Mar 22, 2007 :: A weaver’s son innvoates

Typical of most inventors, S Shanmugam, son of a poor weaver in Erode refused to fall into the traditional mould. He refused to carry on his father’s trade, disobeyed his parents, worked and saved his wages for an education and three years after he left school, enrolled for a technical course .

There he blossomed: he innovated a way by which a weaver can produce three extra metres of fabric per hour. He had seen weavers stop every three minutes for a minute to extend the yarn. Shanmugam had seen this practice and refused to accept it. That was the seed that led to his innovation.

But what is more heartening to learn is that Mr Muthuswamy, Principal of the polytechnic admitted Shanmugam three years after he left school. And two, this innovation in a far corner of south India got noticed and the young man received the Grassroots Level Young Innovator Award from the hands of President Abdul Kalam.   Story