Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan
Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan
Chairman of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Group
“A simple soul, who is full of compassion, love, vision and a lion hearted charity-minded focus to fellow human beings”
- S.Subbiah, Subbu & NCM
Very few persons coming from a humble back ground and a commoner, treading this planet Earth, make a difference in the lives of other humans and uplift them. It is fitting to shower glowing accolades and commendations to Shri. Srinivasan, who is right at the forefront of shaping the lives of the future generations in a non-descript backward area in the State of Tamilnadu in India.
In the present day fast moving topsy-turvy world, where get-rich-quick is more the norm, here is a man, who is full of compassion, love, vision and a lion hearted charity-minded focus to fellow human beings irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender to enlarge and enrich their lives.
The growth of a town or a place is mainly dependent on the characteristics such as rainfall, minerals, type of soil, water, manpower resources bestowed on &/or attracted by that locality. On top of the above, connectivity by road, rail, sea and air, including expandability and communications network, are paramount. With none of the above, and with just an attribute that it is located off of Chennai – Thiruchi Highway, lies the backward town of Perambalur, a dry and arid town in the State of Tamil Nadu, India.
It will be an understatement to record and glorify that Dhanalakhsmi Srinivasan Group etched the town of Perambalur not only on the map of India, but firmly and permanently on the world map, as well. Shri. A. Srinivasan is a much sought after person to be the Chief Guest for any ceremony, although coming from a very humble background and not even having a formal education, having had to quit mid-way through his primary schooling.
Had Shri. Srinivasan been just after money, he could have started the educational institutions and the businesses at advantageous locations than Perambalur and minted money. But since his noble aims and objectives are service minded and oriented for betterment of society at large, he chose Perambalur and is uplifting the entire surrounding areas through his vision and activities. Srinivasan’s gigantic efforts coupled with continuing hard work are the reasons for the phenomenal rise of the Group, he founded in terms of businesses and educational institutions of world class and he is a role model for all aspiring youth, to come up in life.
In a short span of 15 years, the Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Group (DSG) has grown by leaps and bounds to many businesses and 17 Educational Institutions and continues with its stupendous and phenomenal growth. Together with Educational Institutes, business interests in dairy, transport, financing companies, sugar mills, hospitals, star hotels and power generation are taking roots and spreading wings in a breathtaking manner. Presently, about 30,000 students are reaping the benefits, out of who, nearly 25 % avail hostel facilities and 150 buses are used to commute the students, with very low fees structure. Besides the above, not-so-well-to-do students are provided with lots of other free facilities, as well.
Moreover, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Hospital at the village of Siruvaachur on the Chennai – Trichy National Highway offers free treatment along with free bus facilities for the patients of the surrounding areas. The person shaping the future of 30,000 students with honour, dignity and world class education is neither a highly educated person from a city nor born in a well to family.
He grew up amongst poverty and not being able to find time for studies, discontinued mid-way through primary school level. The world witnesses so many persons who could not cope up in life, although born rich and go astray without scaling new heights, but to start from scratch and just on one’s own and come up in life and help others is a glowing example of human spirit, freedom, vision and self-realisation.
The DSG Head Quarters is located at 5 minutes travel towards west of Perambulur on Thuraiyoor (one of the most famous historical Kingdom city’s name of Pazhuvettaraiyars). True to his identity as the foundation of the DSG, the fondly called “Iyya” (respectfully as father/guru), Shri. Srinivasan’s office is at the ground floor of the imposing building. He always wears a charming smile with a welcome attitude and a childlike curiosity.
He is so simple and soft spoken and his attire is a long half sleeve shirt and a dhoti. He is easily approachable and is a typical colloquial village type of person. He has made it his routine to take rounds in the evenings in the college and dormitory to assist students with his/her problems, if any.
“I’ve not gone to any school to learn what is justice or what is good and bad, quips Srinivasan, all just by sheer own experiences, bereft of parental guidance, he states, as an afterthought”. I’ve wronged none and all my dealings are on the up and up, he adds. Ill-will towards none and without any thick friends, he does not have any vice and leads a healthy life style.
Self conscience and God Almighty are his friends. Not having friends does not mean that he is not a friendly person, he simply does not have time for politics, gossip and small talks or even minor vices. He has been forced to tend for himself since childhood, hence didn’t have time for friends or any indulgence.
Two traits stand out in people who came up in life the hard way – ‘I toiled so hard to come up, why should others have it easy, let ‘em struggle too’ and ‘I struggled due to circumstances, let others not struggle, let me help ‘em in whatever way I can’; Shri Srinivasan certainly belongs to the latter category. Before taking up any major activity, he thoroughly examines and discusses with related persons in the know how. Even for a new business venture he keeps in mind and reckons about the persons, families and environment who and which would benefit from the venture, rather than profits, which is a very rare quality, these days.
Concrete Ready-Mix plant for construction is additional milestones in the continued growth saga of the Group. A world class medical facility, a medical college, an integrated engineering college campus, star hostels are added to the landscape of Perambalur by Shri. Srinivasn’s family, including promoting Indian culture, heritage and fine arts. His so successful ventures as a big joint family system questions the very efficacy of modern trend of practicing nuclear family system.
