History
It was the early 1900s. A young Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar returned from Ceylon to his hometown and set up residence in Madurai. He was keen to start a mill, not just to produce local yarn and cloth, but also to offer employment to a labour force that was struggling to find a livelihood.
Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar’s impetus was to produce yarn and fabric of the highest quality, on par with those produced anywhere in the world. The mills he established echoed this impetus. He ensured that the community would be supported and uplifted through generations—by providing fair and just employment, by offering educational opportunities to the young, by improving living environments, and by upholding the institutions that sustained the community’s spiritual rootedness.
Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar went on to found 18 textile mills, a sugar mill, a bank, a newspaper, and several colleges in his lifetime. VTM, reflective of his founding vision, is part of what is now the Thiagarajar Group, comprising industries and educational institutions.
VTM Milestones
1946
VTM Limited is bought over by Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar, from A.V. Thomas, and becomes an integral part of his growing mill enterprise. It took shape as a robust organisation under his leadership, with the mill not only increasing production, but also diversifying into different kinds of fabrics. The emphasis remained firmly on quality and trust, as the mill steadily built a credible name for the weaves it produced.
1991
A greenfield project is set up in Nilakottai, with state-of-the-art equipment. New and potential markets are explored.
1990
A testing laboratory is set up to rigorously evaluate the quality of raw cotton and unfinished fabric.
2009
Karumuttu Kannan’s son, Hari Thiagarajan becomes a part of the leadership team in VTM.
1974
With the demise of Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar, the baton of leadership is passed to his son, Kurumuttu T. Kannan. The vision that the group is built on, is ably taken forward, with emphasis on quality, consistency and continuous innovation.
2020
A home textiles unit is established. This unit specialises in high-end, luxury products like bed linen, comforters and duvets.
In the same year, the Pacific Cotton Company was launched. This customer-focussed arm of VTM is a brand in itself, leveraging data-driven insights to understand end user needs. Its USP is ethically-manufactured home textiles.
2019
Visalakshi ‘Sala’ Kannan joins the company to establish its home textile division, manage the growing export market, and to further expand VTM’s global presence.
2023
A 15 MW solar plant is set up, catering to requirements across units, and reinforcing the Thiagarajar Group’s commitment to sustainability.
Leadership
The Textile King
Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar
(1893–1974)
Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar was indeed ‘The Textile King’—a moniker given by those who recognised his rare ability to build textile mills and make them succeed. A member of the enterprising Karumuttu family, Thiagaraja Chettiar spent his early years in Colombo, in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka).
A man of fierce integrity, he worked in Colombo as a journalist, documenting the hardships faced by Indians labouring on the plantations of Ceylon. On his return to India, he was confronted by the condition of his own people, particularly in his hometown and the surrounding regions. At that time, most industries were British-owned, and opportunities for meaningful employment were scarce.
Driven by a deep desire to improve lives through the creation of livelihoods, and guided by the spirit of nationalism, the seeds of entrepreneurship were sown. He went on to build a textile conglomerate that, in its time, was unmatched in scale, purpose, and impact. Virudhunagar Textile Mills (VTM) was part of this larger textile conglomerate. Thiagaraja Chettiar not only set new benchmarks in production through the pursuit of unparalleled quality, but also embedded integrity and fairness—towards labour and processes—into the very fabric of all his enterprises.
Karumuttu T. Kannan
(1953–2023)
The vision and legacy of Thiagaraja Chettiar were carried forward by his son, Karumuttu Kannan, who imbibed the values his enterprising father stood for.
Karumuttu Kannan took the ventures further, shaping products and weaves to meet dynamic and evolving requirements. He ensured that the founding values were retained, even as the mills adapted to newer technologies, processes, and principles—yet remaining relevant to contemporary needs without deviating from the core philosophies of quality and trust. Merit, compliance with government policies, and working within the framework of the law became embedded in the institution’s values, owing to his steadfast adherence to these founding principles.
This passing of the baton, and the continuity in philosophy and offerings, has been a cornerstone of the Karumuttu family and its enterprises.
Hari Thiagarajan
Managing Director
With a bachelor’s business degree from Warwick University, Hari Thiagarajan, Managing Director of VTM, represents the third generation of the enterprise, along with his sister Sala Kannan.
His philosophy is to remain firmly rooted the vision and values of the company, even while processes are strengthened and are constantly improved by embracing newer technologies that enable the creation of top-of-the-line product lines that promise quality and durability.
Visalakshi Kannan, popularly known as Sala, joined the company to give impetus to its export business. An MA in Economics from Cambridge University, Sala drives market expansion in new geographies, while helping evolve product lines that are contemporary and relevant.
Visalakshi ‘Sala’ Kannan
Director
T. Satyanarayana
President Marketing
Satyanarayana bring 33 years of sales and marketing experience in the textile industry. He heads Thiagarajar Group’s sales, including yarn and greige fabric sales. With his commitment and tenacity, Satyanarayana has achieved significant turnover growth for the group. He has an MBA in Marketing Management from Adam Smith University.
S. Saravanakumaran
Vice President Technical
Saravanan has 38 years of experience in weaving and loom technology. Leveraging his significant expertise and knowledge in textile machinery, he has achieved record efficiencies in production. He also spearheads modernization projects for VTM. He has a Diploma in Textile Technology and an Executive MBA.
P. Senthil Kumar
Chief Financial Officer
Senthil has 29 years of experience in finance, treasury and compliance. He is an expert in leading large publicly listed companies, as well as ERP implementation at scale. He has a Master’s degree in Financial Control and Management from Madurai Kamaraj University, a diploma in International Financial Reporting, and a FCMA Management Accounting.
S.Jayaraj
Vice President Home Textiles
Jayaraj has 22 year’s experience in the textile industry spanning spinning, weaving and made ups. He is part of VTM Home Textiles’ founding team and oversees its unprecedented growth. He has a B.Tech in Textile Technology, where he achieved a silver medal.
Threads of the Past, Woven into a New Identity
An Expression Inspired by Time-Honoured Values
Vision and Values
VTM’s vision is to take forward the foundational principles and to explore larger and newer markets, while embracing technological innovations that help us stay relevant. VTM’s foundational values of trust and integrity remain the essence of its operations. Additionally, Quality, Customer Service and Impact drive all our relationships.
