Tamil Nadu Textile industry led by Young generations

GR Gopikumar, 30, has recently been appointed whole-time director at the Coimbatore-based Chandra Textiles founded by his grandfather GR
Govindarajulu in 1910.

Gopikumar is not the only one of his generation to take charge at Tamil Nadu’s age-old textile firms, which is increasingly being integrated into the global market.

V Mani Narayanan, 31, the son of Texprocil chairman, VS Velayutham, has recently become the executive director of Tirunelveli-based Sri Gomathy Mills, which is over five decades old.

In most cases, the next generation was handed the business on a platter, with their predecessors having worked hard to build them from scratch and helping the companies find a niche in the global retail space.

Armed with degrees from universities abroad, the scions of these textile groups are taking control at a time when demand from the domestic market has grown and Indian companies are outsourcing their products.

With their knowledge base and capacity for risk, the younger generation is breaking some of the time-tested rules of doing business. CR Ananda Krishnan, who started at the KPR Mills processing plant at Perundurai, for instance, was instrumental in raising funds through an initial public offer.

The 33-year old executive director had to convince his family members, including his father KP Ramasamy, for the fund-raising exercise. “It is natural for my father to wonder, ‘why dilute promoter holding?’ But we took a collective decision. My father and his two brothers agreed,” says Krishnan.

The new generation hasn’t broken with tradition either, and is doing a fine balance. D Kothai, director of the Aruppukotai-based Ramalinga Spinners, says she’s inherited a caring attitude from his father, who did not opt for a VRS when the spinning industry was at its lowest ebb in the 1990s. “He ran the company not to make money but to help society. I follow his principles,” he says.

The scions of the textile groups have a heritage to nurture, after all.

Inspired by the success of Madura Coats and Binny Mills started by John Binny in 1876, a slew of dynamic entrepreneurs created mills in the early 1900s. Coimbatore, Madurai, Dindigul and Tirupur became the hub of Tamil Nadu’s textile business.

Lakshmi Mills in Coimbatore was the first to come up in 1910 followed by Chandra Textiles, Gomathy Mills, GVG Textiles and KPR Mills. Tamil Nadu alone has 47% of total spinning capacity in the country and the state accounts for more than 40% of yarn exports from India.

Many next generation women are also getting actively involved in the modernisation of ancestral businesses. K Malathy, 32, and Vaishnavi Naren, 32, have become executive directors of Somanur-based Sri Karunambikai Mills and Udumalpet-based GVG Group of companies. Vaishnavi Naren played a key role in the modernisation of the textile division by implementing ERP and ensuring net connectivity. “It helped us conserve energy in a better way,” she says.

Though the founders of textile mills weathered textile industry’s business cycles and built robust business models, younger members may not stop with building and consolidating their family business.

They are on the look out for possible diversification to sectors like engineering and hospitality. With India’s economy growing at a better pace than other countries and Tamil Nadu’s business climate undergoing positive changes, they have good reason to do so.

Coimbatore Restaurants

MarryBrownFamilyRestuarant
Nehru Stadium,
Coimbatore Central
Coimbatore - 641018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 2304444




Sri Rayappas Chettinad Restaurant
333,Singapore Plaza, Cross Cut Road,
Gandhipuram
Coimbatore - 641012
TAMILNADU
Ph: 5377777




Hotel Residency
1075/1076, Avinashi Road
Avinashi Road
Coimbatore - 641 018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 91-442-20 1234




Sree Annapoorna Park Restaurant
75 East Arokiasamy Road, 2nd Floor
R.S.Puram
Coimbatore - 641 002
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-2547722




Sri Krishna Sweets Pvt Ltd
137, D.B Road
R.S.Puram
Coimbatore - 641 002
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-2474545




Steaming Kettle
312, Bharathiyar Road
Bharitiyar Road
Coimbatore - 641 044
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-2497777




Sree Anjali Restaurant
410, Bharathiar Road
Siddhapudur
Coimbatore - 641 044
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-2438399




