In India the cooperative movement was started at the instance of the Government to mitigate the adverse effects on the farmers. Later on this initiative was owned and carried forward by many freedom loving patriots of the state. Here we will the details of some of the famous cooperators who have shaped up the cooperative movement of the state more particularly at Chennai city.

Rajagopalachari was born in Madras and educated at Presidency College and Madras Law College. He joined the Judicial Department Indian Civil Service on 3 May 1886 and was appointed deputy collector in December 1887. From 2 May 1890 to December 1896, he served as assistant collector and magistrate in Madras Province. In December 1896, Rajagopalachari was appointed Diwan by Maharaja Rama Varma of Cochin. He served in his capacity from 1896 to 1901. In 1904, he was appointed Registrar of Co-operative Credit Societies in the Madras Presidency, he was instrumental in sowing seeds of cooperative movement in the state. He has registered first cooperative of India in the year 1904 at Tirur village at then Kanchipuram district. later on he has registered first consumer cooperative society Triplicane Urban cooperative society ltd(TUCS) in the same year and in the year 1905 he has registered first central bank of India later it was converted in to present Tamilnadu state apex cooperative bank (TNSCB). afte serving as Registrar of cooperative societies he was appointed Diwan of Travancore state. In 1914, Rajagopalachari returned to Madras as Secretary of the Judicial Department, the first Indian to hold the post. In 1917, he was appointed to the Council of the Governor of Madras. He was appointed to the Council of India in London, resigning in 1925 due to ill-health and returning to India. Rajagopalachari was appointed Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1909 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in the 1920 New Year Honours.

Sir P.T.Thiyagarayar

P.T.Thiayagarayar was instrumental in ushering industrialization in the state. He was actively participated in the social up liftmen activities of the poor and the downtrodden. As a social activist he had suggested formation of a central cooperative bank to cater the financial needs of the primary societies. He was one of the founding members of the Central bank which was established in the year 1905 later on it became the present TNSC bank. He had served president of the Chennai town Cooperative Housing society for several years, later on it has become the present Tamilnadu Cooperative Housing Federation.

Rt. Honb’le V.S.Sreenivasa Sastri

He was born in the year 22/9/1869 in Valangaiman near Kumbakonam.  He did his schooling and graduation in Kumbakonam. On completion of his graduation, he found employment as a teacher in Municipal College, Salem. He also served as Vice-Chancellor of the Annamalai University. He was instrumental in establishing the first consumer cooperative society in India namely Triplicane Urban Cooperative Society (TUCS Ltd) and served as the first president of the society. Later on he was actively participated in the freedom movement of the county.

Dr.P.Natesan

He was born in the year 1902 at Salem and become physician by profession. When Mr.T.A.Ramalinga Cettiyar was the president of the Tamilnadu Cooperative Union, he had appointed Dr.Natesan as a Secretary to activate the functioning of the Union. During his tenure as Secretary he was the Editor in Chief of monthly journals of union “Tamilnadu Journal Of Cooperation” and “Kooturavu”. he actively strived development of cooperative movement without political interference. Later in the life he served as the President of George Town Cooperative bank and Chennai Central Cooperative Print Press. He was died in year 1974.