S. Anantharamakrishnan
Encyclopedia
Sivasailam Anantharamakrishnan (1905–1964), affectionately called "J" was an India
n industrialist and business tycoon
who founded and led the Amalgamations group of industries from 1945 to 1964.
Anantharamakrishnan was born in Tirunelveli
in 1905 and had his education in Tirunelveli and Madras
. In 1935, he joined the Simpsons group of companies as a secretary and in 1938, became the first Indian director in the management of Simpsons group. He served as the Chairman of the group from 1953 till his death in 1964.
Anantharamakrishnan is remembered for his successful business practices, efficient management of the labour unions
and for triggering the growth of the automobile industry of Chennai which has earned the city the epithet "Detroit of India". As a result he himself came to be remembered as the "Henry Ford of South India."
family of Alwarkurichi Village of Ambasamudram Taluk in Tinnevely or Tirunelveli District in 1905. He had his schooling at Government High School, Tirunelveli and graduated from Government College of Commerce in Madras. In 1930, he joined Fraser and Ross Limited as an accountant.
an) in the board of Simpsons group when Sir Alexander MacDougall, Chairman of Simpson's, and W.W. Ladden, Managing Director of the Company founded a holding company in 1938. Anantharamakrishnan's induction marked the partial Indianization of Simpsons group which was, till then, completely owned by Europeans. The very next year, it was converted into a public limited company. This eventually became the Amalgamations Group in 1941. Anantharamakrishnan, also called "J", was responsible for the rapid expansion of the Amalgamations group in the 1940s. Anantharamakrishnan took over Amalgamations Group in 1945, though he officially became its Chairman only in 1953.
and the Higginbotham's
and merged the companies with his printing company Associated Printers and the Spencer's to form the Associated Publishers. In 1945, Anantharamakrishnan purchased Associated Publishers on behalf of Amalgamations and added the new companies to the group. According to popular Chennai historian S. Muthiah
, the successful takeover was the result of an overheard conversation at a Hotel Connemara. This takeover is regarded as over of the biggest business deals of post-colonial Madras.
During the period 1938–1955, the group also promoted a finance company called Simpson and General Finance, an advertising company (Madras Advertising Company), Wheel-Precision Forgings, Speed-a-way and Wallaces Castwright. India Piston was established in 1949. This company produces pistons, piston rings, piston pins and cylinder liners. Addison Paints and Chemicals was established in 1947. With Indian independence and Indianization of commercial establishments in the country, the Europeans in the board left handing the company to Indians. Consequently, Anantharamakrishnan became the Chairman of the Amalgamations group in 1953.
Anantharamakrishnan died an untimely death on April 18, 1964 at the age of fifty-nine.
, Chairman, TVS Motor Company.The Amalgamations group also has extensive land holdings in Chennai and other parts of South India ml In all, it has 37 companies and 27 manufacturing plants and a workforce of 14,000.
Former President of India
, R. Venkataraman
, regarded the Simpson Group Worker's Union as one of the best organized worker's unions. Anantharamakrishna is, himself, known to have authored a 6-page publication titled "Industrial disputes — How to prevent them".
A book on Anantharamakrishnan was released during his birth centenary on November 12, 2005 by former Supreme Court of India
judge Ratnavel Pandian in the presence of his sons, A. Sivasailam and A. Krishnamoorthy.
The Anantharamakrishan Prize and the Anantharamakrishnan Memorial Lecture have been instituted by the Amalgamations Group in his honor.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n industrialist and business tycoon
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
who founded and led the Amalgamations group of industries from 1945 to 1964.
Anantharamakrishnan was born in Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
in 1905 and had his education in Tirunelveli and Madras
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. In 1935, he joined the Simpsons group of companies as a secretary and in 1938, became the first Indian director in the management of Simpsons group. He served as the Chairman of the group from 1953 till his death in 1964.
Anantharamakrishnan is remembered for his successful business practices, efficient management of the labour unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and for triggering the growth of the automobile industry of Chennai which has earned the city the epithet "Detroit of India". As a result he himself came to be remembered as the "Henry Ford of South India."
Early life
Anantharamakrishnan was born in a BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family of Alwarkurichi Village of Ambasamudram Taluk in Tinnevely or Tirunelveli District in 1905. He had his schooling at Government High School, Tirunelveli and graduated from Government College of Commerce in Madras. In 1930, he joined Fraser and Ross Limited as an accountant.
