V. Lakshminarayanasamy, Suguna Group
V. LAKSHMINARAYANASAMY, chairman, Suguna Group of Industries and Institutions, and president, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, is upbeat about the region and the industry scenario in general in spite of a few drawbacks. According to him, a responsive government, renewed focus on core sectors and Coimbatore’s never-say-die spirit are enough to surmount all obstacles.
This chamber is among the oldest in the region. How much has your base grown and what do you offer to your membership?
The chamber was founded in 1929 by R.K. Shanmugham Chetty, the first Finance Minister of independent India. This is an association that caters to many parts of Tamil Nadu and has 1,676 members. There are 96 associations of individual trade or industry that are also members of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore. This is an entity of many businesses, traders, professionals and institutions. Earlier, sectors such as agriculture did not need any support. Now, that is not the case. We have had three editions of “Uzhave Thalai”, an agriculture seminar. This seminar was to demystify agricultural science so that a non-farmer can understand the fruits of successful farming.
This is a major hub for automotive parts and foundries. How is the industry holding up in the current slowdown?
The foundries have been one of the growth centres for Coimbatore, not only for export but also for the indigenous manufacturer. It is because of the foundries that many other industries came into being here. Foundries have become modernised, mechanised and state-of-the-art. This is an ideal hub for engineering components. Since Chennai became a manufacturing centre for automobiles, Coimbatore automatically became the hub for auto components.
Because of the slowdown, we have seen a drop, probably from the September-october [2019] period. Ancillaries are also affected. It is not clear when the improvement in market conditions will happen. There was a policy problem, but it has been sorted out. Still, we are not seeing a revival. If the auto industry picks up, then the economy will pick up.
What problems do industries face?
The one problem we face now relates to international trade. Surprisingly, the airport has been in operation from 1940 when the Tatas owned Indian Airlines. Even then there was flight connectivity to Coimbatore. Today, too, the Coimbatore airport is the 18th busiest in the country and the 15th busiest in cargo movement.
In spite of that, the airport is not seeing many foreign airlines and flights. There were five airlines flying to Coimbatore until recently. Two of them have become defunct. Now, only three fly to Coimbatore. There are three international carriers operating out of this city. The lack of flights is a problem for the import-export trade. For a major delegation to come to the city, they need direct connectivity because time is of the essence for them.
Despite all the problems, Coimbatore is a good export hub with high sales not only in garments but also in machine tools, machinery and pumps. Floriculture is a major industry in this region. A lot of flowers are getting exported. Because of connectivity issues, the producers are forced to take their produce to Chennai or Kochi.
after hospitals in the region for its state-of-the-art facilities and for the access it provides to some of the bestknown doctors in India and from across the globe.
A variety of medical professionals have contributed significantly to making the city and the region a destination for medical tourism. “Professionals like Dr S. Rajasekaran and Dr Palanivelu have been acknowledged for their pioneering work and contribution to the growth of medical science both nationally and internationally. Dr G. Bakthavatsalam and Dr Nalla G. Palanisamy contributed to the establishment of multispeciality hospitals,” says Dr P. Krishnananda, chief operating officer (CEO), Royal Care Super Specialty Hospital, who has written articles on the development of health care in the city.
EDUCATION
In the case of school education, there have been several pathways to the establishment of institutions in the city. The missionary route, the charitable institutions route, the dedicated teacher route—these are some of the pathways that have led to the establishment of the major institutions in the city. Many of them are a century old. The CSI Boys High School (1831), St. Michael’s Higher Secondary School (1860), Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School (1862) and St. Francis Anglo-indian Girls School (1898) are among the oldest.
Asked why his family decided to open schools in the region, S. Mohan Doss, trustee, SSVM Institutions said:
“My wife wanted to do something for children, especially the differently abled. She thought of a school that would be world class and at the same time rooted in Indian traditions. They began with a playschool.”
“In the first year we had a strength of 25,” he said about the genesis of the school about two decades ago.
Today the group runs the SSVM Matriculation Higher Secondary School, the SSVM World School, the SSVM School of Excellence, and the Reeds World School. “We believe that children should learn a little bit from every activity and participation. That will only make them
strong, and they will be able to succeed in life; not only marks,” Mohan Doss says. The learning environment is such that it provides a conducive atmosphere for students who are purely academically inclined and for students who are artistically gifited. “We identify the talents of students and encourage them to pursue those areas. This is very important,” he says.
On the notion that the younger generation does not care for values cherished by the older generation, Chitra
Manohar, CEO, Adithya Institute of Technology, says: “I don’t think they lack in values. But it is also a fact that their concentration is being taken away by too many things. We [the older generation] attach too much sentiment to everything. Obviously, the students are getting fed up.”
From a school to a professional college to a tech zone to industrial space and apartments, the Rathinam Techzone campus is unique in many ways. “The educa