Bangalore stories. Private Industries began to appear!

My earlier blog about Diwans of Mysore triggered memories. Chandramouli remembered how his granduncle, as Municipal Chairman of Holenarsipur was able to import and install a public water supply system  and start off a high school in 1936, both thanks to Sir Mirza.

N.K.Ramdas reminisced about his grandfather N.N.Ayyangar's move to Bangalore.

He said it was Sir Mirza who appointed, N.N.Ayyangar as Chief Engineer & Secretary to Government PWD, Mysore State, on the recommendation of Sir M.V. 

"In fact, Mysore PWD was already consulting N.N.Ayyangar on the recommendation of Sir M. V. about the damages to Thippagundanahalli dam due to heavy rainfall and he continued to advise the PWD about its repair." 

"N.N.Ayyangar enjoyed a close  friendship with Sir Mirza and was personally known to Sir M.V. while  working in Bombay Presidency and used to exchange personal letters with them both." 

Nice to recall a period of great progress in Mysore State. And it is a matter of pride that our Diwans were invited by other progressive kingdoms and also by provinces controlled by the British. In addition to Diwans, able administrators and engineers were also sought after. 

This progressive atmosphere encouraged entrepreneurs to come to Bangalore to start industries. Mysore Electrical Industries, established in 1945, was one such. Recently I was privileged to attend the unveiling of a Statue of N.G.Ayyangar at Mysore Electrical Industries, Bangalore. This was a unique occasion wherein the workers wanted to honour the founder of M.E.I.  I feel proud as an ex-employee and it is a pleasure to blog about MEI and its founders.

I distinctly remember, while a trainee, being advised by N.G.Ayyangar "Go to Kondappa and Ramachandriah and learn from them!" They were the foremen of press shop and machine shop. I remember Kondappa telling me, while he gave me full freedom to work and learn,  "Okay you learn from us and then become our boss!" I am writing this to emphasise the fact that our industries were built around such shop-floor men. Clearly, N.G. Ayyangar well aware of this, had great regard for them. The men knew this and we now see that it was mutual by the love and respect shown to his memory!

 I recall that MEI outsourced very little in the 50's and 60's. We made most of the critical parts, thanks to the incredibly skilled tool-makers, who made tools with simple machines. We had an automatic lathe, probably the first of its kind in Bangalore at that time and I remember that critical accessories, like 'cams', requiring precise contours, were hand-made! I can go on! Or perhaps we could ask N.G. Srihari to tell us more about it!

Due to many reasons, the company got into cash flow  problems, and the management chose to relinquish its control to the government. Hence the factory continued to run and the workers did not lose their jobs. Gradually they benefited. Housing colonies were built and the workers became more secure. It is no wonder that the employees wanted a statue installed in N.G.Ayyangar's honour.

 The children of both N.G.Ayyangar and N.K.Ayyangar, and other members of the N.N.Ayyangar family were invited for the installation ceremony. The team work between the brothers, N.G and N.K as they were known in the factory, is legendary and was thus acknowledged.

I have briefly borrowed from the speech N.K.Ramdas made on that occasion. While we are related, it was Golf which brought us together on my return to Bengaluru! 

Ramdas began his speech thanking the present Managing Director, Raghu Ratnam for the honour and with a quote: 

F.G.Pearce in his famous book 'Footprints on the sands of time' quotes Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "Lives of great men all remind us, we can make all our lives sublime, and departing leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time."

We learn that N.G.Ayyangar's forefathers are from Nuggehalli, a village in Hassan district and the family can be traced back to nine generations. His father N.N.Ayyangar, had an illustrious career as an Engineer in the Bombay Presidency and returned to Bangalore on his retirement to work for the state of Mysore. 

"N.N.Ayyangar was appointed as the Chief Engineeer & Secretary to Government of Mysore from 1934 to 1939. He was the recipient of the titles Dewan Bahadur and Rajakarya Prasakta and Delhi Durbar Silver Jubilee and Coronation Medals. He was also the President of Institution of Engineers, India."

N.N.Ayyangar's children were all well-educated. N.S.Ayyangar the eldest, with a degree in Agriculture from Scotland, worked in the Imperial Chemical Industries in Madras. N.K.Ayyangar, did MA in Chemistry & Geology from St.Catherine College,Cambridge and was also a Bar-at-Law from London. And he was practicing Law at the Bombay High Court. Education was important to the family, N.G.Ayyangar and the next generation of men are all engineers! A family of professionals!

