Last week marked the birth centenary of TS Santhanam, former managing director and later vice chairman of TV Sundaram Iyengar and Sons. He was one of the four TVS brothers (a fifth having passed away just as industrialisation dawned) who oversaw the transformation of the group from a Madurai-based transport business to a full-fledged automotive component conglomerate.
Santhanam moved early to Madras, his first assignment being with Madras Auto Services (MAS), a creation of AK Ramachandra Iyer, which was acquired in 1936 by the TVS Group. From then on, till his retirement, automobile spares and components were to be a passion.
Santhanam was to be involved in Sundaram Motors, which was founded in 1945 to handle the group’s burgeoning vehicle dealerships. MAS and Sundaram Motors stand side by side even today on Mount Road, both located on what was once Gopal Bagh, the residence of the Maharajah of Bobbili who was Prime Minister of Madras. The art-deco façade of MAS is a delight.
Santhanam, in keeping with his image of a financial man, built lasting businesses in that sector. Madras Motor Insurance (later Madras Motor and General Insurance – MMGI) was one and remained under his control till its nationalisation in 1972. Responding to a transport operator’s comment that the TVS Group was into every aspect of automobiles except the financing, Santhanam set up Sundaram Finance as a subsidiary of MMGI in 1954. Later spun off as an independent entity, it is today one of the country’s leading non-banking finance companies.
Not so well documented perhaps, is Santhanam’s involvement in sports and charitable causes. A passionate tennis player, the tennis court at his house on D’ Silva Road was well known. In the 1940s, he promoted TVS Greens which had several national-level football players. Veteran tennis star Ramanathan Krishnan remembers Santhanam being a fixture at Wimbledon, and Forest Hills, cheering him on to do his best. The Krishnamurthy Foundation of India and the Cancer Institute, Adyar were two institutions he was involved with. Sundaram Medical Foundation in Anna Nagar was one of his projects too though today it is more a memorial to his son, Dr Rangarajan.
Clearly, he was a man of many parts.
This article appeared in The Hidden Histories column of The Hindu dated 13th November 2012
Nice article on a giant of TVS family. i am fascinated by your articles on Chennai’s past and its worth mentioning citizens. I take this opportunity to raise two questions which are hovering around my head for the past few days.–What was the old road name for the present Kavignar Bharatidasan Road where SIET college is located in Teynampet?
Why is the light in the exit gate of American Embassy in Cathedral Road is is always burning even during daytime? Anaiyaa Vilakku?
A great tribute to a great man and a great family. Santhanam Mama has passed on his grace, simple way of life and humility to the next generation. It is a privilege to be connected with this family as our two families have been in so many ways.