Mr. A Nagarajan formally founded Anil Foods in 1984. Mr. A. Nagarajan was unable to complete the 10th grade and began his career as a shop assistant at a wholesale grocery shop. He worked for 15 years and was known for his diligence, initiative, and dependability. 

A Vermicelli manufacturing facility was on the verge of closing due to its enormous debts. Mr. A. Nagarajan's current employer offered him a chance to turn things around.

Mr. A. Nagarajan had no knowledge of the Vermicelli manufacturing process, but he was willing to take the plunge because he had always desired to do something independently.

Mr. A. Nagarajan was in his forties, but he possessed the vigour and vitality of a young man. When he attempted to sell vermicelli products in the Dindukal market, the market was immature and there was not a great deal of demand. Mr. A. Nagarajan was confident that Vermicelli as a category has great potential; all that was required was a slight shift in consumer perception. His initial understanding for the low demand for vermicelli products was that they are time-consuming to prepare. He came up with the concept of roasting it, which had an immediate effect on the market. Anil brand was the first in its industry to offer roasted vermicelli, thereby saving a substantial amount of time to cook them. The Anil brand of Semiya was an instant success, and Mr. A. Nagarajan was eager to educate customers about his vermicelli roasted product.

In those days, marketing and advertising were unheard of, but Mr. A. Nagaran used every available method to reach customers. Colombo radio was an extremely popular radio station, and there he advertised the roasted vermicelli category. He then employed conventional wall paint advertising.

His customer outreach began to bear fruit, and demand for the product skyrocketed. As the quality and convenience of their roasted Anil vermicelli became increasingly apparent, they began to attract repeat customers.

He desired assistance to expand the retail presence in order to satisfy customer demand. He requested his eldest son, Mr Kamal Hassan, join the business. Mr. Kamal Hassan had to leave college in the middle of his studies to assist his father in business.

Mr. Kamal Hassan's entrance into the business enabled Mr. A. Nagarajan to focus on expansion. By appointing dealers, distributors, and stockists, they continuously expanded their geographical reach and added new product categories to their portfolio.

His second son Mr. Sugumar N completed his MBA in 1999. In addition, he completed a postgraduate programme in Raw milling technology at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore. Mr. Sugumar N pursued an opportunity to independently operate a milling business beginning in 2000.

In the meantime, Anil foods was expanding and becoming a household name. Mr. A. Nagarajan believed that the potential for the Anil Brand was substantial, so in 2008 he asked Mr. Sugumar N to join Anil Foods. Anil Foods at that time had a revenue of Rs 70 crores.

Mr. Sugumar's entrance into the business introduced a new source of vitality. Mr. Sugumar realised that in order to take the brand to the next level, they must adopt a more professional approach to their work.

Initially, there was considerable resistance, and not all of Mr. Sugumar's ideas are accepted. Mr. Sugumar realised that he must move slowly and cautiously. He persuaded his father to hire an experienced Area Sales Manager. Within a few months of being appointed, the order book began to expand. Consequently, they added more sales executives, resulting in a high-performing sales team.

To satisfy the increased demand, production capacity had to be increased. The organisation hired a production manager. They established a product development and quality assurance team. New leaders have been developed, and they have been given the authority to make decisions.

In 2016, Mr. Sugumar N oversaw the total rebranding of Anil Foods. They recruited the famous actor Vijay Sethupathi to represent their brand. They positioned Anil Foods prominently in the breakfast category. This greatly increased the visibility of the Anil Brand, and Anil foods spread throughout all of Tamil Nadu. Anil Brand gained substantial ground in the markets of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh too.

They have always invested their profits back into the business, and all of their expansion has been financed by internal accruals. They are completely debt-free.

Anil Foods has surpassed the Rs 250 crore mark and has set targets of Rs 500 crores by 2028 and Rs 1000 Crores by 2033.

Mr. Kamal Hassan and Mr. Sugumar carried on their father's legacy. 

The growth pillars of Anil Foods have been: 1. consistent work on new product categories by meticulously developing differentiators, 2. the maintenance of consistency and quality standards, 3. Keeping an open mind regarding new branding and advertising opportunities,

and 4: maintaining the utmost financial discipline.