"N.G.Ayyangar, had schooling in Chickmagalur and studied in Ferguson College Poona, where he received the prestigious Gibbs Award for Physics. He obtained his B.Sc degree in 1927 with distinction in Physics  from Royal Institute of Science, Bombay. He completed his Electrical Engineering  in 1930 from Kings College, Cambridge, England." {BA (Hons) Mechanical Science. Tripos}

"He worked in Germany and Hungary before his return to India in 1932. He joined American Bond & Share Company of USA in Bombay,  Managing Agents for a number of Power Supply companies in India. He then served as Manager, Nasik Electric Company from 1940 to 1944.

"It was the time when opportunities opened up for Indian entrepreneurs.  "N.N.Ayyangar's  son-in-law R.D.Char, a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from University College of Engineering, Bangalore was already doing business in engineering products in Bombay and had started a marketing company IAEC in Bombay in 1929. He later established Standard Batteries Ltd., in Bombay in 1945. 

 The brothers were doing well in their professions. In fact, "After the World war II the British Government deputed N.G.Ayyangar in the rank of a full Colonel of the British Army to study the status of Industrial development in Germany." They subsequently chose to become entrepreneurs and moved to Bangalore.

"N.K.Ayyangar gave up his Law practice and moved to Bangalore in 1943 to join the IAEC unit in Bangalore  N.G.Ayyangar also resigned from his job in Nasik and moved to Bangalore in 1945. Together they completed the construction of the factory building at Okalipuram in 1945 and MEI Ltd. started production under the technical guidance of N.G.Ayyangar as Managing Director with R.D.Char as Chairman and N.K.Ayyangar as Executive Director. After R.D.Char's retirement N.G.Ayyangar took over as CMD of MEI Ltd."

Sadly, in spite of his best efforts to revive MEI, N.G.Ayyangar saw the writing on the wall. "His first thoughts were the the welfare of MEI's Workers. He therefore requested Government of Karnataka to take over the Company in 1978 with no thought of personal loss."

"Life of an Entrepreneur is unforgiving, the greatest tribute to him would be if the Company continues to innovate and grow. There are many who stood by him to name them. When financial trouble came, he took everything on his own chin without flinching or blaming others. As Disraeli said, circumstances are beyond the control of man, but his conduct is in his own power."

We also learn, that he was a keen sportsman and played Tennis and was also Captain of Bangalore Golf Club in 1963. Always soft-spoken, gentle, courteous, friendly and with a remarkable sense of humour N.G.Ayyangar was a Hands-on Engineer responsible for most of the products developed in MEI Ltd.

Ramdas conlcuded his speech thus,"In his own inimitable way N.G.AYYANGAR has left behind his indelible footprints on sands of our time. On behalf of N.G.Ayyangar's larger family we thank you all for honouring him and carrying forward his legacy."

It was said that N.G. Ayyangar could focus fully on the engineering 
as N.K.Ayyangar took care of all liaison work with the Government agencies!

N.G.Srihari thanking the organisers for the honor.
N.K.Ramdas is on the right.
B.K.Shamanna one of the oldest employees in the middle.

I owe a lot to MEI. I attended classes in Engineering at the C.R. Iyengar institue, which later became MEI polytechnic. Initially it was located in the factory premises. I became a trainee at MEI, after doing my AMIE exams and learnt to be a hands-on mechanical engineer.  I cherish the memories of my six years which helped me a lot in my career. I moved on when an unexpected opportunity arose, only to get out of Bangalore and face challenges of being on my own! I guess it was destiny which pulled me to Pune. 

Attending  the function, as I walked around MEI, it was all nostalgia. It was a pleasant surprise when a young man looked out for me! When we met, he told me that my mother had helped his father to get a job in MEI, and later he was also employed and was doing well. I was very touched and thanked him for taking the trouble to locate me! 

 My mother could help a few to get employment at MEI, thanks to Sharada Aunty, Mrs N.G. Ayyangar. They were first cousins and were very close! The boys came  to the city as migrants, worked at my parents home and then moved on! 

I used to visit uncle and aunt Sharada every time I was in Bangalore. Initially I felt uncle was a bit cool towards me because I had left MEI. May be my imagination! He  always did ask me about my work and how was I doing?