Prof GS Laddha and V Narayanan were two pillars of The Sanmar Group. While Prof Laddha adorned the Board of Directors of Chemplast Sanmar Limited for more than three decades, V Narayanan was the Director, Overseas Sanmar Financial Limited for over a decade.
Prof GS Laddha
(1922 – 2010)
Born on August 26, 1922 in Maharashtra, Prof G S Laddha graduated in chemical engineering in India but obtained his M S (1947) and Ph.D (1949) in that discipline from Purdue University in the US.
On a lecture visit to Madras, Prof Laddha was persuaded in January 1950 to accept the position of Reader by the University of Madras at the A C College of Technology, Madras, by no less a person than the eminent Vice Chancellor Dr A Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar. By 1957, he was a Professor and Campus Director, and in the years that followed, he helped the college become one of the premier institutions in the country.
Prof Laddha believes that research should be relevant to industry, that institution-industry cooperation is a must for decision-making, development and diversification. As a member of a subcommittee appointed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, he identified a number of chemical projects for the state which bore fruit. He has served as a nominee director of a number of
chemical units financed by state industrial development corporations.
A s a consultant of the UN Environmental Programme, Prof Laddha submitted a report in 1977- 79 on chemical industry pollution of the environment in developing countries. ISRO, CSIR, and UGC funded research programmes in Space Science at Madras University were based on a monograph by him. He initiated research in the expanding field of crystal growth.
The list of the universities Prof Laddha has visited to teach and lecture, or conduct research seminars is long and impressive, including the Universities of California, Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon.
The first recipient of the Ambrose Congreve award and the honour of Chemical Engineer of the Year (1980) nominated by the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Prof Laddha has many publications to his credit.
On 1st September 1995, Anna University conferred on Prof Laddha the degree of D.Sc. (Honoris Causa).
V Narayanan
(1918 – 2010)
Born on November 7, 1918 in a small village near Chidambaram, Mr Narayanan rose to become an
elected member in the Board of Directors ofGoodyear India, a company he joined as a junior staff member. He eventually became the Chairman and Managing Director of the company.
On his retirement from Goodyear in 1988, Mr Narayanan returned to Chennai and founded a family trust named Ashvatta Charitable Trust. He has also been assisting other charities including Andhra Mahila Sabha as its honorary advisor.
Renovation of temples in and around his home town was another fond activity of Mr Narayanan. He also had a keen ear for Carnatic music.
Among the many awards and accolades he earned was the Golden Award presented by Helpage India in 1999.
As the Chief Executive of the Willingdon Hospital, Chennai from 1993, Mr Narayanan, with great patience and skill, managed the transition of the hospital’s assets into a charitable institution called the ‘Chennai Willingdon Corporate Foundation’.
He conducted the affairs of the Foundation with utmost diligence, exhibiting outstanding management skills, and establishing a worthy model 25 of corporate governance in assessment of donation requests and distribution of funds. Ensuring that the donations were applied to segments that benefit society, he also played a catalytic role in influencing the affluent sections of society to render help and assistance to worthy causes.
Out of the several noble initiatives for which he relentlessly endeavoured, Mr Narayanan considered his five year effort in Annai Sathya Nagar the jewel in his crown. He was instrumental in transforming a slum into a perfectly livable colony for nearly 3500 persons with desirable amenities in a healthy neighbourhood.
In the demise of Mr Narayanan, Chennai has lost a Good Samaritan and a ‘citizen’ who was never afraid to speak his mind on matters of public good.