A Foundation of Her Own: Remembering Dhanalakshmi Sivakannan

Amaravathi Textiles began in an earlier generation, in a town where weaving was already part of daily life. But its direction, discipline, and ambition were shaped in no small part by Dhanalakshmi Sivakannan.

Dhanalakshmi grew up in Karur in the 1960s. Her early schooling began at St. Francis Convent in Coimbatore. Travel was rare then, but the world was not entirely distant. Peace Corps volunteers from the United States visited her father’s home, and the sisters at St. Francis were among the first foreigners she encountered. Those early interactions widened her worldview.

Karur was already a weaving hub. Many families farmed during the rainy season and wove textiles for additional income. Her father’s business, which would become Amaravathi Textiles, grew from this ecosystem. After her marriage, she and her husband joined this budding enterprise. There was no formal blueprint to transform it. She began by working, learning, and gradually taking responsibility.

In the 1980s and beyond, she travelled widely for trade fairs and customer meetings across Moscow, Paris, Montreal, Australia, and Germany. She was often the only woman in the room. Production at the time was largely manual, consistency was difficult to maintain, and deadlines were treated loosely. She insisted on standards. Amaravathi Textiles, in her view, had to be known for good quality and good design.

Travel was demanding. Sample bags were heavy. Foreign exchange restrictions were tight. Allowances were limited, and the trips lasted weeks. There were days she managed with very little. Yet she continued.

Her ambition for the company was clear. She wanted to move beyond wholesalers and work with larger-name retailers. She believed in strengthening weaving and dyeing capabilities and in gradually introducing mechanisation. Growth, for her, was not about scale alone. It was about credibility.

In Karur, her leadership drew attention. A woman travelling internationally, negotiating with buyers, and setting timelines was not common at the time. Some were surprised. Many women in the community saw in her an example of what was possible. She was bold, forthright, and decisive. If something needed to be said, she said it plainly. Those who worked with her also knew that she took care of her people and stood by them.

Her journey was never solitary. Her father and husband supported her. The joint family helped raise the children when she travelled. Her brothers assisted in the business. She moved between factory floors and international exhibitions without abandoning either world.

Today, Amaravathi Textiles stands on decades of steady work shaped by her clarity and discipline. The insistence on quality, the respect for design, and the understanding that delivery builds reputation continue to guide the business. Oodaii, as the next chapter of that journey, carries forward the same belief that textiles must be made with intention and integrity.

This Women’s Day, we honour Dhanalakshmi Sivakannan and the strength she brought to shaping a legacy that continues to evolve.