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{{Indian patronymic|Sankar|Narayanan}}
{{Short description|Indian industrialist (1945–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = N. Sankar
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|11|19|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|04|17|1945|11|19|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| alma_mater = [[Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology|AC College of Technology]], [[Illinois Institute of Technology]]
| occupation = Industrialist
}}

'''Narayanan Sankar''' (19 November 1945{{Spaced en dash}}17 April 2022) was an Indian industrialist and chairman of the [[Chemplast Sanmar|Sanmar group]], a diversified Indian conglomerate. During a career spanning over five decades, he led the group's diversification into multiple businesses ranging from chemicals to shipping. Sankar had also been the president of the Indian industry organization [[ASSOCHAM]] and chairman of the [[Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry]].

== Early life ==
Sankar was born on 19 November 1945 to Madhuram and K. S. Narayanan, and was the elder of two siblings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=17 April 2022 |title=N. Sankar: An innings of understated achievement ends |language=en-IN |newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/n-sankar-an-innings-of-understated-achievement-ends/article65329309.ece |url-status=live |access-date=18 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419023926/https://www.thehindu.com/business/n-sankar-an-innings-of-understated-achievement-ends/article65329309.ece |archive-date=19 April 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Remembering KS Narayanan through his own words |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2019/jan/29/remembering-ks-narayanan-through-his-own-words-1931202.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203135041/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2019/jan/29/remembering-ks-narayanan-through-his-own-words-1931202.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 February 2019 |access-date=19 April 2022 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> He was the grandson of Indian industrialist [[S. N. N. Sankaralinga Iyer]], who was the founder of [[India Cements]] and Indo-Commercial Bank.<ref name="EconTimes20220417">{{Cite news |title=N Sankar, industry icon and Chairman of Sanmar, passes away |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/n-sankar-industry-icon-and-chairman-of-sanmar-passes-away/articleshow/90897827.cms |date=17 April 2022 |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419023933/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/n-sankar-industry-icon-and-chairman-of-sanmar-passes-away/articleshow/90897827.cms |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 October 2006 |title=Sanmar in the Press – A success story |url=http://www.sanmargroup.com/Newsmain/Pressclips/success.htm |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029120147/http://www.sanmargroup.com/Newsmain/Pressclips/success.htm |archive-date=29 October 2006 }}</ref> Sankar obtained his [[Bachelor of Science|bachelor's in science]] from [[Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology|AC College of Technology]] in [[Madras]] (now Chennai) and later went on to get his [[master's degree]] in [[chemical engineering]] from the [[Illinois Institute of Technology]] in [[Chicago]].<ref name=":0" />

Sankar was involved with cricket and tennis as a youngster. He was coached on the tennis court by T.K. Ramanathan, who was the father of Indian tennis player [[Ramanathan Krishnan]] and grandfather of tennis player [[Ramesh Krishnan]].<ref name=":0" /> His tennis career was cut short when he was diagnosed with [[polio]] when he was 17.<ref name=":0" /> He continued to play cricket for the Madras league cricket team Jai Hind CC playing as a batsman and a [[medium pace]] bowler, and was known to be a [[Slip (cricket)|slip]] fielder.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
Sankar started his career with the [[Chemplast Sanmar|Sanmar group]]'s flagship company [[Chemplast Sanmar|Chemplast]] in 1961 after returning to India upon the completion of his masters. The group's name itself was a combination of his name and his brother, N. Kumar's names.<ref name=":1" /> Sankar led the group's acquisition of Industrial Chemicals and Monomers, a company that manufactured [[carbide]]. He led the group's efforts in developing integrated manufacturing processes for their chemicals, specifically for the production of the synthetic plastic polymer, [[polyvinyl chloride]], at Chemplast.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Ramnarayan |first=V. |date=16 November 2020 |title=N. Sankar, at 75 |url=http://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-30-no-14/n-sankar-at-75/ |access-date=19 April 2022 |newspaper =[[Madras Musings]] |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126174722/http://www.madrasmusings.com/vol-30-no-14/n-sankar-at-75/ |url-status=live }}</ref> During his time at the group, he led the group's growth both [[Organic growth|organic]] and through [[acquisitions]]. The group expanded its business footprint and helped with the group's international expansion.<ref name=":0" /> The group had joint ventures with companies including [[Bayer Corporation]], [[Cabot Corporation]], [[AMP Limited|AMP Australia]], [[Symrise|Dragoco]], and [[Tyco International]], and expanded its focus to include shipping, finance, insurance.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Shankaran |first=Sanjiv |date=17 September 2005 |title=Newsmaker: N Sankar |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/newsmaker-n-sankar-105091701071_1.html |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419023928/https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/newsmaker-n-sankar-105091701071_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="TimesOfindia-20220417">{{Cite news |last1=Sen Gupta |first1=Nandini |title= N Sankar, doyen of Sanmar group, passes away |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/n-sankar-doyen-of-sanmar-group-passes-away/articleshow/90896252.cms |access-date=19 April 2022 |newspaper=The Times of India |language=en |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419023929/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/n-sankar-doyen-of-sanmar-group-passes-away/articleshow/90896252.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> He introduced modern management practices and principles of corporate governance within the group, separating ownership from management.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="EconTimes20220417" />

