CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 11, 2024: Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Chairman and Managing Director of NLC India Limited, a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Coal, Government of India, was conferred with the prestigious Dr. Yelavarthy Nayudamma Memorial Award at a grand ceremony at Tenali, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night.
Nadendla Manohar, Minister for Civil Supplies, Government of Andhra Pradesh gave away this prestigious Nayudamma award, constituted in the memory of noted scientist and former Director General of CSIR, Dr Yelavarthy Nayudamma, to Prasanna Kumar Motupalli in the presence of Yadlapati Raghunath, Chairman of the Dr. Yelavarthy Nayudamma Science and Technology Foundation and Kotha Subramaniam, Vice-Chairman and other dignitaries.
Dr. Y. Nayudamma Memorial Award, instituted in 1986, is a prestigious honour established by the Tenali Foundation to commemorate the memory and legacy of Dr. Yelavarthy Nayudamma, an eminent scientist and technocrat known for his significant contributions to the field of leather technology and for his role in shaping modern scientific research in India. This award recognizes outstanding individuals who have made exemplary contributions in the fields of science, technology, and societal development, reflecting the values and vision that Dr. Nayudamma upheld throughout his illustrious career.
Speaking on the occasion, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli recalled the inspirational life of Dr. Y. Nayudamma and thanked the Nayudamma Trust for conferring on him the prestigious award. He also reminisced about the contribution of Dr. Yalavarthy Nayudamma, in the field of science and technology, and about the social change that was impacted by him. Shri Motupalli emphasized Innovation, which will enable the transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy future as the nation is facing the dual challenges of climate change and energy security. He highlighted the ardent need to address climate change, coupled with advances in technology and a paradigm shift towards renewable energy sources. He underscored the importance of Energy Storage Technologies in the Indian power sector for balancing the supply and demand on the grid given the renewable energy capacity addition. He underlined the role of Artificial Intelligence which has the potential to revolutionize the power sector by enabling smarter, more efficient, and more reliable energy systems for forecasting & scheduling of RE power with strict Deviation Settlement Mechanism. He recounted the role of NLC India, the first CPSU to reach 1 GW Renewable capacity, in the energy landscape of the country, powering sustainability.
On this occasion, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli thanked his Parents, Teachers, Family members and well-wishers who were instrumental in crafting his career and life. Prasanna Kumar Motupalli joins the elite club of the earlier Nayudamma awardees like Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Dr. Varghese Kurien, Dr. Kasturi Rangan, Dr. R. K. Mashelkar, Dr. R. Chidambaram, Dr. Vasudev K Atre, Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, Dr. Shyam Pitroda, Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, Shri. V. K. Saraswat, Dr. V. Shantha, Prof. Narlikar and others.
