[2][3] His father, Sidhulu Chetty (సిద్ధులు శెట్టి), owned a large indigo, dye, and cloth business, and was the first Indian member of the Madras Chamber of Commerce.

When the American Civil War broke out, cotton trade was temporarily suspended between the United States of America and other countries.

On 2 October 1844, Chetty founded the Crescent, the first Indian-owned newspaper in the Madras Presidency for the "amelioration of the condition of Hindus".

This was severely condemned by the Hindu community of Madras who, under the leadership of Chetty, presented a memorial to the Governor on 09 April 1845.

Chetty presided over a protest meeting at the Pachaiyappa's College on 7 October 1846 in which it was resolved to send a memorandum to the Court of Directors of the British East India Company.

In 1853, the government once again tried to introduce the Bible into the educational curriculum, but its efforts were thwarted by George and John Bruce Norton and Chetty.

[8] Peasants in various parts of the Madras Presidency were often subjected to cruel punishments if they failed to pay taxes on time.

Sir Charles Wood, President of the India Board, responded by appointing a Torture Commission in September 1854, to investigate the conduct of revenue officials.

[4] Chetty established Madras Native Association in 1852 as a platform for educated Indians to protest against any injustice on the part of the British.

It was read out at the House of Lords on 25 February 1853 by the Earl of Ellenborough along with a petition from the inhabitants of Manchester that a minister and council for India be appointed and that they be made responsible directly to the British monarch.