KSN first travelled overseas in 1946-47, when, accompanied by V Balakrishnan, later general manager, India Cements, he visited England, to pick up machinery for the printing works from the firm of Torrance. He also went to Norway (to buy carbide technology and a furnace from Elkem). Later that year, he travelled through Denmark learning cement production technology in the factories of FL Smidth (FLS) plant in Aalborg and also visited their plant in Egypt to study cement manufacture.
At Cairo in 1947, posing on ponies with his friends K Eswaran and R Venkataraman.
The BFG-Chemplast family: N Sankar, S Ramaswamy, KSN, TS Narayanaswami, Harry & Virginia Warner, Marv & Anna Marie Larson, Mrs TS Narayanaswami, Dan & Mary Campbell and Madhuram (1967).
Admiring a baby elephant with Paul & Mary Jackson, Durametallic Corporation, USA (1976).
Welcoming Tom & Mary Halley Nantz, BF Goodrich.
With Mr & Mrs Robinson.
At FLS, KSN acquired a friend in Ib Worning, who eventually became chairman and COO, Corporate office of FL Smidth. He and his wife Bodil (she was his fiancé then) became lifelong friends of KSN, even visiting Narayanan at Chennai on his 80th birthday. An early friend was Mr Robinson, Managing Director of Coats India, who stayed as a houseguest of KSN and Madhuram. Robinson had been a friend of Hollywood star Errol Flynn, and his stories about the dashing hero endeared him to Sankar and Kumar.
With Bim Rudinger, FLS Denmark.
At a dinner in Aalborg. Ib Worning, KSN, Morg, Balakrishnan and Anderson (1947).
Laying on the hospitality for Baron Thyssen and Mrs Thyssen at the India Cements Guest House (1967).
At the inauguration of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, with Kenneth B Keating, American Ambassador (1969).
Emil Fjermeros, Managing Director of Ganges Inks, which bought into Nanco Inks after negotiations with Coats failed, was another intimate, lifelong friend. Fjermeros handed over a cheque towards the price of the Nanco Inks factory to Sankaralinga Iyer even before the legal documentation was completed, after KSN walked out in protest over some misunderstanding. He said to the puzzled Sankaralinga Iyer, "If a man can get as mad as that about a question of honour, he's got to be honest."
On a Norwegian fjord with Emil and Synovve Fjermeros.
From the US the Larsons, Warners, Leaders, Nantzes, Jacksons and Recknagels; from Denmark the Rudingers, Wornings, Mortensons and Hovers; from Sweden the Petersons; from Norway the Fjermeroses and Gylseths; from the UK the Robinsons; these were some of the many couples from all over the globe, with whom KSN and Madhuram developed and maintained lifelong friendships.
KSN with Ib and Bodil Worning on his 80th birthday. SB Prabhakar Rao looks on.
Riding an elephant (!) with John Leader.