When World War II was at its peak, Idlis and Vadas became items of luxury. Rice, Pongal, and Uppuma were the staple fare in those days. If someone wanted to treat themselves to piping hot sambar-soaked idlis or masala dosas, the only option during the wars was to visit Bombay Anand Bhavan.

Those were the days when the grinding stone apparatus was fixed to the ground, and the homemakers used to chat away while grinding the batter for dosas or idlis. In fact, there were many “Akkas” who used to visit houses exclusively for the purpose of grinding batter, and they were paid in money and batter. The homemakers used to plan their social visits and outings based on the visit of these Akkas.

The drudgery accompanied with the production of idli or dosa batter came to an end with the arrival of the “Grinder,” courtesy one Sabapathy from Coimbatore. The revolution of sorts, brought in by Sabapathy, the wet grinder pioneer, continues to offer enormous employment opportunities to thousands of Coimbatoreans. Sabapathy can rightfully be called the Father of modern wet-grinder. Subsequently, it was Krishnamurthy, of Lakshmi Grinders, who introduced wet grinders into the commercial market. Immediately hotels, restaurants, affluent households, and batter-making outfits became his customers. The wet-grinder became an electrical appliance to be cherished. It made life so much easier for the womenfolk. Parents felt mighty pleased to give their daughter to a household which had one. Most often, they gifted this marvellous invention to their daughters at the time of marriage. Most recently, the humble wet-grinder became an electoral promise. Lakshmi Grinders became a household name which gave the ‘Grihalakshmis’ a bit of time for themselves.

The success of Lakshmi Grinders brought in competition, and many others joined the fray. It was time for another innovation. Santha Tilting Wet-grinder, by Duraiswamy, became the next runaway hit, for it became easier to remove the batter from the machine, without having to lift the heavy stone. Quickly, many Coimbatore-based manufacturers began to offer tilting grinders. Several entrepreneurs began producing parts and spares for the grinder industry. Among these, Balaji Motors, founded by N. Gopal, became very famous. The sturdy and reliable motors made by Balaji Motors gave long life to the grinders.

Innovation continued in the grinder segment in Coimbatore. L.G. Varadaraj (LGV), the multi-faceted entrepreneur who introduced the concept of corporate governance in this part of the country, created the table-top grinder, which further simplified the task of grinding batter for idlis and dosas.

LGV was a life-long innovator, and the ELGI Ultra Grind became an instant hit. It captured a huge market share and became the market leader. Later on, this lead and goodwill gave the company opportunities to introduce products like mixies and pressure cookers.

The ELGI Ultra Grind is quite popular with Non Resident Indians too, giving Coimbatore the moniker, ‘Grinder City.’