Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti
The Chennai silk merchant who built his family sari shop into a giant of the trade, and author of 60 books, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti took charge of his family’s small silk shop as a teenager and built it into one of India’s best-known names in silk saris. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Bhushan in the field of trade and industry, from Tamil Nadu [1].
Third generation
Chetti was born on 4 May 1938 [2]. When his father died young, he joined the family business straight after his school exams, and took charge of it in 1956 as the third generation [2]. Under him, a 200-square-foot shop grew into a three-storey showroom of more than 30,000 square feet [2].
He is known for treating his suppliers and staff as family and for his care for customers [2]. Harvard Business School has documented his life and business [2].
Author and benefactor
A keen reader, Chetti has written more than sixty books, and his books on business management have won Tamil Nadu government awards [2]. He gives generously to education, health care and the arts, is vice-president of the Ramakrishna Math’s educational institutions in Chennai, and chairs a trust running a women’s arts college and an engineering college [2].
He has received Tamil Nadu’s Kalaimamani award [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
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