Shri N.R. Swamy migrated from a small village in South India to Bombay, in search of a job in 1929, at the beginning of the Great Depression at the age of 16 and had just finished high school.
He began his career as a Stenographer – Typist, educated himself, and rose fast to a senior and responsible position in a large dominant multinational in the Chemical Industry, till he headed the Global Venture Trading section by 1938.Shri N.R. Swamy and his brother Shri. N.S. Iyengar (Rajan), were nominated to manage these large operations in India, during the difficult war years.

In late 1944 with his brother Shri. N.S. Iyengar, he started a Distribution / Agency company, with the initial branches in the United Kingdom, Bombay and then war torn Germany. He was a Founder of Ultramarine & Pigments Ltd and of Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd. All his life he was passionate about Education and learning and had great empathy for the poor and deprived.
Shri N.R. Swamy and Shri N.S. Iyengar were Founder-Trustees of the Thirumalai Charity Trust (TCT) and was on the Governing Council of the South Indian Welfare Society (SIWS) School for a long time.