TVS Capital Funds’ C.K. Prahalad Foundation Honours S4S Technologies with the 2026 Next Practice Entrepreneur Award

Pocket FM receives the Honourable Mention; Prof. M.S. Krishnan delivers the 2nd Next Practice Memorial Oration in Chennai

Chennai, 6 August 2026: The late Prof. C.K. Prahalad, among the finest corporate thinkers of the last fifty years, believed that Indian entrepreneurs are the new freedom fighters, carrying forward the quest for India’s social and economic freedom as the nation approaches 100 years of independence. Guided and mentored by his thinking, TVS Capital Funds has spent nearly 20 years empowering NextGen entrepreneurs to build enduring businesses. Continuing its commitment to promoting his visionary idea of “Next Practice”, the C.K. Prahalad Foundation, the CSR arm of TVS Capital Funds, successfully hosted the 2nd Next Practice Oration and Next Practice Entrepreneur Award on 5 August 2026 in Chennai.

The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, founders and business leaders for the Next Practice Memorial Oration, delivered by leading global management thinker Prof. M.S. Krishnan, and the presentation of the C.K. Prahalad Next Practice Emerging Entrepreneur Award 2026. The evening culminated with S4S Technologies being named the winner of this year’s award, while Pocket FM received the Honourable Mention in recognition of its entrepreneurial excellence.

Speaking at the event, Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman & Managing Director, TVS Capital Funds, said, “Prof. C.K. Prahalad always believed that ideas have no meaning unless they are translated into action. What we witnessed today was a powerful affirmation of that belief, as the five finalist companies demonstrated how next-practice thinking can be transformed into businesses that create meaningful impact. Prof. Prahalad was a visionary who was ahead of his time, whether in his management ideas or in the way he imagined India’s future. While he spent much of his academic life in the United States, his thoughts were always centred on India and its potential. It is truly inspiring to see his ideas come alive through a new generation of entrepreneurs, and I only wish he were here today to witness how profoundly his vision continues to shape India’s entrepreneurial journey.”

Receiving the C.K. Prahalad Next Practice Entrepreneur Award 2026, Dr. Vaibhav Tidke, Co-Founder & CEO, S4S Technologies, said, “It is a privilege to receive the C.K. Prahalad Next Practice Entrepreneur Award. Prof. C.K. Prahalad’s philosophy of creating meaningful impact through innovation has been a constant source of inspiration for us. At S4S Technologies, which stands for Science for Society, we have always believed that technology must solve real problems for the communities it serves. Coming from an engineering background and having closely witnessed the challenges faced by farmers, we set out to use scientific innovation to reduce post-harvest losses and create sustainable livelihoods at the farm gate. Today, our work with thousands of women farmers and farming communities across India reflects that vision. This recognition reinforces our belief that businesses can create lasting value by combining innovation with social impact, a principle that Prof. Prahalad championed throughout his life.”

The programme also featured an afternoon workshop for startup founders and CXOs from 10 future leaders, providing a rare and intimate exchange on building enduring, next-practice companies.

Prof. M.S. Krishnan, Accenture Professor of Information Systems and Professor of Technology and Operations at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, delivered the 2026 Next Practice Memorial Oration. A distinguished scholar of information technology, innovation and business performance, Prof. Krishnan was a close colleague and co-author of Prof. Prahalad. Together they authored The New Age of Innovation, and he also served on the inaugural jury of the C.K. Prahalad Award in 2023. His return to deliver this year’s oration marked a fitting continuation of that longstanding association while reflecting on Prof. Prahalad’s enduring ideas and their relevance for entrepreneurs shaping India’s future.

Reflecting on Prof. Prahalad’s enduring legacy and the continued relevance of his ideas in shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs, Prof. M.S. Krishnan said, “Working alongside Prof. C.K. Prahalad was a masterclass in challenging assumptions and reimagining the future. He constantly encouraged us to question conventional thinking and recognise that as technology transforms the world, our understanding of quality, innovation and value creation must evolve with it. Our collaboration on The New Age of Innovation was rooted in the belief that technology would fundamentally reshape businesses by enabling organisations to create unique value for every individual while drawing on global resources. Many of the ideas we discussed nearly two decades ago have become a reality today, reaffirming Prof. Prahalad’s remarkable ability to anticipate the future. It is especially gratifying to see those ideas come alive through entrepreneurs who are embracing next-practice thinking, building transformative businesses and creating meaningful impact. The companies recognised today are a testament to the enduring relevance of Prof. Prahalad’s vision and the role of entrepreneurship in shaping India’s future.”

The C.K. Prahalad Next Practice Emerging Entrepreneur Award 2026 was selected by an eminent jury of scholars and practitioners intimately familiar with Prof. Prahalad’s teachings. This year’s jury comprised:

• KRS Jamwal, Former Executive Director, Tata Industries

• Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan, Former Vice Chairman & CEO, Cognizant; Chancellor, Krea University; Managing Trustee, Chennai Mathematical Institute

• Narayan Ramachandran, Chairman, TeamLease Services; Co-founder, The Takshashila Institution

• Aakrit Vaish, Founder, Activate; Co-founder & Former CEO, Haptik

The jury reviewed more than 1,500 startups to develop a longlist of 15 companies. Through a rigorous, multi-session process, the jury evaluated these companies across the four principles that defined Prof. Prahalad’s thinking: founder quality, disruption of the status quo, positive impact on the country, and long-term sustainability. Five companies were shortlisted before the jury deliberated for over 90 minutes to unanimously select S4S Technologies as the winner.

In an interesting experiment, AI also participated as a fifth evaluator by independently analysing the jury’s deliberations. In a remarkable convergence, both the jury and AI arrived at the same winner, underscoring the strength and consistency of the selection process.

Reflecting on TVS Capital’s enduring commitment to carrying forward Prof. C.K. Prahalad’s philosophy and nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs, Naveen Unni, Managing Partner, TVS Capital Funds, said, “At TVS Capital, we remember Prof. C.K. Prahalad not only as the inspiration behind many of our beliefs but also as one of the founders who shaped our journey. The C.K. Prahalad Memorial Oration has therefore become our way of keeping his ideas alive and bringing together founders and entrepreneurs who embody the spirit of next-practice thinking. We believe his ideas are even more relevant today than when he first articulated them. Concepts such as N=1, R=G have gained renewed significance in the age of AI, where personalised experiences and globally connected ecosystems are redefining how businesses create value. Through this platform, we hope to continue celebrating Prof. Prahalad’s legacy by inspiring entrepreneurs to build enduring businesses that shape India’s future.”

Through the C.K. Prahalad Next Practice Entrepreneur Award, TVS Capital Funds continues to inspire founders to pursue and scale next-practice innovations that will contribute to India’s journey towards India@100.