Background

1961 Moved to Sweden

In 1961 the young Indian agronome (MSc) named Mahendra Pal Singh came to Sweden after research in Denmark, England and Germany. In Sweden he starts to research in diary in south of Sweden. In 1962 he met Marianne Andersson which became his wife 1964.

1964 Started Import of Silk

The same year the couple moved to Uppsala where Mahendra completed his PhD. at Uppsala University. Simultainsly Mahendra started to import silk fabrics from India to sell to neighbours and friends. 1966 the big interest for his products made Mahendra think of forming a company “Singh International” to expand his ideas.

1967 A company was born

1967 Mahendra and his wife were invited to the local Rotary club. There they met a bank manager which came from the same area in Sweden (Skåne) as Marianne. The couple told the bank manager of Mahendra’s plan of opening a textile company. The bank manager than told that he knew a person who had similar ideas and it will be a good idea if they will meet. A few days later Mahendra was invited to the bank manger and he was introduced to Sven Kempe. Sven had at that time been to India and had plans to open a shop in Uppsala where he could sell Indian handicrafts.

The two gentlemen became good friends and decided to start a wholesale business and formed the company “South India Import AB” in 1967 and opened their first office in H-centrum and a warehouse at Salabacksgatan.


Singh and Kempe family pictue

1968 Production of Silk Started

Mahendra went to India 1968 to start production of silk in Mumbai and Bangalore.


Mahendra, Marianne with children in silk production centre

1969 Opened an Export House in Delhi

Mahendra had a younger brother and 5 younger sisters. 1969 together with his brother and four of his brother in-laws opened an office in Delhi and forming the company South India export import and South India textile Ltd. The office in Delhi was meant to act as an export house and checking centre where all the goods were quality controled before sent to Sweden.



1969 Production of Cotton Started

Sven had from his earlier travel to India learnt a man in Tirupur, Mr. A. Palaniswamy who together with his elder brother Pirimal was yarn traders. Mahendra became very good friend to Pirimal and the two decided to invest money to put up a production centre for cotton in Tirupur, this business became an adition to the silk production in Bangalore and Mumbai. The cotton fabrics were produced and also sent to the checking centre in Delhi before going to Sweden.


Left picture: Mahendra and Pirimal
Right Picture: Mahendra in the production center

1970 The Success was a fact

Mahendra was now a shareholder and Managing Director for the corperation and worked to develop the market in Sweden, Europe and USA and also traveled to India several times every year as in charge of the production, and his brother and the brother in-laws were handling the production when Mahendra was not in place. Early 70’s the company had grown into a majour business, with 600 weavers working in India. In Sweden the company moved into a new office at Hansellisgatan 6. The intention was that Mahendra will take over all shares in the company by the year of 1976 through an option program.



1970 Production of Garment started

During the same time frame Mahendra met the young fashion designer Niels Martinsen (Inwear) from Denmark who was running a smaller fashion company. Together they decided to develop his company to a large fashion house and move his production to India. A factory with 200 stichers was started in India to produce fashion garments and under garments.


Left Picture: Mahendra and Niels Martinsen, Agra, India
Right Picture: Ranjeet Singh, Swarn Singh, Kirsten Teisner, Niels Martinsen, Mohinder Singh

1974 Mahendra unexpectedly past away

Mahendra unexpectedly past away 1974, a few months earlier Pirimal had died in a motorcycle accident and the biggest tradegy in the Singh family's history was a fact. Mahendra’s brother in-law moved to Sweden with his family to help Sven. Several years later South India Import AB changed name to Linum AB.

1986 The shares in the Swedish Wholesale business is sold

Marianne sold her and Mahendra’s share in Linum 1986.

1987-2002 Export World Wide

Since the selling of the shares in the Swedish wholesale busines, South India Export Import has been run by the Singh family and mainly focused on production and export to Denmark, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Kuwait, USA and Canada but also to some extent to Sweden and Finland. Largest business they have been developing in Germany, Holland and USA.

2003 New company name

2003 The company introduce the new name "SOUTHTEX". The Company is owned by Globe Invest, a company investing in the Indian growth market.


A. Singh, textile fair 2003