In the annals of India’s colonial history, some remind us of the hard times the country faced. Then there are those who continue to stand as beacons of change. Their contributions to society transcended their time to inspire generations that came after. Robert Stanes, an Englishman who arrived in India in the late 19th Century, is undoubtedly one such luminary whose legacy endures to this day in the Nilgiris and the present-day Coimbatore.
But just how synonymous is the name Robert Stanes with the industrial fabric of Coimbatore, also called the ‘Manchester of South India’? The answer lies in a common retort most people living in and around Race Course Road, Coimbatore’s posh locality, have to offer — “Stanes? Do you mean the company, mill, school? There is everything with that name.”