Srinivasan’s city of birth and chosen place to live are all in and around Perambalur. His father Shri. Arunachalam Reddy’s native place is a nearby Peragambi village and he is from an agricultural family. His father had 3 brothers. Shri. Arunachalam Reddy left Paragambi village and in search of livelihood, moved to another nearby village – Pudhu Naduvalur, although agriculture was the common denominator.
Srinivasan has 5 brothers and sisters. When he was a sibling of 10 months, his mother Periammal passed away. She could not be diagnosed what she ailed and suffered from, just that there was some swelling of stomach and could not be treated at that village/town. Shocked by the loss, his father too passed away just after two months of his mother’s demise. What a tragedy ? – Srinivasan could not even know his parent’s faces or remember about his parents properly.
To tend to cattle and to work in agricultural fields, he could not study beyond 4th standard primary school. At the age of 14, he mustered courage and banking on self-belief, took to planting of onions, chilies and groundnuts, which gave good yield.
As was the trend in those days to seek better living and green pastures in mega cities, Srinivasan too reached Chennai based on the advice of a few friends, who could not make a living at village. A friend of his secured a job for him at a theatre on Waltax road, Chennai. He did 2 jobs in a day and earned whatever he could.
By staying at a lodge nearby, he did a 4 PM to 11 PM job and then another at Egmore (terminus of south bound trains) between 8 AM and 1 AN. Putting his nose to the grindstone, with practically a few hours of rest and sleep, he did both jobs. Meanwhile, his grandmother fell ill and Srinivasan returned to his native village and back to the old routine of working in the agricultural fields and tending to cattle.
How to increase his income was constantly on his mind and an idea struck – provisional store, then a tea stall and a cycle shop, he started one by one. The year 1961 was a turning point in his career. One business led to another and he started his own dairy farm and then won a tender for milk supply in the village of Vellaari Pattu.
Experiences gained while tending to cattle earlier, came in handy. The grueling hard work he put in for 5 years from 1963 to 1968 was extremely difficult – milking the cows at early mornings, then commute in cycle one way trip for about 30 Kms, followed by work at the tea stall till 5 PM, then one more round of milking and delivery, totaling a grueling 120 Kms of cycling alone, per day. Once the tea stall business stabilised, he started a fertilizer shop, cattle feed etc. Srinivasan struggled a lot between 6 and 18 years of age, then started tasting success due to his hard work, honesty and integrity. Shop businesses clicked one by one and to multiply money, he started finance business and did well.
“Behind every man’s success, there is a women”, so goes the adage; in Srinivasan’s life too, luck lady came in the form of his wife, Dhanalakshmi, in the year 1967. She hailed from a nearby town, Thuraimangalam and after marriage, shared her husband’s burden, in business. Giving necessary advice and exercising appropriate controls, she instilled in him wise business decisions. Testing times do come in every aspect of life; course correction should be exercised at the right time and appropriately. Shri. Srinivasan too had to undergo similar circumstances during the emergency period; he had to give up financing business, but opted for Chit Fund business, instead.
He invested in all possible joint holding businesses in Perambalur, along with others. He invested in transportation, movement of goods, liquor bar, hotel, lodging etc. and expanded his businesses. He started a Matriculation School in the year 1994 and the first day enrollment of students in that backward area, numbered 320. Growing by leaps and bound, today DSG runs 17 Educational Institutions.
In the intervening years, he secured a license to deal in chemicals for blasting. He believed that he could run any business. He did not believe in luck or bad luck. His inputs were hard work, efforts, struggle and self-belief. He was not of the herd mentality of ‘make your fortune, when your time is right’. He has always been swimming against the tide, be it flash flood, under current or Sunami.
He had the courage to succeed in life against all the odds, as he encountered them. He did not give up in trying times and in the event of facing failures. He was focused, coordinated and synergized his efforts always towards success. He knows no enmity and does not consider anyone as his opponent. He assists even his competitor, that is, his style. Honesty and gratitude are his forte. He keeps up his words, expects the same of others and does not indulge in lies or wheeling dealing.
Going beyond caste, creed, religion and petty politics, his service to all humans is commendable indeed. He donates very freely for all noble causes. He has touched the lives of many and people from Perambalur and surrounding areas have benefitted in more ways than one by DSG and the Group has successfully branched out and operating its offices at Thiruchirapalli and Chennai.
In the recently conducted Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Arts and Science for Women 14th Graduation Day Celebrations at the College campus on 26th February 2014, His Exceleency Dr. K. Rosaiah, Governor of Tamilnadu State, India was the Chief Guest and Dr. Darez Ahamed, I.A.S, District Collector of Perambalur delivered a special address, while Shri. Srinivasan , Founder and Chairman of the Institutions presided over the function, wherein 1184 graduating students comprising of 814 Under Graduates, 337 Post Graduates and 33 M.Phil Graduates were honoured; 62 Rank Holders were amongst the above group of graduates.
Long live Shri. Srinivasan and his family, kith, kin, near and dear ones.
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