Who are the influencing entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu?

 ENTREPRENEUR - CHETTIAR

Like Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu also has a traditional base, comprises a triangular area around Shiva Gangai, Rama Natha Puram and Pudukkottai- produced lot of entrperenurs.

These people commanded a capital on a scale much higher than even Marwaris. Substantial portion of their wealth invested in South East Asia was hit hard by world war and political changes.

A M Murugappa Chettiar

M A Chidambaram Group

Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar

A V Meyyappa Chettiar

ENTREPRENEUR - TAMBRAHMS

Rivers are main breath of Indian Subcontinent and Tamil Nadu is no exception. There are Vadakalai (Cauvery basin) and Thenkalai (Tamira Bharani). Kallidai Kuruchi lead the entrepreneurship followed by Kumbakonam.

Thenkalai

Seshasayee Brother (in law)s. R and V

TVS Iyengar

S N N Sankaralinga Iyer

K R Sundaram Iyer

Vadakalai

S Kasturi Ranga Iyengar

T T Krishnamachari

ENTREPRENEUR - MADURAI NAICKERS, RAJUS, KONGUNAD NAIDUS AND GOUNDERS .

Incomplete transition from Agriculture to Industry-

Govindappa Venkatasamy (Aravind Eye Care)

Appasamy Brother (in law)s

B Sounderarajan

Poosapatti Ramasamy Raja (Ramco)

Peelamedu S Govindaswamy Naidu (PSG)

V Rangaswamy Naidu

S Rangaswamy Naidu

L Govindarajulu Naidu (LGB)

K Govindaswamy Naidu (KG)

G V Govindaswamy Naidu (Venkatesa)

A Sakthivel Gounder

N Chandran Gounder

S Doraiswamy Gounder

K Manthrachalam Gounder

P Vidhyaprakash Gounder

K A S Thirumurthi Gounder

S V Balasubramanian Gounder(Bannari)

M Ramasamy Gounder

G Karthikeyan Mudaliar

C Sivasankaran Mudaliar

ENTREPRENEUR - SANARS AND MATCHLESS SIX TOWN NADARS

Above, Tirupur is to the Gounders - like Sivakasi is to the Nadars. The list contains founders in Sivakasi, Virudunagar and Thoothukkudi and not all.

P D Devasahayam

A V Thomas

P Ayya Nadar

A Shanmuga Nadar

Pabanasa Nadar

P Kanagavel Nadar

Annamalai Nadar

K S A Arunagiri Nadar

S Kaliappa Nadar

V V Shanmuga / Vanniaperumal / Dhanuskodi / Ramasamy Nadars

G K Munusamy Nadar

K A A Sankaralingam (pioneer)

K A A Arunachalam (pioneer)

ENTREPRENEUR - ENTERTAINMENT (with considerable political backing)

Sun TV

The Hindu

Dinamalar

Daily Thanthi

End Note - The list consists of only founders. Each family would have produced countless number of entrepreneurs. Many of them created top of the brands and it appears that it is still the start for the TN. The best is yet to come.

The list consists of whatever came to my mind at this point in time. I would have missed many big groups. Viewers are free to add in comments.