NIQR – Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Medal for Manufacturing Excellence
Recognising structured manufacturing excellence across MSMEs and Corporate Manufacturing Enterprises.
Institutional Positioning
Instituted in honour of Padma Vibhushan Dr. V. Krishnamurthy, the VK Medal represents a national benchmark for manufacturing excellence across MSMEs and Corporate Enterprises.
Designed on principles aligned with globally recognised frameworks such as the Deming Prize, Malcolm Baldrige Award, and EFQM Excellence Model, the Medal recognises organisations that achieve excellence through:
- System maturity
- Process discipline
- Measurable performance outcomes
Why VK Medal Matters
India’s manufacturing competitiveness is anchored in the strength of its MSMEs and progressive corporate enterprises.
The VK Medal enables organisations to transition from compliance-driven operations to structured, system-driven manufacturing excellence, building long-term capability and competitiveness.
What the VK Medal Recognises
The VK Medal is not recognition of results alone—it recognises how excellence is built.
It honours organisations that demonstrate:
- Structured manufacturing system design
- Discipline in process deployment
- Stability in operational performance
- Continuous improvement culture
Categories Covered
|
Category |
Focus |
| Micro Enterprises | Foundational systems, quality discipline, process control |
| Small Enterprises | KPI-driven management, supplier quality, structured systems |
| Medium Enterprises | Strategy-driven systems, analytics, innovation, ESG |
| Corporate Manufacturing Enterprises | Enterprise-wide excellence, strategic integration, digital transformation, innovation, and global competitiveness |
Evaluation Philosophy
Sustainable manufacturing excellence emerges from disciplined systems—not isolated improvements.
The evaluation focuses on:
- System design
- Process discipline
- Performance measurement
- Continuous improvement culture
Evaluation Framework (100-Point Model)
| Criteria | Weightage |
| Leadership & Strategy | 15 |
| Process Management | 20 |
| Quality Systems | 15 |
| Customer Focus | 15 |
| Data & Measurement | 10 |
| Continuous Improvement | 15 |
| Sustainability & Future Readiness | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Minimum Qualification Threshold: 75
Category-Based Evaluation Depth
Micro Enterprises
- Basic system structure
- 5S and quality control practices
- SOPs and documentation
- Safety and customer orientation
- Observation-driven assessment
Small Enterprises
- All Micro-level aspects plus:
- KPI-based management
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Supplier quality systems
- Maintenance systems
- Evidence-based evaluation
Medium Enterprises
- All Micro & Small aspects plus:
- Strategic alignment
- Advanced analytics
- Innovation systems
- ESG practices
- Benchmarking and competitiveness
Corporate Enterprises
- All Micro, Small & Medium-level aspects plus:
- IIntegrated Business Excellence Systems aligned to global frameworks
- Policy Deployment linking strategy to execution across all levels
- End-to-End Value Chain Integration (customers, suppliers, partners)
- Advanced Data Analytics & Digital Integration (AI/Industry 4.0 for decision-making)
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- Innovation & Knowledge Management Systems (structured capture, reuse, and scaling of best practices)
- Enterprise Risk Management & Resilience Planning
- Sustainability & ESG Leadership with measurable impact
- Global Benchmarking & Competitiveness Positioning
- Leadership Commitment & Culture of Continuous Improvement (organisation-wide engagement)
- Results-Based Evaluation covering financial, operational, customer, and societal outcomes
Eligibility Criteria
MSME Applicant organisations must:
- Be registered MSMEs (as per Government norms)
- Be engaged in manufacturing activities
- Have a minimum of 3 years of operational track record
- Demonstrate basic to structured manufacturing systems
- Provide documented operational and performance data
- Comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements
Corporate Applicant organisations must:
- Be registered corporate entities engaged in manufacturing / industrial operations
- Have a minimum of 5 years of operational track record
- Demonstrate established and integrated management systems (Quality, Safety, Operations)
- Exhibit strategic alignment across functions, with evidence of policy deployment
Provide comprehensive performance data, including financial, operational, and customer metrics
Demonstrate structured continuous improvement practices (Lean, Six Sigma, TQM, etc.)
