known as Cheema and was the youngest son of TV Sundram Iyengar, the founder of the TVS Group.
Under the scholarship programme, which was announced in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, funding support will be provided to students exclusively from Tamil Nadu who pursue professional degrees in engineering, particularly in mechanical engineering.
Multifaceted
Recalling the contribution of TVS Group and TS Srinivasan, Chief Minister MK Stalin said TS Srinivasan (TSS), whose centenary was being celebrated, was a multifaceted industrialist with managerial, technical, innovative and employee management skills.
TVS moped was the vehicle for the poor. The vehicle was a beacon of light in the lives of poor small traders. TVS Moped was the first vehicle to enter the southern districts, especially in the rural areas, he added.
Stating that the government and the private sectors should work together to achieve economic growth, Stalin said Tamil Nadu should see the emergence of companies like TVS and the need to produce industrial geniuses like T S Srinivasan. “The State needs entrepreneurs like Venu Srinivasan,” he added.
Great visionary
Venu Srinivasan said his father TSS was a great visionary and saw the potential of India far before people recognised it and he was a pioneer of industrialisation in Tamil Nadu. “While he was known for his industry and vision, he was also made up of human qualities with compassion for people. He believed in empowerment and transformation through education,” he added.
For the Cheema Scholarship, TVS Motor will work closely with leading educational institutions, including IITs, NITs to bring help exceptional students. Scholarships will be awarded after a robust screening process by a select committee. A not-for-profit entity will be set up to administer the scholarship programme.
Earlier, Stalin released The Painted Stork, a book to commemorate the manufacturing philosophy and conservation efforts of TVS Motor for more than two decades.