Perumal Vivekanandan

For over three decades, Perumal Vivekanandan has been a pioneering force at the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern technology. As executive director of SEVA, Madurai, Vivekanandan has documented over 8,000 grassroots innovations and helped register four indigenous livestock breeds, making him a champion of both biodiversity and local ingenuity. His work has spanned AI-informed ethnoveterinary practices, sustainable agriculture, and tech-enabled knowledge dissemination, inspiring rural communities to integrate ancestral wisdom with contemporary solutions.

A key figure in the Honey Bee Network, he mentored innovation ecosystems long before AI became a buzzword. His accolades, including the Jamnalal Bajaj Award and the World Technology Network Finalist recognition, celebrate his efforts to democratise science and technology. In an era of rapid digital disruption, Vivekanandan remains a vital voice proving that innovation doesn’t only come from labs, it also lives in fields, forests, and the collective memory of rural India.