Mr.G.K Rajagopalan, the erstwhile Managing Director of Lakshmi MillsSince Vijayeswari Textiles Limited was established in 1955, the company has grown from a small 10,000 spindle mill to a well modernised, high quality, 50,000 spindle, 100 percent combed cotton, super fine spinning mill. Throughout most of its history, this company has been managed by
Mr.G.K Rajagopalan, the erstwhile Managing Director of Lakshmi Mills
and the son of the founder of over Rs.10 billion Laksmi Group .
In the early 1990s, Mr. G.K Rajagopal, Chairman and Managing Director, decided to branch out on his own. Under his chairmanship are Vijayeswari Textiles, Lakshmi Apparels & Wovens, Coimbatore Laksmi Investment & Finance. The strong leadership and vision of Mr.G.K.Rajagopal has enabled the companies managed by him to achieve strong export performance and excellent returns for their stakeholders. This has always been achieved within a frame work of strict ethical standards and rock solid integrity . The vision will drive the Group towards excellence in the 21st century.
Vijayeswari Textiles Limited is a fine count (Avg count NE 90) spinning mill which exports over 50 percent of its output. The company's yarn has been very well received in Italy and Japan, its core markets. Vijayeswari has always emphasised long term customer satisfaction. To this end, the company has followed a consistent policy of investments in quality machinery.
The company has machinery from Rieter, Laksmi Machinery works, Murata, Zellwegfer Uster to make yarn that meets its customer’s standards. The company is now planning to start production of gassed mercerised yarns, the initial planning of this has already started. In the years to come, the company is planning to expand its capacity to 100,000 spindles in order to expand its count range . Currently the count range is NE 80 to NE 140
The company has also moved into the bed Linen sector with an initial investment of 12 wide width air jet looms from Picanol. This sector is expected to be enhanced to a capacity of 500,000 meters per month over the next three years and an anticipated turnover of Rs 600 million.
This company commenced operation in 1991 as a commission weaver for Lakshmi Mills and had an initial infrastructure consisting solely of shuttle looms. From 1993 the company stepped out on its own and started marketing a wide variety of fabrics, which was accompanied by the implementation of a modernisation programme.
First a fully - fledged modern in-house sizing and warping facility was installed. To take advantage of better preparation, the company installed rapier and air-jet looms.
The company now manufactures fabrics for the three distinct market sectors of gray, yarn and dyed and performance fabrics. The company’s present capacity is 0.5 million metres per month, this is planned to be systematically enhanced to 1 million metres per month by 1997, with further introductions of shuttleless looms. The company also has a garment unit equipped with modern sewing machinery .This unit specialises in dress shirts made from super fine cotton fabrics. The company has the capacity to manufacture 30,000 units per month.
Under the leadership of Mr. G.K Rajagopal and his family the group has charted out plans to be a major global player in the textile industry. Currently, the Group is on the look-out for like-minded partners in textiles to improve market share throughout the world. This will be the framework under which all future modernisation and diversification will take place.
The Group has already identified a project for the manufacture of 9 million sq.m per annum of fabrics comprising of yarn dyed shirtings, trouser weight fabrics, Jacquard and Dobby bed linen. Currently the Group is setting about finding technical partners for this venture. This project is expected to come on stream by end of 1998.
