NEW DELHI: H Lakshmanan, former executive director of Sundaram Clayton and a key member of Chennai-based TVS group passed away at 92, leaving behind a legacy that spans seven decades. Lakshmanan leaves behind his son and two daughters.
Known affectionately as HL, he exemplified a rare combination of strategic brilliance and unwavering ethical principles that became the cornerstone of TVS Group’s corporate culture.
Starting at just twenty years old, Lakshmanan worked closely with TVS Motor founder TS Srinivasan (Cheema). Together, they built the country’s largest auto components group, laying the foundation for future growth.
When the untimely passing of TS Srinivasan brought Venu Srinivasan to lead Sundaram Clayton and the moped business, Lakshmanan became an invaluable guide through challenging times.
“Through him I learnt the wisdom that had been passed down by my father. HL could think clearly, counsel sagely and work tirelessly, and he was my rock of Gibraltar,” said Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus, TVS Motor. “He would never settle for less and in a great measure what TVS is today, is thanks to his dedication and sense of duty.”
Lakshmanan’s negotiation and strategic planning skills played a crucial role in transforming TVS Motor from a moped maker into a global brand. Alongside he built Sundaram Clayton into what it is today. Lakshmanan also orchestrated the turnaround of TVS Credit into a thriving NBFC serving millions of customers.
“He was the person I would turn to the most when I took over at Sundaram Clayton, and it was remarkable how he mentored me with the same enthusiasm and patience as he did my father,” said Lakshmi Venu, Managing Director, Sundaram-Clayton Ltd. “He made a complex business, simple.”
Sudarshan Venu, Managing Director, of TVS Motor, said, “To the younger generation he passed on lessons in values that have thrived since my grandfather’s time.”