While you may often come across names such as Jamshetji Tata and Dhirubhai Ambani legendary industrial magnates who built massive business empires from scratch the name TV Sundram Iyengar the visionary founder of the TVS Group is no less iconic than his more famous peers. Who was TV Sundram Iyengar? Born in a middle-income home in Thirukkurungudi Tamil Nadu on March 22 1877 TV Sundram Iyengar started his career as a lawyer worked for the Indian Railways as well as a bank and then embarked on his entrepreneurial journey which would see the birth and rise of the TVS Group a company which initially started out as a small-time bus service. Sundram Iyengars journey in the business space began in 1911 when he established his first venture T. V. Sundram Iyengar & Sons Limited which started as a bus service-- the first in the erstwhile Madras Presidency-- in Madurai which is credited with laying the groundwork for organized road transport in South India. The rise of TVS Group Iyengars bus service grew at a steady pace and over the years he expanded the companys portfolio by venturing into diverse sectors ranging from automobile manufacturing to finance and IT service. Today TV Sundrams small venture has transformed into the TVS Group a gigantic conglomerate best-known for its two-wheelers with an annual turnover of $8.5 billion that employs more than 60000 people. TVS Motor Company the TVS Groups flagship motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Chennai is Indias third-largest motorcycle company in India by revenue boasting a market cap of Rs 112000 crore. TVS boasts an annual production capacity of over 40 lakh vehicles and sells more than 30 lakh units per year according to latest data. TV Sundram Iyengars contributions to Indian industry Beyond his extraordinary business acumen TV Sundram Iyengar is known for being an innovator who turned crisis situations into opportunities that flourished over time. In the mid-1940s Iyengar established the TVS Gas Plant after crippling fuel shortages hit the Madras Presidency during World War II. Later his company forayed into retreading and auto services establishing the Madras Auto Service Ltd which became the largest distributor of General Motors in India during the 1950s. Like many business leaders of his time TV Sundram Iyengar believed in building a family-run business and his five sons -- T. S. Rajam T. S. Santhanam T. S. Srinivasan and T. S. Krishna -- carried forward their legendary fathers legacy during his lifetime as well as after his passing in 1955 expanding the TVS Groups business interests and transforming the company in a global powerhouse. A year after his demise the Indian government honored him for massive contributions to the Indian industry and the economy by unveiling his busts in Madurai in 1956 immortalizing the iconic business magnate whose journey from a lawyer to a business leader proved that perseverance hard work and dedication can help any one to realize their dreams and achieve significant milestone in any space.