Early years with Simpson and Co
Anantharamakrishnan joined Simpsons Group, a British-owned South Indian business conglomerate as Secretary in 1935. He became one of the three directors and the only Indian director (the other two being EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an) in the board of Simpsons group when Sir Alexander MacDougall, Chairman of Simpson's, and W.W. Ladden, Managing Director of the Company founded a holding company in 1938. Anantharamakrishnan's induction marked the partial Indianization of Simpsons group which was, till then, completely owned by Europeans. The very next year, it was converted into a public limited company. This eventually became the Amalgamations Group in 1941. Anantharamakrishnan, also called "J", was responsible for the rapid expansion of the Amalgamations group in the 1940s. Anantharamakrishnan took over Amalgamations Group in 1945, though he officially became its Chairman only in 1953.
Expansion of the Amalgamations Group
In 1922, John Oakshott Robinson of Spencer's had purchased the Madras newspaper The Madras MailThe Madras Mail
The Mail, known as The Madras Mail till 1928, was an English-language daily evening newspaper published in the Madras Presidency from 1868 to 1981.- History :...
and the Higginbotham's
Higginbotham's
The Higginbotham's is an Indian company of book sellers and publishers based in the city of Chennai. The main bookstore at Mount Road, Chennai has the reputation of being India's oldest bookshop in existence.- History :...
and merged the companies with his printing company Associated Printers and the Spencer's to form the Associated Publishers. In 1945, Anantharamakrishnan purchased Associated Publishers on behalf of Amalgamations and added the new companies to the group. According to popular Chennai historian S. Muthiah
S. Muthiah
Subbiah Muthiah, MBE , is an Indian journalist and amateur historian known for his works on the political and cultural history of Chennai city.He is a regular columnist for The Hindu and has written a number of books on the history and culture of Chennai.- Early life and education :Muthiah was born...
, the successful takeover was the result of an overheard conversation at a Hotel Connemara. This takeover is regarded as over of the biggest business deals of post-colonial Madras.
During the period 1938–1955, the group also promoted a finance company called Simpson and General Finance, an advertising company (Madras Advertising Company), Wheel-Precision Forgings, Speed-a-way and Wallaces Castwright. India Piston was established in 1949. This company produces pistons, piston rings, piston pins and cylinder liners. Addison Paints and Chemicals was established in 1947. With Indian independence and Indianization of commercial establishments in the country, the Europeans in the board left handing the company to Indians. Consequently, Anantharamakrishnan became the Chairman of the Amalgamations group in 1953.
Anantharamakrishnan died an untimely death on April 18, 1964 at the age of fifty-nine.
Amalgamations Group after Anantharamakrishnan
Following the death of Anantharamakrishnan, the Amalgamations Group of companies have been managed by his sons A. Sivasailam and A. Krishnamoorthy under whose management the group has grown steadily and stealthily. Today, it is one of the three largest business groups in Chennai. As of 2007, the group included 24 unlisted companies with a cumulative sales of 1.5 billion dollars. The flagship company is TAFE,India's second largest tractor company.TAFE is run by Mallika Srinivasan, daughter of group Chairman A.Sivasailam. She is incidentally married to the scion of another large South Indian business family namely Venu SrinivasanVenu Srinivasan
Venu Srinivasan is an Indian industrialist; the Chairman and Managing Director of Sundaram Clayton Ltd and TVS Motor Company, the third largest two wheeler manufacturer in India. He also served as the President of Confederation of Indian Industry for the year 2009-10...
, Chairman, TVS Motor Company.The Amalgamations group also has extensive land holdings in Chennai and other parts of South India ml In all, it has 37 companies and 27 manufacturing plants and a workforce of 14,000.
Commemoration and legacy
Anantharamakrishnan is highly regarded for his business acumen and is credited with a large-scale increase in the production of automobiles in Chennai city that have earned Chennai, the epithet "Detroit of India". A former employee, in an interview, recounted that Anantharamakrishnan was strongly against the use of political lobbying in order to secure business interests.Former President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
, R. Venkataraman
R. Venkataraman
Ramaswamy Venkataraman was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union minister and as the eighth President of India....
, regarded the Simpson Group Worker's Union as one of the best organized worker's unions. Anantharamakrishna is, himself, known to have authored a 6-page publication titled "Industrial disputes — How to prevent them".
A book on Anantharamakrishnan was released during his birth centenary on November 12, 2005 by former Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
judge Ratnavel Pandian in the presence of his sons, A. Sivasailam and A. Krishnamoorthy.
The Anantharamakrishan Prize and the Anantharamakrishnan Memorial Lecture have been instituted by the Amalgamations Group in his honor.