Thiru. S. Kumaraswamy was born on 12 October 1897 to Thiru. Sastha and Tmt. Sivakamy at Vadasery. As he hailed from a traditional and conservative family, with minimum formal education, he had to begin his career as a weaver first, a shop assistant next and a bus driver until he happened to break a new ground.

His ingenuity coupled with determination helped bring out entrepreneurial skill in him. With the support of his two brothers, Thiru Nellaippan and Thiru Nagamoni, he engaged in almost all start-up ventures in the town. The companies they started and administered successfully ranged from transport to textile.

Their Champion Motor Service, named subsequently as Pioneer Bus Service, operated first from Nagercoil to Trivandrum, and then from Tirunelveli to Kanyakumari. They were successful in this new venture and continued to be in the transport field until the Travancore Government nationalized the transport services. Thiru S. Kumaraswamy succeeded in getting the out agency for Southern Railways, when there was no rail service in the region.

Commercial crops were introduced by Thiru. S. Kumaraswamy and his brothers. This successful experiment was undertaken in their estate located at Thadikkarankonam, nearly 20 km away from Nagercoil. Palkulam Estates Ltd. was developed successfully by them. At first, tapioca and plantains were planted. It was believed that rubber trees would not be profitable in this region. Yet Thiru S. Kumaraswamy dared to take risk and planted them in his estate. As he expected, there arose a great demand for rubber after the Second World War. As the latex from their estate proved to be of high quality, Pioneer brothers earned a good name and fame.

Thiru S. Kumaraswamy started Nagercoil Electric Supply Corporation in 1934. The Travancore State Government issued him license for distributing electricity for 55 years. Although, he found it difficult to get permission from the Municipal Chairman to install Nagercoil street lights, he succeeded in his attempt later. In 1956, it was also nationalized but compensation was provided.

Thiru. S. Kumaraswamy was a man of thinking and planning for years ahead. The establishment of the Pioneer Charcoal Gas Production Works in 1942 in Madras was an example. Earlier, small gas generators were produced in the Pioneer workshop at Nagercoil. When shortage of petrol occurred during the Second World War, these gas generators, fitted at the back of a vehicle, helped the people all over the State to tide over the crisis. This innovative deed was duly recognized and the Director of Industries of Madras State issued a Certificate of Commendation to him. The innovation of Thiru Kumaraswamy was quoted by the then President of India, Thiru. V. V. Giri, while he was laying the foundation stone for Pioneer Kumaraswamy College building in the existing premises.

Thiru. S. Kumaraswamy in collaboration with the government of British India imparted technical training to the students during the Second World War. It was named “War Technical Scheme”. Several buildings were constructed and students got stipend from the government. After the War, the buildings were used as the Technical Training Centre under the government with Thiru. S. Kumaraswamy as its Principal during 1942 – 50. The government paid the salary and the stipend to the staff and students. The Pioneer Kumaraswamy College, founded in 1967, was initially housed in these buildings.

After obtaining heavy industry license from the government, Thiru. S. Kumaraswamy imported machineries from Toyota, Japan to establish a Cotton spinning mill, the first of its kind in the Kanyakumari District in 1958. He named it after his beloved wife Tmt. Nagammal.

Thiru Kumaraswamy’s untimely death on the 18th of October 1960 came as a great shock not only to his family but to the people of the entire southern region.

By dint of hard work, he had become the first and the foremost industrialist of this region. The greatness of his peerless life is the result of his supreme sense of work ethics and deep devotion to duty.