Founder of Shanthi Gears and Shanthi Social Service P Subramanian, 78, passed away during the wee hours of Friday.
Fondly referred to by those in business circles as the “Gear Man of Coimbatore”, Subramanian, has been ailing for some time. He is survived by three daughters.
There was no end to his philanthropic services. After completing his diploma from PSG Polytechnic in the late 1960s, Subramanian worked as an instructor for some time, before starting a workshop on his own.
He founded Shanthi Gears in 1972. The company was focused on the manufacture of gears for the textile sector.
The gear manufacturing company was acquired by Murugappa Group of companies in 2012. Subramanian thereafter started to concentrate on social and philanthropic services full time.
SSS was established in 1996. A media-shy person, Subramanian would rarely talk about Shanthi Social Services (SSS), the charitable arm that he had founded, which apart from supporting underprivileged students, is into the construction of roads, school buildings etc.
SSS also operates a fuel station in Singanallur on Trichy Road, which is known for selling fuel at pre-hike rates till the old stock is exhausted. It runs a pharmacy, hospital, clinical lab, blood bank and a canteen - all of which are known for quality services at very affordable rates.
Subramanian’s pursuit to give back to society has been endless. Those that have had a peep into SSS canteen, petrol pump, or hospital have been awed by the silent work that he had been rendering to the society without expectation. He was not born with a silver spoon though. He worked his way to get there.