Eco Entrepreneur Senthil Sankar Recognised with The Weekend Leader-VIT Person of the Year Award

Recognising his efforts in promoting sustainability through fashion, Karur-based entrepreneur Senthil Sankar was conferred with The Weekend Leader-VIT Person of the Year Award at a function held at VIT, Chennai.

VIT Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan and Srivats Ram, Managing Director of Wheels India Limited, handed over the award, and Dr. G. V. Selvam, Vice President of VIT, Chennai, presented the cash prize.

VIT Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan presenting the Person of the Year Award to Senthil Sankar. (From L-R : Pro Vice Chancellor, VIT Chennai, Dr. Thyagarajan T, Dr. G V Selvam, Vice President, VIT, Srivats Ram, MD, Wheels India Ltd., P C Vinoj Kumar, Editor, TWL and Dr. Harikrishnan K , Dean, VITBS, Chennai (Photos: Bosco)

Senthil transformed his father’s business, Shree Renga Polymers, into a leading sustainable enterprise. In 2020, he launched the clothing brand Ecoline, which produces T-shirts and garments from fabric made using recycled PET bottles.

Under Senthil’s leadership, the company has achieved a turnover of Rs. 100 crore. Every day, they recycle about 15 lakh PET bottles and manufacture 30,000 to 40,000 garments, contributing to environmental sustainability and promoting eco-friendly fashion.

Ecoline offers a wide range of products, including T-shirts, jackets, athleisure wear, blazers, and stoles. The brand has gained recognition at the highest levels, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi having worn Ecoline jackets on about eight occasions.

Deepika Thiyagarajan, Co-founder, Putchi, receiving the Super Startup Award from Dr. G Viswanathan

Three other young entrepreneurs were honoured at the event with The Weekend Leader-VIT Super Startup Awards for their outstanding entrepreneurial achievements. The awardees included Deepika Thiyagarajan, Co-founder of Putchi Maternity Solutions; Anand Bharadwaj, Co-founder of Sweet Karam Coffee; and Ramya Ravi, Co-founder of RNR Donne Biryani.

Sweet Karam Coffee, co-founded by Anand Bharadwaj and Nalini Parthiban in 2015, started as a small home-based venture with an initial investment of just Rs. 2,000. The brand began by selling traditional South Indian snacks such as Madras Mixture, Athirasam, and Sweet Murukku. Today, Sweet Karam Coffee ships to over 30 countries, serving lakhs of customers through its website and app.

Ramya Ravi and her sister Shweta Ravi launched RNR Donne Biryani from a 200 sq. ft. cloud kitchen in Bengaluru in November 2020 with Rs. 5 lakh. They opened their first dine-in restaurant in Jayanagar, a year later. Today, they have several cloud kitchens across Bengaluru.

Dr. G. V. Selvam presenting the Super Starup Award to Anand Bharadwaj, Co-founder, Sweet Karam Coffee

Deepika Thiyagarajan launched Putchi, a maternity fashion brand, along with her husband Thiyagarajan, in 2020 with Rs. 60,000. Despite launching during the Covid pandemic, the business grew rapidly. Today, the brand offers employment opportunities to several women and serves customers in India and abroad.

Speaking at the function, VIT Chancellor Dr. G Viswanathan said, “India is the fifth largest economy in the world as per GDP but in per capita income it is in 136th position. To improve our per capita income, our country needs more entrepreneurs.”

Srivats Ram traced the journey of the TVS Group, which started as a humble bus service in Tamil Nadu in 1911. He mentioned that initially the founder's plans faced challenges when the railways protested, fearing that the bus service would impact their business. However, the service continued by strategically connecting villages to railway stations.

Interacting with students, Ram emphasised the importance of attention to detail. He said, “If you work hard, there is no problem in the world that cannot be resolved. The most important qualities are persistence, focus, and attention to detail. By focusing on these three aspects, any problem can be tackled effectively.”

Ramya Ravi, Co-founder, RNR Donne Biryani, receives the Super Startup Award from Srivats Ram

Dr. G. V. Selvam, Vice President of VIT, said, “There are two strategies in business - one followed by Ambani and Adani, and the other by Tata and TVS. I believe in the Tata and TVS strategy.”

He highlighted that Srivats Ram represents the fourth generation of the TVS family and shared insights about the next generation.

“I asked Ram about the fifth generation, and he said they are currently working as interns in other group companies. His son or daughter must work as interns and gradually rise up the corporate ladder before taking on leadership roles,” Dr. Selvam added.

P. C. Vinoj Kumar, Editor of The Weekend Leader, urged students to take up entrepreneurship and become job creators. “Today there are plenty of opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. Recently, I heard about an entrepreneur who is exporting many commonly available handicrafts to the US and making a lot of profit. The kind of things he is exporting can be bought for 20 or 30 rupees at Parry’s Corner in Chennai, but the same items are sold in the US for 20 dollars,” he said. - TWL Bureau