How Three Chennai-Based Companies Are Trying To Regain Their Pristine Glory

There are a few things common about these three. They are all from very illustrious groups in Chennai. All of them had their sunny years in the past. And, all of them are listed entities. WS Industries, Coromandel Engineering and Kothari Industrial Corporation (KICL) were indeed jewels in the crown of Tamil Nadu once upon a time. For assorted reasons, all of them have become a distant memory. But these are names that have tremendous brand equity. Not surprisingly, these three once-upon-a-time iconic companies – nay brands – are now getting a fresh lease of life. Well, all these three companies have seen a change in their ownership. A new management is already in position at KICL, and is trying to bring the yester-year glory back to the Kothari brand. Through a series of initiatives such as getting big into footwear, drones and the like, the new leadership is working at a frenetic pace to reignite the power of Kothari. The much revered Murugappa group, in the meanwhile, has palmed off Coromandel Engineering to affiliate-entities of a top functionary of a ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu. Coromandel Engineering, in fact, had built some of the iconic structures in Chennai. WS Industries, a leading manufacturing company once upon a time, too, has come under the fold of a group which is into property development. All these three newcomers get listed firms through the inorganic growth route.