Draft:Textool Balasundaram
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D. Balasundaram Naidu | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 August 1913 |
| Died | 9 September 2009 (aged 96) |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Known for | Entrepreneur, industrialist, and philanthropist |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical, Textile, Agriculture |
D. Balasundaram Naidu, popularly known as Textool Balasundaram, was an Indian engineer, industrialist, and philanthropist from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He was the founder of Textool Company Ltd., one of India's pioneering manufacturers of textile machinery, and is regarded as one of the key figures in the development of Coimbatore as a major engineering and textile machinery manufacturing center.
Early life
[edit]D. Balasundaram Naidu popularly known as Textool Balasundaram was born on 31st August 1913 to K. Damodaraswamy and D. Lakshmiammal in a Telugu agrarian Kamma Naidu family at Avarampalayam, Coimbatore, Madras Presidency, British India.
Balasundaram completed Intermediate at Madras Presidency College and pursued Bachelors in Electrical Engineering at Sheffield University. In 1932 he worked at Metropolitan-Vickers, a company, which employed 12,000 people, as an apprentice. Vikers had power stations and also made equipment for them. He returned to India in 1939.
He began his engineering career during the early decades of India's industrialization. He worked closely with inventor and industrialist G. D. Naidu. He joined National Engineering Works as the Chief Engineer and developed the country's first electric motor with 'copper rotor welding' technology. Later, in 1944, he launched Coimbatore Engineering and Trading Company and began making textile spares.
Founding of Textool
[edit]In 1946, Balasundaram established Textool Company Ltd. in Coimbatore with the objective of manufacturing textile machinery domestically.[1] At the time, India's textile industry relied heavily on imported equipment from Europe. Textool developed indigenous machinery designed to meet the requirements of Indian spinning mills, contributing to import substitution and technological self-reliance.
Over the following decades, the company expanded its product range to include spinning preparation machinery, winding equipment, machine tools, diesel engines, railway signalling components, and other industrial engineering products.
Contributions to Indian industry
[edit]Textool played an important role in the growth of India's textile engineering sector during the post-independence period. The company became one of the country's leading manufacturers of textile machinery and established a reputation for engineering innovation and reliable industrial equipment.
Balasundaram also contributed to the broader industrial development of Coimbatore. His enterprises helped create skilled employment, encouraged the establishment of ancillary manufacturing units, and strengthened the city's engineering ecosystem. These developments contributed to Coimbatore's emergence as one of India's principal centers for textile machinery, electric motors, pumps, and precision engineering.
Association with G. D. Naidu
[edit]Balasundaram was often associated with G. D. Naidu, with whom he collaborated during the early stages of his career. Their work in developing indigenous electrical and mechanical equipment is regarded as an important milestone in the evolution of engineering manufacturing in South India.
Legacy
[edit]Balasundaram is widely remembered by the honorific "Textool Balasundaram" reflecting the close association between his identity and the company he founded. He is recognized as one of the industrial pioneers who helped transform Coimbatore into a nationally significant manufacturing hub.
His legacy continues through the growth of the engineering industries that developed around Textool and through the city's continuing prominence in textile machinery manufacturing. Recognition
Several public institutions and organizations in Coimbatore have acknowledged Balasundaram's contribution to industrial development. A major road in the city, Textool Balasundaram Road, is named in his honor. Business associations have also advocated for additional public recognition of his role in shaping the industrial landscape of Coimbatore.
See also
[edit]References
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