Though not very close, I’ve had the joy of being acquainted with Atlas Ramachandran, who died at the age of 80 due to age-related ailments, at several functions.
Like me, he was also from Thrissur district in Kerala. I’ve always noticed him with much respect and awe as an entrepreneur for his optimistic attitude and perseverance on the face of difficulties.
After completing B.Com he started his career as a bank employee and worked in a number of banks in India. Later on, he moved to Kuwait to work for a bank there.
It was at a time when he got promotion and was well settled in his banking career that he decided to take the risk of starting a venture of his own in the jewellery business. He successfully started a chain of jewellery outlets in Kuwait. It was at that time Saddam Hussain attacked Kuwait.
Ramachandran experienced a huge loss and was forced to move to Dubai.
However, he didn’t lose heart at that. He started a jewellery showroom in Dubai, and by and by, increased the number of showrooms there. His jewellery business became a success.
There was a time he had 19 jewellery showrooms spread across different countries. This prompted him to venture into other areas. Everybody remembers ATLAS Ramachandran who came with a smile with the tagline - “Janakodikalude Viswastha Sthapanam” (Trusted Institution of Crores).
He himself was the brand ambassador for his business, lending his charming face and voice for the advertisements. Not only in business, but he was also very energetic and active in the areas of arts and culture. He started a hospital; produced several films and started a distribution company, and also acted in some movies. He produced noted films like the Malayalam classic Vaisali and Sukrutham.
I remember with a smile his acting stints in movies like Arabikkatha, 2-Harihar Nagar and several others. Unfortunately for him, maybe because of certain calculation oversight, he was arrested by Dubai police and was imprisoned for three years after some banks, which had lent him sums, filed case against him for failure to repay the amount.
This really pained everyone who knew him personally as a straightforward and generous man who used to help a lot of people, because he’s never known to have cheated his customers or anyone else.
Though he had a lot to endure in the later years of his life, he was not a man who easily gave up. The strong-willed man he was, even at the age of late seventies, after being released from jail in 2018, he was in the process of slowly getting back all that he had lost.
Ramachandran will always be remembered for his persistence, perseverance and never-let-go attitude. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. RIP.
(Kochouseph Chittilappilly, the founder of V-Guard, is a well-known industrialist from Kerala.)
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