Seasoned industrialists honoured

MADURAI: Industrialists, who successfully ventured into trade and industry decades ago, were honoured during the exhibition on Friday. From Madura Coats, the first spinning mills that kick-started industrial growth before 1900s, the event recognised more than 30 entrepreneurs, who brought name and fame to the city.
Companies that completed 100 years were RS Pathy & Co, NMP Bakery & Sweets, TVS & Sons, AVN Arokya and concerns. Ventures like Perrys Biscuits, Dhanvanthiri Nilayam, S V Sankaralinga Nadar & Sons, Thiagarajar Mills,
Sarathy Textiles and Saraswathy Handlooms were 60-90 years old. Other establishments that crossed fifty years landmark are Pandiyan Pickles, Sayee Industries, Samba Publishing Company, Fenner India, C Swaminathan Mudaliar & Sons, Muthu Paint Industries, P C Perungayam, Raja Siddha Marunthagam, Janatha Syrub, Aruna Machine Tools, Standard Industries, Ruby Food Products, Madura Coffee, Sri Guna Vilas and Sri Krishna Coffee.
Honouring the industrialists, V Arumugam, general manager of National Small Industries Corporation said that it was a delight to honour the industries thriving in Madurai for many decades. The organisers of the event, Madurai District Tiny & Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) are planning to conduct a day-long session on Saturday to brain storm the industrial scopes in the city and surroundings for the future.
V S Manimaran, president of MADITSSIA said that there are many locally made items from Madurai exported across the country and abroad as well. The exhibition is being held after a ten-year hiatus. The previous ones were held in 2000 and 2003, he said.
Portal on madeinmadurai launched
The industrialists in Madurai have launched an internet portal for the locally manufactured items called 'madeinmadurai.in'. The portal was launched during the inauguration of the exhibition on Friday. M Chandrasekaran, chairman of the exhibition, said the portal will be useful for the manufacturers to display items made in Madurai. "Efforts are being taken to turn this portal into a gateway for online purchase and it is an important milestone since the online portal will be one spot forum to know all the products manufactured in the city," he said. MADITSSIA will be maintaining the portal in coming months and the manufacturers can approach the association to upload their products, he added.