S. A. Raja

S.A. Raja served the Indian Armed Forces, received engineering and management education while serving the military, became an entrepreneur after his retirement, succeeded in civil construction business in Saudi Arabia and returned to India and established educational institutions.

His father inherited a textile shop from his grandfather Arulappa Pillai who ran a successful store in the village of Vadakkankulam in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.

After he retired from the armed forces in 1970, he returned to his native village Vadakkankulam and tried unsuccessfully to start up a few businesses.

He had also joined the Indian National Congress Party but ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate in the Thiruchendur parliamentary constituency in 1977.

Subsequently, he established several colleges of engineering, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, medicine, arts and science, and schools and remained the Chairman of the Rajas Group of Institutions till his death.