The 51st Annual General Meeting of the SIMA Cotton Development & Research Association (SIMA CD & RA) was held at the SIMA premises in Coimbatore on September 22.
At the first Council Meeting held immediately after the AGM, Dr. S. K. Sundararaman, Managing Director, Shiva Texyarn Limited, Coimbatore, was unanimously re-elected Chairman of SIMA CD & RA for 2026-27.
Dr. Sundararaman holds an MBBS degree and a Master’s degree in Business Management from Cambridge University, UK. He is the Managing Trustee of the Firebird Institute of Research & Management and is associated with the technical textiles and technical education sectors.
He served as Chairman of The Southern India Mills’ Association, Coimbatore, from 2023 to 2025. He was also Chairman of CII, Coimbatore, Educational Convenor of CII, Tamil Nadu, and former Chairman of the Indian Technical Textile Association. He has been associated with various business forums at the national level.
Durai Palanisamy, Executive Director, Pallava Textiles P Limited, Erode, was unanimously re-elected Deputy Chairman for 2026-27. He holds an MBA in International Business from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Textile Technology from PSG College of Technology.
He is Vice-President of CII, Erode Zone, and a member of the Committee of Administration of the Manmade and Technical Textiles Export Promotion Council (MATEXIL). He is currently Chairman of The Southern India Mills’ Association, Coimbatore.
S. Krishnakumar, Managing Director, Sulochana Cotton Spg Mills P Ltd., Tiruppur, was unanimously re-elected Vice-Chairman for 2026-27.
He holds a B.A. in Psychology from P.S.G. Arts College, Coimbatore, and entered the business in the late 1980s. He is involved in various CSR activities and has contributed to tree-planting initiatives, with his organisation having planted 1.5 million trees in Tiruppur, including 30,000 trees within its mill premises.
He is the Deputy Chairman of The Southern India Mills’ Association, Coimbatore.
