Tata Chemicals wins 2010 Asian Innovation gold awards

Tata Chemicals (TCL) was awarded the 'Gold' award at the Asian Innovation Awards 2010, presented by cin partnership with Credit Suisse AG.

The winners were announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong, where finalists from around the Asia Pacific region had gathered as part of a 'Conversations with Innovators of the World' event last week.

The Asian Innovation Awards, which attracted nearly 300 entries from 13 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, are committed to finding the next big technological ideas in Asia.

TCL won the award for its development of the Tata Swach nanotech water purifier that has a low-cost, portable ''bulb'' to purify untreated water with paddy husks and nano-silver particles. The bulb indicates when its purifying capacity has been exhausted, a safety measure designed to keep unsafe water from being accidentally consumed.

''We are privileged to be working in this space,'' said Sabaleel Nandy, head of TCL's water-purifier business. ''The demand in India is very huge. There are over 250 million households, and we would like to make sure that they have a purifier that will save them from waterborne diseases.''

''Technological innovation is essential for stimulating and driving growth and creative ideas in every type of organisation,'' said Almar Latour, editor-in-chief, Asia, The Wall Street Journal. "All the winners in this year's awards have demonstrated that their innovations can push boundaries and change people's lives, and we're proud to be providing a platform to help foster and shape future ideas.''