- Have systems for supplier quality management and value chain integration
- Show evidence of innovation, digital adoption, and analytics-driven decision-making
- Comply with all statutory, regulatory, and ESG-related requirements
What We Assess During Site Inspection
- Leadership commitment and strategic deployment
- Process management and system standardisation
- Quality systems and process control
- Operational performance metrics
- Continuous improvement practices
- Workforce capability and engagement
- Sustainability and safety systems
Assessment & Fee Structure
|
Category |
Registration Fee |
Audit Team |
Duration |
Audit Fee |
Certification Fee |
Total Fee |
|
Micro |
₹30,000 |
1 × L3 |
1 Day |
₹25,000 |
₹20,000 |
₹75,000 |
|
Small |
₹60,000 |
2 × L2 |
2 Days |
₹65,000 |
₹25,000 |
₹1,50,000 |
Medium |
₹1,00,000 |
3 × L1 |
2 Days |
₹1,00,000 |
₹30,000 |
₹2,30,000 |
|
Corporate |
₹1,50,000 |
3 × L1 |
3 Days |
₹1,50,000 |
₹50,000 |
₹3,50,000 |
“The VK Medal application follows a structured stage-wise payment process to ensure seamless tracking and evaluation. Applicant organisations are required to make payments separately under three stages — Registration Fee, Audit Fee, and Certification Fee — based on their selected category. Upon successful payment of the Registration Fee, a unique reference number will be generated and shared through an automated confirmation email. This reference number must be quoted for all subsequent Audit Fee and Certification Fee transactions. During the later stages, the system will automatically retrieve the applicant’s previously submitted company details and category using the reference number, thereby avoiding duplicate data entry and ensuring a streamlined assessment workflow. All fees are applicable with an additional 18% GST”.
Post-Assessment Support (Optional)
Beyond assessment and recognition, NIQR offers structured post-assessment mentoring to support organisations in strengthening their systems and achieving higher levels of performance.Mentoring Support (3–6 Months)
|
Category |
Monthly Fee |
|
Micro |
₹25,000 |
|
Small |
₹50,000 |
|
Medium |
₹75,000 |
Corporate Enterprises |
₹1,50,000 |
Scope of Support
The VK Medal follows a structured four-stage process:
- Gap closure based on assessment findings
- System strengthening and process standardisation
- Deployment of improvement frameworks
- Capability development and training support
The VK Medal operates under a structured governance framework comprising:
- Governing Committee (Policy oversight)
- Technical Evaluation Board (Framework and scoring)
- Inspection Panels (Site evaluation)
This ensures rigour, transparency, and credibility in the evaluation process.
Awardees receive:
- VK Medal and Formal Citation
- Commemorative Trophy
- National recognition at the NIQR Convention
- Inclusion in Manufacturing Excellence Registry
- Publication in NIQR Compendium
- Structured diagnostic of systems
- Identification of improvement opportunities
- Benchmarking against excellence frameworks
- Enhanced organisational credibility
- Strengthened supply chain positioning
Additionally, participants receive detailed feedback reports, with optional post-assessment mentoring support to enable structured improvement.
|
Phase |
Timeline |
| Announcement | April |
| Applications | May–June |
| Screening | July |
| Evaluation | Aug–Sept |
| Inspection | Sept–Oct |
| Jury & Award | November |
Mr. M. Chelladurai is a distinguished leader in quality and manufacturing excellence, with extensive experience in advancing world-class quality systems across global automotive and industrial organisations. With a strong foundation in engineering, management, and doctoral research, he brings a unique blend of technical depth, strategic insight, and operational leadership.
Having held senior leadership roles at organisations such as Faurecia Clean Mobility and Lear Corporation, and currently serving as Regional Quality Leader – ZF Group, India, he has led large-scale quality transformation initiatives across multi-site manufacturing environments, strengthened supplier ecosystems, and enabled Zero PPM performance through disciplined system deployment.
