A Sivasailam, chairman of the over Rs 7,500-crore Amalgamations group passed away on Wednesday at Manipal in Karnataka. A Sivasailam, chairman of Amalgamations, the apex company of one of the largest light engineering groups, was born to eminent industrialist, S Anantharamakrishnan, who created and fostered the group of companies. He is survived by two daughters, Mallika Srinivasan and Jayshree Venkatraman. Mallika Srinivasan is director of leading tractor company TAFE and wife of Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor Company.
Born on August 23, 1934, Sivasailam graduated from the University of Madras in commerce degree. After a four-year stint in management accounting with a leading firm of chartered accountants in London, he returned to join Amalgamations Limited. In 1961 and became the general manager of Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd, of which he was Chairman & Managing Director untill his death.
In 1968, Sivasailam became the chairman of Amalgamations Private Ltd and assumed the important and onerous responsibilities attached to this house of repute and integrity. The Amalgamations group today consists of 45 Companies, such as Simpson & Company Limited, Tractors & Farm Equipment Limited, TAFE Motors & Tractors Limited, Addison & Co. Limited, Amco Batteries Limited, Bimetal Bearings Limited, India Pistons Limited, IP Rings Limited, Speed-A-Way Private Limited, Higginbothams Private Limited, T Stanes & Co. Limited among auto component companies.
Sivasailam has occupied many offices of distinction related to government as also public Institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Associated Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Association of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. He was also the Sheriff of Madras and has been the recipient of the `Outstanding Industrialist Award’ of the National Institution of Quality Assurance; an Honour Award from the Rotary Club of Madras; Automan Award of Motor India and ?Rashtriya Samman’ award in 2000.
He received the first MMA distinguished fellowship award of 2005. He has been conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature by Madurai Kamaraj University. Sivasailam has won several other awards including the prestigious `Padma Shri’ in 2007. An award from SIAM (Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers) for his lifetime contribution to the automobile industry in 2008.