How is a Gounder in Tamil Nadu so good at business?

 I remember a hit song “Kannupada Poguthaiya Sinna Goundere….”

Disclosure : I do not belong to Gounder Community or associated with any of their business.

Gounder here refers to Kongunad Gounders. Kongunad refers to landlocked Coimbatore and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu and far away from major Sea Ports for Exports.

But this region accounts for 15% of Cotton Produce, 45% of Knitwear Exports and half of India’s Pump Set Requirement.

This emergence of Coimbatore as a manufacturing base was contributed by two communities - Kammas and Gounders.

Gounders formed numerically dominant section of Kongunad’s peasantry. Initially they are progressive agriculturists. The region posed several challenges - the soil demanded capital intensive farming. From agriculture, marketing their own crops, turned into traders and industrialists. Kaleeswarar Mills founded in 1906 identified V C Velligari Gounder, E R Kandsamy Gounder as its directors.

The major venture Sri Sakthi Textiles was founded in 1930 by P Nachimuthu Gounder. This is the one transformed by his son N Mahalingam into a 1600 Cr Sakthi Group of Pollachi.

Transformation came, once Tirupur become cotton knit hub and grown exponentially between 1984 and 2004. A study in 1984 in Tirupur, Banian Capital show 64% of the units are by Gounders. Another study showed 74% indirect exporters and 75% job workers are Gounders.

Gaunders are also in Spinning, dominantly since 1980. Shri Shanmugavel Group controls nine mills in Dindigul. KPR Groups belong to another Gounder is considered as Multi Bagger of Dalal Street. Sangeeth Textiles of EN Ramasamy, the Chola Textiles of AP Appukkutti and Eveready Spinning of AR Subramaniam.

Textiles apart, Gounders have significant presence in Agri and Engineering industries. Shanti Gears by P Subramaniam figured in the best small sized companies by Forbes. After selling out the unit, the family invested the proceeds into over 200 micro compnaies in India.

In sugar, besides N Mahalingam of Sakthi Sugars, Bannari Amman Sugars of S V Balasubramaniam, Professor of Baltimore -Palani G Periyasamy of Dharani suagrs. Another notable is Ramasami Gounders’ Rasi Seeds - which does contract farming in over 10000 acres.

If any one think Gounder business is limited to Sakthi and Bannari Group, the above list does not cover even 5% of their businesses. There are many in Transports, edible oils…….

The success of Gounders comes from their Hard Work and they are Hands on Business Owners.