As Project Director of the VK Medal, he provides strategic leadership in shaping the evaluation framework and ensuring the rigour and credibility of the award. His vision is to position the VK Medal as a national benchmark for manufacturing excellence, fostering disciplined systems, data-driven practices, and continuous improvement across MSMEs.
Mr. M. Chelladurai, BE, MBA, PhD (Pursuing)
Project Director – NIQR Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Medal for Manufacturing Excellence
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Strategic Positioning
The VK Medal is not merely an award—it is a structured mechanism to build long-term manufacturing excellence capability.
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| Welcome Address by Shri. S Murali Shankar, National President – NIQR | Introduction of Chief Guest by Dr. V M Gunasekaran, Chaiman – NIQR-Cr VK Medal Committee | Chief Guest Sri. S. Ganesh Mani President and Chief Operating Officer Ashok Leyland Limited offering floral tributes | Floral Tributes to Dr. V. Krishnamurthy |
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| Dr. S. Rajasekaran, Chairman Award Committee about NIQR-Dr. VK Medal | Dr. V. Swaminathan Senior National Vice President, NIQR about Examination Criteria for NIQR-Dr. VK Medal | Presentation about Best Practices by Prakash Techno Plast India Pvt. Ltd., Hosur | Presentation about Best Practices by Venkateswara Steels and Springs India Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore |
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| Keynote Address Dr. N. Ravichandran Chief Mentor Ucal Fuel Systems Ltd. | Award Presentation to Prakash Techno Plast India Pvt. Ltd., Hosur | Award Presentation to Venkateswara Steels and Springs India Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore | Acceptance Speech byMr. Prakash M Valecha Director Prakash Techno Plast India Pvt. Ltd., Hosur |
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| Acceptance speech by Mr. Vijayaraghavan, Managing Director Venkateswara Steels and Springs India Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore | Chief Guest Sri. S. Ganesh Mani President & Chief Operating Officer Ashok Leyland Limited | Guest of Honour Sri. P. Kaniappan Managing Director ZF Commercial Vehicles Control Systems India Ltd. | Felicitations to Chief Guest |
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| Vote of Thanks by Shri. V. Raghavan, National Secretary, NIQR | Greetings to the Awardees by Dr. VSV Cheziyan, National Joint Secretary, NIQR | Felicitations to Guest of Honour | Felicitations to Keynote Speaker |
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| A view of Audience | Dr. V.M Gunasekaran, NEC Member as MC | Welcome Address by Mr. S. Murali Shankar, National President | Mr. S. Rajasekaran, Past National President about the Award |
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| Dr.-V.-Swaminathan,-Senior-National-Vice-President,-NIQR-about-the-Criteria-for-the-Award | Dr.-A-Sanjeeva-Rao,-Past-National-President-reading-the-Citation | Address-by-Guest-of-Honour-Dr.-N.-Ravichandran | Journey of Aditya Auto by Mr. Tejas Jayaraman, Chief technology Officer |
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| A section of the Audience | Dr. V Krishnamurthy | Address-by-the-Chief-Guest-Dr-Sanjay-Chadda | Presenting-the-NIQR—Dr-VK-Medal-to-Aditya-Auto |
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| Felicitations-to-Chief-Guest-Dr-Sanjay-Chadda | Felicitations-to-the-Chief-Guest-Dr-Sanjay-Chadda | Felicitations-to-Guest-of-Honour-Dr.-N.-Ravichandran | Vote-of-Thanks-by-Dr.-VSV.-Verchezhian |
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| NIQR Launches 'NIQR-Dr V Krishnamurthy Medal Manufacturing Excellence in MSMEs | Mr. S. Rajasekaran, Chairman of the Committee on NIQR-Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Medal on the objective of the Medal | Video message by Dr. V. Swaminathan, Senior Vice President of NIQR on the germination of the Medal | Welcome Address by Mr. S. Muralishankar, National President, NIQR |
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| Registration by Mr. S. Seetharaman, MD of Sivaramakrishna Forgings Pvt. Ltd | Registration by Mr. P. Gnanagurupatham, GM-Operations, Unicorn (Bangalore) Pvt Ltd., Pondicherry |