There has rarely been a more versatile journalist than S Viswanathan of Industrial Economist (IE). Since the inception of the magazine in 1968, he has been producing an interesting and enlightening journal, month after month covering a bewildering array of issues of importance to the economy and the country.
He had a hands-on style where every aspect of collecting, collating, analysing and assimilating the data before it came out as an interesting and unique story, was his doing.
SV’s knowledge was encyclopaedic and unparalleled in terms of the diversity of the subjects in that he was proficient. He could match his wits with any domain expert. All this was clothed in a personality that was most humble, soliciting and sincere.
He wore his prodigious knowledge and experience very light on his person and his frail and self-effacing demeanour put everyone at ease. An intellectual giant who moved around like a child! He never lost his child-like curiosity to learn and in fact, was last seen at a meeting in Chennai on 15 October 2022 where he is supposed to have engaged in an animated conversation with the main speaker and just, unfortunately, collapsed a second after he resumed his seat!
IE crossed many a milestone and SV’s stature and sincerity brought almost every known celebrity in the field of economics in the country to Chennai to participate in one programme or the other over the five decades plus of the sojourn of the publication.
SV commanded immense goodwill and credibility with the people in power in the government, corporate and academic fields. The back editions of the journal that act as a repository of all the programmes, meetings, commemoration and conferences held under its auspices stand testimony to the point made here.
He was particularly passionate about the industry in Tamil Nādu which literally grown under his watch since 1968! He could reel off data and anecdotes about the setting up and evolution of almost every major industry (factory) and company in existence now. His memory is magical and at times frightening to the other person in the conversation!
He could also share many an anecdote on companies that have disappeared from the scene and the reasons for the collapse and failure. His constant regret which he seldom shied from vocalising, was that companies based in TN which pioneered in many fields were overtaken by companies that started much later in the northern/western parts of the country.
His connection with the senior administrators in the state of TN over the five decades was unmatched and the goodwill stood him in great stead in their support for all his initiatives. The last such was the special issue he brought out on Tamil Nadu in March/April 2022.
IE turned digital and has become a weekly since recently and his obsession was to take the magazine to everyone who had anything to do with industry, economics, or business; including students in colleges. He claimed good success but the cruel hand of fate took him away from his dear ones, his innumerable friends, and his admirers on 22 October 2022.
His legacy will live on but leaves a void that would be most difficult to fill.
Truly captures the brilliant octogenarian.