A proud moment

The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more, said Jonas Edward Salk, the American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. Vellayan Subbiah knows this much more than anybody else. Hailing from an illustrious industrialists’ family in Chennai, Vellayan Subbiah has been chosen as the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024. Winning recognition at a global stage is a proud moment for him. As a fourth-generation member of the hugely respected Murugappa group in Chennai, the entrepreneurial trait in Vellayan Subbiah is a proven one. The way he adroitly piloted the financial services arm of the group through tough times gives a clue or two to his innate entrepreneurial instinct. It has been quite a journey for Vellayan Subbiah, who is currently the Executive Vice-Chairman of Tube Investments of India and Chairman of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd. From being a professional engineer to captaincy role in the family business, he has come a long way indeed. “As part of the family business, the spirit of entrepreneurship runs deep within me,” he said. He joins a select band of three Indians who had earlier landed this EY Global Entrepreneur recognition. Narayana Murthy, Uday Kotak and Kiran Mazumdar too had been honoured with EY Global Entrepreneur award earlier. A simple person, he puts his trust in people. He doesn’t fight shy of taking risks. He is the son of M.V. Subbiah, former chairman of the Murugappa group. Vellayan Subbiah has indeed assiduously worked his way through within the group to emerge as an able skipper.