Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Harrington Road, Chennai

Jury:
Lt Gen Arun Ananthanarayan, PVSM, YSM, SM, VSM (Retd);
Dr. Vinod Surana, Managing Partner & CEO, Surana & Surana International Attorneys;
Dr. Mariazeena Johnson, Chancellor, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology;
Mr. Madhan Karky, Lyricist and Screenwriter;
Mr. Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy, Managing Director, Sundaram Home Finance Limited.

The event…
14 February 2026 : CavinKare Ability Awards 2025, the flagship event of FMCG major CavinKare and the national NGO Ability Foundation took place today, honouring 5 exceptional achievers with disabilities from across the country and across diverse fields.The landmark ceremony brought to the forefront inspiring individuals whose journeys have redefined perceptions and driven meaningful change. Eminent dignitaries led by Deepika T.C, captain of the World Cup winning blind women’s cricket team and Thanya Nathan, who is set to become Kerala’s first blind judge, attended the event and felicitated the recipients, reaffirming the importance of inclusion in all spheres.

A soulful musical concert by Purushothaman, winner of the 2023 Sa Re ga ma pa music reality show and Abinaya Shenbagaraj, well-known classical musician along with their team enthralled the audience. Sign language interpretation during the performance further underscored the message of total inclusion in the arts.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. C K Ranganathan, Chairman and Managing Director, CavinKare Pvt. Ltd. said, “It is truly inspiring to see how individuals with disabilities continue to redefine excellence by rising above constraints and creating their own milestones. By honouring these worthy recipients, we recognise journeys that go beyond personal achievement to create a powerful ripple effect, driving meaningful societal change and strengthening the conversation around inclusion. The CavinKare Ability Awards celebrate this courage, determination, and exceptional talent, and we are honoured to spotlight stories that challenge assumptions and inspire communities to think differently. This initiative reflects our commitment to building a society where potential is never limited by perception, and where everyone is encouraged to aspire, excel, and go further than imagined.”

Congratulating the recipients Ms. Jayshree Raveendran, Founder & Hon. Executive Director, Ability Foundation, made her point by saying: ,” For 24 remarkable and amazing years, we have been fortunate to have been able to showcase the true potential of individuals with disabilities. An immensely rewarding journey, indeed. Each year, we witness the profound impact of our mission, as we continue to honour those who break barriers and inspire change.

Right from the nomination stages uptill witnessing the difficulty faced by our esteemed jury members in selecting the recipients, is a testament to the exceptional quality of nominees we receive year after year. Each nominee not only brings in their own unique story but also represents the potential for growth and success within the disability sector making the whole process a gratifying experience for everyone involved.

As we move forward, our commitment to empowering & including people with disabilities remains steadfast. We continue our mission to amplify voices that need to be heard in order to smoothen the path for a more inclusive future.”

CavinKare Ability Special Recognition Award:

Sunil Jain, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Sunil Jain is the Founder Trustee and Chief Enabler of ASTHA, an organisation that works with persons with disabilities to support aspirational education, career pathways, civic participation, and access to sports and the arts. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, he has over two decades of experience in tax, audit, and corporate consulting. His early life included long periods of medical treatment for a physical disability caused by poliomyelitis, which shaped his commitment to dignity, participation, and aspiration. Founded in 2007, ASTHA runs initiatives such as career mentoring programmes and the Indian Wheelchair Tennis Tour. His work has been recognised with the Karmaveer Chakra and as an India Inclusion Fellow, and continues to influence inclusive thinking across education, sport, and public life.

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CavinKare Ability Award for Eminence

Dr. Jitender Aggarwal, Gurugram, Haryana
Dr. Jitender Aggarwal is the founder and leader of Sarthak Educational Trust, working to expand access to education, skills, and employment for persons with disabilities across India. After losing his vision due to macular degeneration, he saw first-hand how systems often exclude people with disabilities from mainstream opportunities. Through Sarthak, he has helped build clear pathways from early support to skills and jobs, worked closely with employers to make hiring more inclusive, and strengthened confidence on both sides of the workplace. His work has also focused on children with disabilities, digital access, and building shared platforms for learning, research, and collaboration, with the larger aim of dignity, independence, and sustained participation in society.

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CavinKare Ability Mastery Awards

Arivuraja Thangavelu, Kattumannar Koil,Tamil Nadu
Arivuraja Thangavelu is an entrepreneur who has spent years building work opportunities for people who are often left out of formal employment. He lives with a locomotor disability caused by polio,which has shaped how he thinks about access, work, and independence. Through MAPe IT Solutions, he has built a technology-led organisation working on drone surveys, mapping, and digital services, while training and employing persons with disabilities and youth from rural backgrounds. Many who joined without prior exposure now handle live projects, client coordination, and technical tasks. His focus has been steady employment, skill-building, and giving people the confidence to take responsibility and move forward on their own.

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CavinKare Ability Mastery Awards

Shiv Kumar Sharma,Chandigarh, Punjab
Shiv Kumar Sharma works in disability rights in Chandigarh through legal awareness, theatre, and film. As a State Legal Services Consultant, he runs programmes that explain laws and government support to persons with disabilities. He also works in theatre and cinema, and played the lead role in Rabb Di Awaaz, India’s first multi-inclusive Hindi feature film. Shiv is blind since birth, and his own life experience helps him connect easily with people and their concerns. He co-founded the Rotaract Positive Ability Club and leads programmes such as Dinner in the Dark, which help the public understand blindness and support scholarships for visually impaired students.

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CavinKare Ability Mastery Awards

Chandra Mouli Dwarapureddy, Narsipatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Chandra Mouli Dwarapureddy had just completed his BTech when, at the age of 21, an electrical accident resulted in the amputation of both arms and legs. The months that followed demanded patience, courage, and steadiness. Within six months, he was using prosthetic limbs and finding new ways to study, work, and live independently. He returned to academics with focus, completed a Law degree, cleared the CAT, and went on to study at IIM Ahmedabad.He has worked with Amazon and is currently with Accenture. Alongside his work, he stays closely connected with students and professionals with disabilities, sharing what has helped him move forward - clear thinking, sustained effort, and belief in one’s own ability to shape life through action.

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