TVS. Indians who own a two-wheeler from this company are all smiles when they hear this name. Indians know that this manufacturer is known for making amazingly practical, refined, fuel-efficient and value-for-money two-wheelers, specially designed for Indians, and Indians only! Plus, don’t think that TVS makes boring two-wheelers only! TVS has options in store for the power and performance-hungry enthusiasts as well, while being a practical and value-for-money option! After all, this manufacturer claims that it has a racing heritage, because of which the performance-oriented TVS bikes deserve to be ridden on the racetrack, because they are built for it. But what is the history of this amazing Indian manufacturer that is a jack of all trades? How did it come to life? How did it become India’s favorite two-wheeled manufacturer?
So well, what does TVS stand for? TVS is short for the name of the man that started it all, Thirukkurungudi Vengaram Sundram Iyengar or T.V. Sundram Iyengar. Long name, right? Anyways, he was an Indian industrialist and automobile pioneer. He had humble beginnings as a lawyer, but he grew into one of the most successful industrialists of the time. In 1911, he founded T.V. Sundram Iyengar and Sons, a bus company which later diversified into automobile production and emerged as the parent company of the TVS group, one of India’s biggest business conglomerates. The flagship company of the group is TVS Motors established by his son T.S. Doraiswamy. He laid foundation for the road transport industry in the erstwhile Madras Presidency through the state’s first bus service. The current TVS that we know is an Indian multinational automotive company that manufactures motorcycles, scooters and three-wheelers headquartered in Chennai. It is the third largest motorcycle company in India with a revenue of over rs.20000 crore.
But, let’s get back to the history part. How exactly did TVS get to bikes and scooters? Well, the company set up a plant at Hosur in 1976, because they had started manufacturing mopeds. In 1980, TVS 50, India’s first two-seater moped rolled out of the factory at Hosur in Tamil Nadu, India. TVS collaborated with Suzuki to produce motorcycles. This is how TVS started making motorcycles.
With Suzuki, TVS made many two-stroke motorcycles like the Suzuki Shogun, the Samurai and the Shaolin. These two-wheelers were so good for the time, that people from that generation appreciate it today as well, and those bikes’ performance is good according to today’s standards as well! They are as respected by elders as the Chetak and the RX100. In 2001, TVS left Suzuki and became an individual company that manufactured the two-wheelers that we know and love today.
Well, this is the story of TVS. India’s favorite two-wheeler. By the way, they manufacture rickshaws as well!
