A tribute to the founder of MRF Limited, who passed away on 2nd March 2003 at Chennai, by N Kumar, Vice Chairman, the Sanmar Group.
When we talk about people and the institutions they built, we always talk about the companies, like Infosys, Bajaj and many more. For me whenever Sachin Tendulkar raises the MRF bat, I get reminded of Mammen Mappillai.
Sanmar Group Chairman Emeritus K S Narayanan being greeted by Mammen Mappillai at his 80th birthday celebrations.
He was a quiet man, a private man, but a real human being. His laughter was his strength and his silent kindness was his forte. For me he was my godfather, as in 1971 when I was without a job, he gave me a job in Mansfield Tyre and Rubber and
therefore he was always very special to me. But he has done similar deeds to many, many people and not even uttered a word about it. The personal stories and intimacies, exchanged on March 2, 2003 at his home in G N Chetty Road—when he was silent without laughing for the first time in his life— were innumerable.
He went through many difficulties in life, such as losing a young son, and a heart ailment, but he stood and came through it all, not losing the human touch. His friends, particularly my father K S Narayanan, can tell you stories of what simple fun he used to have—he would dress like a bearer, serving drinks at home in a party, or riding a bicycle. Once, when he was working in his garden, the famous architect, Charles Correa, asked him whether he could meet Mr Mammen Mappillai and he went in, wore a shirt and presented himself. This was Mammen Mappillai.
MRF, a company he singularly made, has won many awards but more important, it is ‘successful’ and ‘profitable’. He has been awarded the Padmashri, the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award, MMA’s Businessman of the Year award and many such awards. But still the award of a “real human” is the best!
His joint venture with Mansfield Tyre and Rubber company was the first at that time among tyre
manufacturers. It is to his credit and to the credit of India, that the Indian company has stood longer while the US company, unfortunately, had to bite the dust.
He primarily stayed in the background and did not take a leadership position in any association, though, I am sure, it has been offered to him by many.
An individual vision: It was Mammen Mappillai who started exports way back and kept it going which has helped the company in the current period.
His immediate family: His wife is another outstanding soul who has stood with him through every difficulty and happiness. His children, their spouses and grandchildren are all testimony to this outstanding human being and his larger family, his brothers and their families are also very similar, warm people!
I will definitely miss Mammen uncle, though his close friends like my father and his family will miss him even more but more importantly the world will miss a person who will be remembered as a human being first and an industrialist later, in spite of being a successful one.