| The
TVS Group was formed by T V Sundram Iyengar, one of
the
pioneers of Indian Industry. in 1911. |
|
He was a visionary, whose ideas were years ahead of their
times, and a man of principles. Both these things combined
to make him a legend in his own lifetime all over Southern
India. |
| Three
years before World War I, when the automobile was still
seen as some kind of initmidating "horseless carriage",
he had the vision to set up South India's first ever rural
bus service. And, over the years, this transport company
became the largest of its kind in the country - legendary
for its punctuality and service. In fact, the rules and
regulations our Founder laid down for himself later became
the blueprint for the Motor Vehicles Act. |
| Those
days the buses where chain driven and not gear driven
as it is in the modern times. The wheels were made of
wood and had a rubber layer fixed on the rim to minimise
the jerks and jolts on the poor country roads. The bullock
carts were the immediate competitors to exploit these
roads. Asphalting the road was not yet a common practice.
But this did not deter Mr.Iyengar to brave delivery
of a service to the common man. The open buses were a
luxury. |
| To
ensure that the buses completed the journey safely and
surely, the service included the accompaniment of Mechanics
who had to time and again put the chains of the engine
back in place because of the rough roads. Sometimes the
rubber peeled of the wooden tyres and it had to be put
back in place. These mechanics were not the Engineers
who had their academics in the colleges. But only Black
Smiths and Carpenters. |
| This
service also came with the Indian tradition of serving
food to passengers to relieve them of inconvenience. |
| The
glory and hallmark of the bus service was that Buses would
leave on time and every time and reach on time. Most others
would set their watches based on the passing of the bus
service near them. |
| On
reaching one end of the journey the buses would be thoroughly
checked, cleaned and made ready for the next trip and
that too ON TIME. |
| T
V Sundram Iyengar's philosophy of business reflected
that kind of man he was simple, but stern. It was based
rigidly on four concepts - quality, service, reliability
and a sense of ethics. |
| It
is this personal philosophy that has formed the cornerstone
of our corporate culture as, over the past 75 years, we
have evolved into one of India's leading industrial houses. |
| |
