Bakthavathsalam is the chairman and the managing trustee of Dharmaveera K Govindaswamy Naidu Medical Trust, which runs the K.G.
Hospital in Coimbatore, India.
He was awarded a Padma Shri in 2005.
Naidu was born on April 5, 1942 at Annur village of Coimbatore district and graduated with a Masters of Science (MBBS - 1964) from Madras Medical College.
He then received his post graduate training in surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago (USA).