Ayya Nadar


P. Ayya Nadar was an Indian entrepreneur from the southern city of Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. He along with Shanmuga Nadar is credited for transforming the small village of Sivakasi into a thriving industrial town with firecracker, matchbox and printing industries. He was the founder of Anil brand matches, which later turned into Ayya Fireworks, and Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College.

Personal life

He was born in 1905 in Sivakasi to Palaniappa Nadar and Nagammal. He was married to Janaki Ammal with whom he has four sons and daughters. He died in year 1981.

Inception of match business

Ayya Nadar along with his cousin Shanmuga Nadar travelled to Calcutta in the year 1922 and stayed there for 8 months learning about the match industry. Upon their return to Sivakasi, they started the first handmade safety matches factory with machines imported from Germany.
The business eventually diversified into manufacturing of fireworks and yarn. Ayya Nadar later ventured into printing business and an educational institution. Ayyan Nadar the first generation entrepreneur, in the year 1925 started National Fireworks in Sivakasi.
In 1926, they separated and established two separate match industries with Ayya Nadar's Anil brand competing with Shanmuga Nadar's kaka or Standard brand.
From 1984, Ayya Nadar sons Mr. A. Graha Durai and Mr. A. Vaira Prakasam headed the business house and later in 1987, Graha Durai along with his brother, Vaira Prakasam started Ayyan Fireworks also known as Ayyan Fireworks Factory Pvt Ltd.

Business expansion

Ayya Nadar founded Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College in 1963 offering courses in Arts and Sciences. The college is located in Sivakasi. From its beginning in 1923 till 1984, he headed the institution he founded. His sons, A.Graha Durai and A.Vaira Prakasam have been heading the business ever since. They started Ayyan Nadar Janaki Ammal women's polytechnic in 1990.
Ayya Nadar, along with Shanmuga Nadar, is credited with transforming the small poverty-stricken Sivakasi village into a bustling polluting industrial town. R. G. Chandramogan, another entrepreneur and owner of Hatsun Agro, who happened to grow up in this town and witness this transformation said,
This revolution was brought to Sivakasi by Shanmuga Nadar and his cousin Iyya Nadar. The people of our town looked up to them as demigods because of the prosperity they brought to us.

Sivakasi Municipality

He was the chairman of Sivakasi municipality between 1955 and 1963. Vaippar-Vembakkotai drinking water scheme with a dam in the north of the city was instituted during his tenure, which helped in the expansion of population and industries in the drought-prone town.