Prof. Damodaran was born to Divan Bahadur P S G Rangaswamy Naidu and Krishnammal on 20 February 1914. His schooling began in an elementary school in Peelamedu; he continued his education at Sarvajana High School, established by the PSG Charity Trust. His intermediate studies were at Government Arts College, Coimbatore in Mathematics. He completed B.Sc (Electrical Engineering) and B.Sc (Mechanical Engineering) in King's College, New Castle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Although not gregarious, Damodaran found it easy to make friends and took to the English way of life – especially its delicately flavored cuisine.
In Knowing that the world revels in the joy of learning, the learned will seek more learning themselves
Mahatma Gandhi once remarked: ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world.’
The said quotes best befits none other than G R Damodaran fondly known as GRD, who devoted his entire life to the cause of education. Unlike his immediate relatives who ventured into successful businesses, GRD dared to look beyond the horizon and toiled single-heartedly to convert his vision into reality--he set out to create institutions of excellence, mentor faculty and students and sculpt policies and guidelines for imparting quality education, which transformed generations to come.
The dramatic changes that he wished to bring about in the social milieu through modern education grounded in the science and technology have not only become reality, but have also transformed the very face of Coimbatore. The Single- minded efforts and dedication of this son of soil have helped the city transform from a backward district in India into an entrepreneurial city and an emerging metropolis, with its diverse industries and educational institutions. It was the educational innovations that he initially experimented with at PSG Institutions that found both acceptance and emulation at the state and national levels.