When India was going through one of its most difficult periods after Partition, an industrialist from Tamil Nadu used his private airline not to expand his business, but to help people caught in the humanitarian crisis. Dr RM Alagappa Chettiar, who built a vast business empire across industries, offered his aircraft for refugee rescue operations and later donated 300 acres of land and funds to help establish a major scientific institution in the country. His life ended at just 48, but his contributions to education, aviation and public service continue to influence generations.
Born on April 6, 1909, in Kottaiyur, Sivaganga district, in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, Dr Ramanathan Muthiah Alagappa Chettiar rose from a small town background to become one of India’s leading industrialists and philanthropists.
