In the early 20th Century, Mr. Das Gupta set up a Match
Factory in Calcutta with small semiautomatic Japanese machines,
frames and gadgets imported from Japan. He made some
experiments with Colour Matches, and also produced some gerbs,
fountains and large size crackers.
At that time, two enterprising young men, Mr. A Shanmuga Nadar
and Mr. Ayya Nadar (cousin brothers, both now deceased), set out
to Calcutta on business, where they stumbled upon the small
Japanese match factory next to the lodge they stayed in.
These two gentlemen toyed with a few match sticks there,
brought with them a few materials and attempted to make
their first matches in Sivakasi.
The idea of match making mooted them to make Colour Matches
also, because the processes were more or less similar. During
this period, Colour Matches and Star Matches were imported
from Germany. Books on chemistry helped them to improve the
quality of their products. Slowly they got organized and
stabilized the production.
Then onwards many people started safety matches production
and today about 3500 Match works are situated in and around
Sivakasi. Nearly 30,000 persons are directly employed.
The market for safety matches grows at the rate of 10% per annum.