N. Kumar, Chairman, The Sanmar Group Corporate Board; Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, Chairman, Nalli Silks; HV Hande, Former Health Minister of Tamil Nadu; and Vijay Sankar, Chairman, The Sanmar Group at the launch of Cementing Legacies – a biography of SNN Sankaralinga Iyer, in Chennai.
| Photo Credit:
Bijoy Ghosh
Rich tributes were paid to pioneering industrialist SNN. Sankaralinga Iyer, founder of ventures such as the Indo-Commercial Bank and The India Cements, at the launch of his biography, Cementing Legacies: The Life of SNN Sankaralinga Iyer – A Pioneering Polymath, on Saturday.
Authored by veteran journalist K Balakumar, the biography chronicles the life of the entrepreneur whose ventures, established in pre-Independence India, helped lay the foundations of Tamil Nadu’s industrial growth. The book also highlights his contributions as a banker, industrialist, philanthropist and nationalist.
Former Tamil Nadu Health Minister HV Hande, aged 99, described Sankaralinga Iyer as a visionary institution builder and a “polymath,” comparing him with Benjamin Franklin for excelling across diverse fields. Iyer founded the Indo-Commercial Bank at a young age and played a pioneering role in establishing the state’s cement industry through his foresight and entrepreneurial spirit, he said.
Calling the Sanmar Group the enduring legacy of Sankaralinga Iyer, Hande likened it to a “large banyan tree” that has grown over generations, creating employment and contributing to society. He urged the younger generation to carry forward the founder’s vision and values.
Hande also used the occasion to urge the Union and Tamil Nadu governments not to focus exclusively on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), but to provide greater support to domestic entrepreneurs. “We must remove hurdles and encourage local entrepreneurs like Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, who build institutions and generate employment,” he said.
Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti also paid tribute to Sankaralinga Iyer’s contribution to industry.
N. Kumar, Chairman of The Sanmar Group Corporate Board and grandson of Sankaralinga Iyer, remembered him as the family’s “deeply reassuring anchor” whose authority came from self-discipline and dignity.
Vijay Sankar, Chairman of The Sanmar Group and his great-grandson, said the industrialist’s greatest legacy was the values of integrity, humility and humaneness that continue to guide succeeding generations.
The biography project was coordinated by SB Prabhakar Rao, a Sanmar veteran who worked closely with Sankaralinga Iyer during the final years of his life.
Published on August 1, 2026
