The Original Unicorn: How Annamalai Chettiar Built India’s First Financial Empire Before Startups Were Cool

Long before the term “unicorn” meant billion-dollar startups, Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar was crafting India’s first financial powerhouse—spanning banking, education, philanthropy, and industry. Born in 1881 into the wealthy Nattukottai Nagarathar community, Chettiar expanded his family’s moneylending business across Southeast Asia, becoming a pioneer in cross-border finance.

 

He co-founded Indian Bank with his brother and later became a governor of the Imperial Bank of India (now SBI). But his legacy wasn’t just financial—he donated ₹20 lakh and 670 acres to establish Annamalai University in 1929, India’s first private university, and championed Tamil language and music through the Tamil Isai Sangam.

 

Knighted in 1923 and titled Raja of Chettinad in 1929, Chettiar’s empire was built on integrity, education, and global vision—a blueprint for modern Indian entrepreneurship. His descendants went on to lead institutions like SPIC, BCCI, and Chettinad Group, cementing his legacy as India’s original unicorn builder.

 

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Source: Wikipedia – S. Rm. M. Annamalai Chettiar | Shanlax Journals – Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar