Naraynan is not an unfamiliar face for Chennaiites. He was initially known as ‘America Narayanan’ when he made his entry into politics, though he changed the prefix later to Americai, which means politeness in Tamil. Auto drivers added ‘auto’ to his name after he started an NGO and a monthly magazine for their welfare. He was in the news again when he was forbidden from entering the Tamil Nadu Cricket Club for having worn a dhoti. An MBA graduate from University of Kentucky, his instincts to serve the society brought him back home and with his distinct initiatives, he is pursuing his aspiration.
He took computers to slum streets and remote villages to teach poor children. “I visited some villages and remote areas like Vishalakshipakkam and Dumilkuppam and taught the children there about computers. The government should convince corporate firms to invest in remote places for inclusive development,” says Narayanan who is also an honorary advisor to Panchayathi Raj Ministry. Interestingly, he has named his home ‘India’.
He was also the chairman of science and technology department in the then Tamizh Maanila Congress (TMC) party, which started an online blood bank and employment portal for the first time. He introduced the rainwater harvesting system in Sathiya Moorthy Bhavan even before the then Tamil Nadu government made it mandatory. “I am not doing different things, I just do things differently,” he quips.
The latest on the list of his ventures is promoting insurance schemes for the poor. The website www.easyinsuranceindia.com, run by his ICM group of companies, has a space called “insurance for poor”. Any employers who want to get insurance cover for their domestic workers, drivers can avail of it by paying just Rs 25. “These insurance schemes already exist but there is hardly any awareness among the public. Though many want to take care of their domestic workers, they don’t how to go about. With this website, help is just a click away,” he explains. The website also has different types of insurance schemes of more than 30 insurance firms. The website compares the schemes of different firms and suggest the best for the client.