The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Khargagpur, one of the country's premier engineering and technology institutes today conferred the Honoris Causa Doctor of Science (D. Sc.) on Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman of TVS Motor Company, for his outstanding contributions in the field of Quality Movement and Manufacturing Excellence. Mr. Venu Srinivasan thus joins an elite list of luminary recipients including former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Mother Teresa, Ratan Tata, N R Narayana Murthy, Satyajit Ray and Lord S K Bhattacharyya, to name a few.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Venu Srinivasan said, "I have no words to express how sincerely and deeply I appreciate this honour because it comes from the creme-de-la-creme, the premier IIT of India. When you come a look at how it was, a prison a detention center for people aspiring to build modern independent India and how Panditji on that hallowed ground built the first temple of modern India as he liked to call the institutions of technology and industry, it is really very moving."

Speaking on the quality movement adopted by TVS, Mr. Srinivasan said "It is really the whole group of us who worked from around 1989 for about ten years. We made it possible, a few thousand people to build the standard of quality and quality processes in management and design, production which met the approval of the Japanese institute of Quality, called Japan Institute of Science and Engineers. We got the Deming prize, the first in India and one of the handful of people that got the Japan Quality medal. I therefore accept this honour on behalf of all my colleagues who have worked very hard to make this possible" he added.

The Institute has a history of acknowledging and felicitating distinguished personalities in the country who have made commendable contributions in the fields of science, engineering, entrepreneurship and academics. So far, twenty one dignitaries have been awarded with honorary degrees.

The 55th Convocation Ceremony was presided over by Mr. B Muthuraman, Chairman of the Board of Governers, IIT Kharagpur while Mr. R Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons was the chief guest.