Chennai, December 2023
Dr. Santhi Duraisamy, Director, Sakthi Masala Private Limited, a leading spices and masala products company in South India, was honoured with the coveted TiECON Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award, instituted by the Chennai chapter of TiE, a global entrepreneurship development organisation.
The award was presented at the 16th edition of TiECON, one of the largest gatherings of entrepreneurs in India, held in Chennai recently. Mr. C. K. Ranganathan, Past President, TiE Chenani and Chairman & MD of CavinKare, and Mr. Sriram Subramanya, President, TiE Chennai and Founder, MD & CEO of Integra, presented the award to Ms. Duraisamy.
As the director of Sakthi Masala, Ms. Duraisamy is overseeing the operations of the company, its expansions and the company’s CSR projects. Sakthi Masala had a humble beginning as a cottage industry. It was founded by Dr. P. C. Duraisamy in 1977 with an investment of Rs. 10,000. From trading turmeric, the company ventured into manufacturing pure spice powders like turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder before expanding into masala powders. Today the company manufactures over 50 varieties of pure spice powders and masala powders, over 15 varieties of pickles, pappad, flours, and edible oil.
In her comments on receiving TiECON 2023 Award, Dr. Santhi Duraisamy, said, “I accept this award on behalf of the founder of our company and the entire team. I am happy that the recognition comes from a prestigious organisation which is committed to the promotion of entrepreneurship across the world. This serves as a motivation for us to do more to the world of business as well as the community. At Sakthi Masala, our watchword is quality and rural development – everything else comes next. We derive immense satisfaction that Sakthi Masala provides employment opportunities to the people from rural areas, especially women and the differently abled persons. We uphold the values of fair business practices. We will continue to strive for business excellence, while expanding the reach of our corporate social responsibility.”
Sakthi Masala has bagged the National Award for Quality Products Award thrice from the Government of India. It has won the Mumbai-based Council for Fair Business Practice’s Jamnalal Bajaj Award four times for its commitment to fair business practices.
To fulfill its corporate social responsibility, the company has founded Sakthidevi Charitable Trust in 1997 which is the social arm of Sakthi Masala Private Limited. The trust provides free medical consultation to the general public and employees through Sakthi Hospital. The trust through its Government approved special schools: Sakthi School for Intellectual Disabled, Sakthi Autism Special School, and Sakthi Autism Early Intervention Centre provides free education and therapies to the differently abled.
For the past 23 years, the trust has been extending educational assistance and scholarships for students from poor households. Through its ‘Vazhikatti’ project, it provides cash awards and certificates for the toppers in 10th and +2 exams. The trust is also active in the arena of environmental protection, rain water harvesting. The company uses non-conventional energy resources like solar energy and wind energy for its manufacturing activities.