‘A visionary with sharp business instinct’ is how people described L.L. Narayan, the former chairman of the Rane Group. At the centenary celebrations of Narayan, fondly known as LLN among his friends and business circles, his son L. Lakshman said his father was truly a visionary.
N. Sankar, chairman of the Sanmar Group, recalled his days with LLN and said, “For me, he was LLN Mama (Uncle). LLN Mama was truly simple in everything, including his attire. Work was worship for him,” he added.
Mr. Sankar also highlighted the various social causes that LLN supported. When healthcare was primitive back in the 1960s, LLN established Margaret Sidney Hospital in Nanganallur to ensure best-in-class healthcare facilities are accessible to all. He supported the Meenakshi College for Women and the Ganapathy Iyer Girls Higher Secondary School, Gopalapuram.
Abhay Firodia, chairman, Force Motors Limited, said LLN built the values that defined the Rane Group. “He had all the qualities that a successful entrepreneur needed in his era,” he said.
L. Ganesh, managing director of Rane Holdings, said that as part of the Centenary celebrations of LLN, the Rane Group was instituting the Rane Pioneer of Change Award to encourage work done in the field of social development encompassing education, health and hygiene and community development. LLN joined Rane in 1940 when it was a trading company and run by the founder T.R. Ganapathy Iyer and took over the mantle in 1946 and was instrumental in steering the group into manufacturing. He was the Chairman of the Rane Group till 1989.
