R. M. Alagappa Chettiar
| Azhagappa Chettiar | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Kottaiyur Veerappa Azhagappa Ramanathan Chettiar 6 April 1909 Kottaiyur, Sivaganga district, Tamilnadu |
| Died | April 5, 1957 (aged 47) |
| Occupation | businessman, philanthropist |
Padma Bhushan Sir K.V.A.R. (Kottaiyur Veerappa Alagappa Ramanatha) Alagappa Chettiar, (Tamil: வள்ள டாக்டர் திரு க.வி.அழ.அழகப்பா செட்டியார்) (6 April 1909 – 5 April 1957), was an Indian businessman and philanthropist. He was awarded Padmabhushan award in 1956.
Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar was born in Kottaiyur in the Sivaganga District of Tamil Nadu to K.V.AL. Ramanathan Chettiar and Umayal Achi. He attended Presidency College at Chennai, where he became friendly with Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a model teacher who later on became President of India. In 1930 at the age of 21 he was the first M.A. (English Language and Literature) from the community of Nattukottai Nagarathars.
After his graduation he went to England to pursue the study of Law. He qualified for the Bar at Middle Temple in England and became a ' Bar-at-Law ' to be cherished by the people of Chettinad. Adventurous by nature he was awarded a pilot certificate at Croydon, London. During this time he became the first Indian trainee in the Chartered Bank, London.
His stellar record as a business entrepreneur was acknowledged by the British Government when he was knighted in the 1946 New Year Honours at the age of 37; however, he renounced the knighthood when India attained independence. The President of India on 26 January 1956 conferred the distinction of Padma Bhushan on him. He proved himself a versatile business tycoon and an intrepid academician with a vision to change the mere scrub jungle of Karaikudi to an educational Mecca. When he died prematurely at the age of 48, Dr. Alagappa Chettiar had redefined philanthropy and contributed more to the betterment of education in Tamil Nadu than any other person of eminence had done until then.
He launched his career by pioneering in textiles. In 1937 he started Cochin Textiles, later Alagappa Textiles at Alagappa Nagar near Thrissur in Kerala. The township for Cochin textile staff was named "Alagappa Nagar". As a business savvy tycoon he practised diversification of portfolios with rubber plantations in Malaya, tin mines in Burma, textile mills in Kerala, insurance companies in Calcutta, hotels in Bombay, theatres in Madras, a flourishing stock exchange company and a private airline and has been referred to as the unsung business maharaja of South India in the thirties and forties.
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