The Ramaraju Surgical Cotton Mills Ltd

The Ramaraju Surgical Cotton Mills Ltd., originally called The Surgical Cotton Mills Ltd. before its name changed in June 1943, is part of the Ramco Group and, alongside the wider group's cement, roofing and construction business, manufactures cotton and specialised yarns. Its wound-care range includes absorbent cotton wool, cotton wool balls, zigzag-pleated cotton wool and absorbent gauze for dressing wounds, as well as cotton wool for cleaning and applying medication. The mills were set up in Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu, in 1939 to take advantage of locally grown cotton, following the 1935 establishment of Rajapalayam Mills Ltd. — together, the two played a meaningful part in shifting the region from an agrarian to a more industrial economy. The company is one of the primary manufacturers of absorbent cotton, gauze, bandages and related wound-care supplies in South India, turning out about 1.5 million square metres of bandage and gauze products and roughly 125 tonnes of medical-grade bleached cotton every month. Over time, the business has also expanded into spinning and weaving, producing cotton yarn and fine textiles used for shirting, bed linen and Jacquard fabric — with monthly output running to close to 400 tonnes of open-end yarn and a similar amount of superfine-count ring-spun yarn.