Date:31/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/31/stories/2006073101110200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Award given away to entrepreneur

Staff Reporter

Anil Ananthakrishna has come out with a commercially accepted two-wheeler, EKO COSMIC

BANGALORE: Electric vehicle technologist Anil Ananthakrishna has been honoured with the "2005 Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship."

The award trophy, set in blue and white crystal, was handed over to Mr. Ananthakrishna by V. Umesh, Managing Director of Karnataka State Financial Corporation. Mr. Ananthakrishna was chosen for the award by Erin Foundation, which has Bob Hoekstra, former chief of Philips Innovation Centre, as advisory committee chairman.The citation says that Mr. Ananthakrishna kept his 30-year-old dream of building commercially viable EV two-wheelers alive, even after initial reverses.

He cleared all the bank liabilities before going around the world in search of better pastures. He returned two years ago to set shop in Bangalore once again. Erin Foundation plans to present such awards to one entrepreneur every year.

Mr. Ananthakrishna's concept took shape in the form of a commercially accepted two-wheeler called EKO COSMIC. This is the first of the commercially successful battery-operated two-wheelers launched in the country.

He established his technical excellence by getting this product approved by ARAI in Pune recently.

"My life-long mission has been to initiate the process for commercial implementation of alternate sources of transport. The mission has been to participate in keeping our environment clean," Mr. Ananthakrishna said.