Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu

Gopalaswamy Doraiswamy Naidu (23 March 1893 – 4 January 1974) was an Indian innovator, inventor, industrialist, and educator. He redesigned and transformed imported technologies into practical and affordable innovations for India. He is widely regarded as a versatile genius, his contributions spanned industrial, electrical, mechanical, agricultural, and automobile engineering. Credited with several innovations, he manufactured India's first indigenous electric motor and petrol engine car. He established several companies and educational institutions.

Early life Gopalaswamy Doraiswamy Naidu was born on 23 March 1893 in a Telugu-speaking agrarian family at Kalangal in Coimbatore district of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. His mother died when he was a few months old. He disliked school and dropped out in the third grade. He worked in his father's farm during the day, and taught himself in the evenings. He was involved in various philanthropic activities, and established grants for research and welfare schemes. In 1950, he established the G D Science Museum in Coimbatore. He also organized temporary exhibitions of various machines and gadgets across various cities to demonstrate how they worked. It became permanent as the G. D. Naidu Industrial Exhibition in Coimbatore in 1967.

Naidu was an avid photographer, and traveled to several countries. He traveled to the funeral of King George V in London, He died on 4 January 1974.

Several institutions and places including the GD Matriculation Higher Secondary School, and the G. D. Naidu Elevated Expressway, are named after him. Makkal Sinthanai Peravai, a non-profit organization, awards the annual G. D. Naidu Award for Young Scientist in his honour.

In popular culture Tamil writer Sivasankari published a biography on Naidu titled Appa.

GD Naidu – The Edison of India is a documentary film, directed by K. Ranjit Kumar and produced by the Films Division of India. It won the Best Science & Technology Film Award at the 66th National Film Awards.

G.D.N (2026) is a biographical film directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar with R. Madhavan playing the role of Naidu.