Coimbatore, Jan 4  :To commemorate the death anniversary of G D Naidu, an early architect and champion of modern industry in the region, a gallery was thrown open for the benefit of the public in the city Saturday. 

G.D. Naidu Memorial Gallery, situated at the G.D. Science Museum, was inaugurated by Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Chairman B K Krishnaraj Vanavarayar at a function here. .

Considered the early architect and champion of modern industry in Coimbatore, G.D. Naidu became a legend in his lifetime for his unparalleled engineering achievements, and continues to be one through the legacies he left behind.

He is credited with the distinction of manufacturing the first electric motor in India
and “Edison of India” and “wealth creator of Coimbatore” already has several museums and galleries to showcase his contributions to the industry and Coimbatore.

Group Editorial Director (Publishing), India Today Group, Raj Chengappa was the guest of honour at the event, who recalled the life and achievements of the man, in whose honour the Gallery was set up.

The event was marked by the screening of “G.D. Naidu – The Edison of India”, a biopic of the late industrialist, which portrayed Naidu’s incisive mind and extraordinary life, highlighting the inspirational range of his scientific inventions.

The film, produced by the Films Division of India, won the National Award in the ‘Best Non-feature Film’ in science and technology category in 2019.

The award was handed over to the director of the film, K. Ranjith Kumar on December 23, by Vice-President, M Venkaiah Naidu, at the 66th National Film Awards’ ceremony.

The Memorial Gallery, managed by the G.D. Naidu Charities, a Charitable Trust,  showcases various inventions and innovations of G.D. Naidu in the fields of bus transport, radio technology, machine tools, home gadgets, agriculture, Siddha.