New Delhi, April 12 -- Among the titans of Indian business, RM Alagappa Chettiar shimmers with a distinct luminescence for his legacy of nation building and philanthropy. His name echoes through the vibrant tapestry of South Indian commerce as well as the hallowed halls of educational institutions.

Born on April 6, 1909 into the Nattukottai Chettiar community with a father who was a successful banker, he could have remained just a product of his inheritance. But Alagappa went on to craft his destiny, which he understood not as simply making money and consuming it ferociously but as the empowerment of future minds in India.

Growing up in Kottaiyur in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district, his intellectual curiosity yearned for horizons beyond ...