In the late 1970s, Sankar and his brother Kumar's families were involved in a legal battle with [[N. Srinivasan]] and his brother N. Ramachandran over the running of [[India Cements]]. This had resulted in the intervention of financial institutions including [[IDBI Bank|IDBI]] which forced both Sankar and Srinivasan's families out of the board of the company and had bureaucrats and professional managers run the company, and at one point even attempted to sell-off the company to [[ITC Limited]], the Indian tobacco giant. However, in the early 1990s, the families reconciled and Sankar was made the chairman while Srinivasan was given charge of running the company.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phadnis |first=Aditi |date=2 April 2014 |title=The man who knows how to plot a comeback |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/the-man-who-knows-how-to-plot-a-comeback-114040201345_1.html |access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=N. |first=Madhavan |title=The life and times of controversy man N Srinivasan |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/spot-fixing-scam-cannot-dislodge-bcci-chief-n-srinivasan-40383-2013-06-04 |access-date=20 April 2022 |website=Business Today |date=4 June 2013 |language=en}}</ref> Sankar stepped down from his positions in 2007 and the Sanmar group sold their stake in the company in 2013.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Menon |first=Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDJ2BwAAQBAJ&dq=Sankar+sanmar&pg=PR89 |title=Wisden India Almanack 2015 |date=1 April 2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-93-84898-46-5 |language=en}}</ref>

Sankar served in leadership roles at multiple industry organizations including president of [[ASSOCHAM]] between 1991 and 1992, chairman of the [[Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry]] between 1986 and 1987, chairman of the Indo US Joint Business Council between 1998 and 1999.<ref name=":0" /> He partnered with other auto-industry leaders to draft the Tamil Nadu state government's industry policy in the 1990s, culminating in the setup of [[Ford Motor Company]]'s [[Greenfield project|greenfield]] manufacturing plant in partnership with [[Mahindra and Mahindra]] in [[Maraimalainagar]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="TimesOfindia-20220417"/> He was the [[honorary consul]] of Denmark in South India between 1989 and 2017 and had been awarded the [[Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog]], first class, by the Danish government.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="HinduBusinessline20220417">{{Cite web |date=17 April 2022 |title=Sanmar Group's Chairman N Sankar passes away |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/sanmargroups-chairman-n-sankar-passes-away/article65329101.ece |access-date=19 April 2022 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419023931/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/sanmargroups-chairman-n-sankar-passes-away/article65329101.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sankar remained involved in cricket and tennis over the years. He ran the Madras first-division cricket team Jolly Rovers; amongst the players from the club included Indian cricketer [[S. Venkataraghavan]] and [[wicket-keeper]] [[Bharath Reddy (cricketer)|Bharath Reddy]].<ref name=":0" /> The [[Chemplast Cricket Ground|Chemplast cricket team]] had cricketers like [[Anil Kumble]] and [[Harbhajan Singh]] playing for the team.<ref name=":1" /> He also owned the Alwarpet CC cricket team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sports bodies condole death of Sanmar Group chief N Sankar |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2022/apr/18/sports-bodies-condole-death-of-sanmar-group-chief-n-sankar-2443306.html |access-date=20 April 2022 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> Sankar had also served as the vice president of the [[All India Tennis Association]] and the president of the [[Tamil Nadu Cricket Association]] and the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association.<ref name=":0" /> He was also a patron of the arts and was the chairman of [[Sruthi]] foundation, a classical performing arts organization.<ref name=":0" /> Sankar was a member of the board of governors of the [[Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode]].<ref name="HinduBusinessline20220417" />

== Personal life ==
Sankar and his wife, Chandra, had a son and a daughter.<ref name=":0" /> Sankar died on 17 April 2022 in Chennai, India. He was aged 76.<ref name="HinduBusinessline20220417" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sankar, N.}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian industrialists]]
[[Category:Illinois Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Indian cricket administrators]]
[[Category:Order of the Dannebrog]]

N. Sankar - Revision history

ItsNaviGrewal: added initial post w/ infobox