Hotel Thaai
State bank road
State bank road
Coimbatore - 641 018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 91-422-302736



Sampoornaa Hotel
12 Arts Col Rd
Coimbatore Central
Coimbatore - 641018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-217077




Kowloon Chinese Restaurant
11 Annamalai Chtr Rd
Saibabamission
Coimbatore - 641011
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-445693




Ocean Restaurant
Trichy Rd Chinthamani Pdr (Po)
Lawley Road
Coimbatore - 641103
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-888359
Restaurants



CAG Pride
312 Bharathiar Rd
Siddhapudur
Coimbatore - 641044
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-497777




Honkong Chinese Restaurant
88C Avinashi Rd
Peelamedu
Coimbatore - 641004
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-456185
Restaurants



Vel Hotel
555 Oppanakara St
Town Hall
Coimbatore - 641001
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-392810




Sri Apoorvaa Multi Cuisine Restaurant
Avinashi Main Rd
Chinniampalayam
Coimbatore - 641062
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-828075




Peking Chinese Restaurant
M R Complex D B Rd
R.S.Puram
Coimbatore - 641002
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-554739




Kowloon Chinese Restaurant
11 Annamalai Chtr Rd
Saibabamission
Coimbatore - 641011
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-445693




Sri Rayappas Restaurant
1/367 Bthr Rd
Siddhapudur
Coimbatore - 641044
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-492220




Nilgiris Nest
739-A Avn Rd
Coimbatore Central
Coimbatore - 641018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-214309



Annalakshmi Foods (P) Ltd
106-A Rce Cse
Coimbatore Central
Coimbatore - 641018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-217772




The Chariot
147-B West T V Samy Rd
R.S.Puram
Coimbatore - 641002
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-443460




The Royal Hindu Restaurant
41 State Bank Rd
Coimbatore Central
Coimbatore - 641018
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-302736




Ninhao
318/A NSR Rd
Saibabamission
Coimbatore - 641011
TAMILNADU
Ph: 0422-445652

PSBB Millennium School branch at Coimbatore

The long wait for the people in Coimbatore is finally over!!!!

The PSBB Millennium Schools to become part of the weft and weave of the Coimbatore tapestry!!

New Branch of The PSBB Millennium School opens in Somayapalayam - Vadavalli.

School registration is on for Classes PreKG to Std V at the City Office.

Academic Year 2010 - 11 to commence on the 2nd of July 2010.


Under the direct leadership and guidance of Padmashree Dr. Mrs Y G Parthasarathy, following the same PSBB Methodology, the School at Coimbatore to cater to academic excellence and holistic development of the children who will walk through its threshold.

For further details check out the Advertisement in the all India The Hindu edition dated 17th March 2010 page 5.

Click here for the Admission form for year 2010.

Please pass the message around to friends and relatives who may be seeking a good CBSE School in Coimbatore.

Protest against Sania Mirza's marriage in Coimbatore

Activists of a regional political party in Coimbatore on Wednesday held a protest against the much-speculated marriage of Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.

The marriage was announced on Tuesday and will take place in April.

The protestors condemned Mirza's decision to marry a Pakistani cricketer and raised slogans against her, the Central Government and the Andhra Pradesh Government.

They demanded the tennis player be deported from the country. They also demanded the federal government to take back all the awards given to her.

"There have been reports that Sania Mirza will marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, which the Hindu Makkal Katchi, regional Hindu political outfit strongly condemns," said Senthil Kumar, an activist of Hindu Makkal Katchi.

"Because we feel that the cricket player basically belongs to a country, which aids and abets terrorism against India. It is still to handover the Mumbai attack accused to India. Moreover, this is an insult to 100 crore Indian people and Muslims living in India," he added.

"We also demand that the highest awards such as Padma Shri should be taken back from her immediately and we want to deport her from India."

The 23-year-old tennis player was the first Indian to win a WTA tour event in 2005 and reached her highest world ranking of 27 two years ago although she has since slipped to the 92nd spot.

Malik, 28, has been fighting a 12-month ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board for poor performance and indiscipline.