S. K. M. Maeilanandhan
An Erode businessman who has led a consumer protection centre for 33 years and runs yoga education, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2026.
S. K. M. Maeilanandhan built a business from poultry farming and has spent much of his life on social causes, from consumer rights to yoga teaching. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Bhushan in the field of social work, from Tamil Nadu [1].
Poultry
Maeilanandhan was born on 18 June 1945 into a poor farming family in Erode district and studied only up to the end of school [2]. In 1983 he founded the Poultry Farmers Welfare Association and edited a poultry monthly, Kozhi Nanban [2]. He later grew the SKM Group into an international business [2]. His citation credits him with helping get eggs added to Tamil Nadu’s school noon-meal scheme [2].
Consumers and villages
For 33 years he has led the Erode District Consumer Protection Centre, which has sub-centres in all 299 village panchayats of the district and won the national best consumer protection council award in 1993 [2]. In 1999 he adopted two Dalit colonies at Saminathapuram, providing food, clothing, medical care and vocational training [2].
Yoga
He has headed the World Community Service Centre for 37 years [2]. Its courses in yoga and values, from certificate to PhD level, are affiliated with 34 universities, and about 2.5 lakh students have taken them [2]. Under its village project, 389 villages in Tamil Nadu have received free classes in yoga and meditation [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for S. K. M. Maeilanandhan — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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