AMM Foundation: Murugappa Group’s charitable arm completes a century, no room for arrogance says MM Murugappan

The AMM Foundation, the charitable arm of the Murugappa Group — a USD 9 billion conglomerate based by Dewan Bahadur AM Murugappa Chettiar in 1900 — has simply turned 100! Starting with the development of a temple tank in Tamil Nadu’s Pallathur, the Murugappa CSR arm has diversified into schooling and healthcare.

“We have been concerned for greater than 100 years in enterprise, however to be concerned 100 years in charity, that’s itself is a very great point,” says MA Alagappan, Managing Trustee, AMM Foundation. The household has a fund of round INR 40 crore (USD 4.8 million) allotted for its CSR actions. Earlier, the muse — based by brothers AMM Murugappa Chettiar, AMM Vellayan Chettiar and AMM Arunachalam — was often called AMM Charities Trust. The AMM Charities Trust paved the best way for the AMM Foundation later.

Meenakshi Murugappan, who serves because the President of the AMM Hospital in Pallathur in Sivagangai district, says the group derives satisfaction from serving folks. “It’s a feeling of satisfaction as a result of we’re serving the group and the folks of the ancestral village from the place we hail,” she says.

Under its healthcare division, the group manages 5 hospitals — AMM Hospital (Pallathur), Sir Ivan Stedeford Hospital (Avadi, Chennai), AMM Arunachalam Hospital (Nellikuppam, Cuddalore), Valliammai Achi Hospital (Kadayalumoodu, Kanniyakumari) and Coromandel Hospital (Kakinada).

As per the members of the family, the primary CSR exercise, which occurred within the Twenties, was constructing a temple tank to retailer water for devotees. It was adopted by the development of a hospital subsequent to the temple, with the purpose to do extra for the society.

With the passage of time, the scope of charity was widened and healthcare and schooling was made the core of Murugappa Group’s CSR actions.

MM Murugappan, Trustee, AMM Foundation, says, “My forefathers who had a nice imaginative and prescient, they’d a imaginative and prescient for India.” That imaginative and prescient led to the formation of the Murugappa Science Project (in Sivaganga and Pudukkottai Districts of Tamil Nadu), and the Murugappa Science Centre, to assist unfold scientific consciousness amongst children.

The Trustee says that the group’s evolution has been an try and maintain tempo with the occasions.

One widespread issue throughout the group’s charities is affordability. The providers, whereas not solely freed from value, are priced at a level that may be leveraged by the economically weaker part.

Highlighting the amenities within the Murugappa Group-run hospitals, MA Alagappan says that well being consultations are completed at a cheaper price than different locations. “Open coronary heart surgical procedures are completed at cheap prices,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu lately.

The sentiment is shared by Valli Alagappan, who’s a member of Founding Family of the AMM School. She says that the values have been instilled by her father, AMM Arunachalam. “Father would at all times say [that] wealthy kids can go wherever. But it’s these kids who want high quality schooling at an inexpensive value. That was his mantra for the varsity and the TI School,” she says.

Under its aegis, AMM Foundation runs 5 academic institutes — Murugappa Polytechnic College, Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar Higher Secondary School, Vellayan Chettiar Higher Secondary School, TI School, and AMM School. While teachers is given choice, the Murugappan household goals to offer a extra holistic studying.

Meenakshi Murugappan, Correspondent, TI School, says, “It’s by no means at all times been about teachers. Focus is on holistic growth.” In line together with her assertion, the muse has inked a bond with German soccer membership BVB Dortmund.

The settlement was signed between Murugappa Youth Football Academy (MYFA) and the German membership in 2023. MYFA at the moment coaches 200 boys at Vellayan Chettiar Higher Secondary School, Sir Ramaswami Mudaliyar Higher Secondary School and TI School. The coaching on the academy is imparted by coaches with teaching licence from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Apart from these, the group has additionally taken eager curiosity in preserving and rejuvenating waterbodies by its ‘Nanneer’ venture. A three way partnership by the AMM Foundation and Parry Nutraceutical Ltd with Siruthuli, the venture is at the moment focusing in and across the Oonaiyur village in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu.

It has already accomplished its first venture by rejuvenating a pond within the Kanadukaathan panchayat. As per the official web site of the muse, the interval of implementation for this venture was between March and April, 2022.

As the AMM basis raises the bat in 2024, it has come a lengthy solution to construct a strong legacy that’s constructed upon the motto of serving others. Arguably, the charities floated by the muse have touched hundreds of thousands of lives over a century and have turn out to be indispensable.

But there’s no room for arrogance, as MM Murugappan explains. “We must take ahead this legacy with a nice sense of gratitude on one aspect and a nice sense of duty on the opposite,” he says.