The Gounder caste is a progressive caste which has excellent personae in various fields. The Coimbatore region flourishes mainly due to their innovation and hardwork in Agriculture, textiles (Salem, Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur and Karur), Education (Namakkal, Coimbatore, Salem), Poultry Namakkal), Automobiles (Namakkal, Salem), Bus body building (Karur), Milk (Erode Aavin), Edible Oils (Erode), Turmeric (Erode has the largest market in South India) and Marketing of Cloths (Erode 24 hours market in every week). Kongunadu has the highest urban proportion and contributes 2/3rd of Tamilnadu's income. Gounders always formed part of all ministeries with strategic portfolios earlier and now they have been relegated to third rate minstries and now are at a distance from "real" political power! When Rajaji was the Cm, he is said to have told people that he has three Gounder ministers just because Gounders are honest and committed. The population of Gounders is rapidly falling due to birth control and emigration of youth is seen as a possible source by which the caste is bound to disappear in the near future.
Sekkizhar - minister of Kulottunga who compiled 'Periyapuranam', a treatise on Saivite saints.(There is a graphic description of his life and how he came to write this magnum opus is narrated in a 14th cent Tamil work Thiruttoṇḍar-purāṇa-varalāru. Sekkiḻār who belongs to an agriculturist family of Veḷḷaḷar, rose to be the Chief-minister to the Choḻa emperor Kulottuṅga II.
The work ascribed to Umāpati Śivam of 14th cent gives two significant titles of Sekkiḻār.He is called "Gaṅgā-kula-tilaka" (verse -59) and "Bhāgīrati-kula-Tilaka") http://www.tamilartsacademy.com/journals/volume5/articles/article4.xml
Thiruvennai Nallur Sadayappa Vallal - (patron of Kambar) referred as Pannai kulathu Kongar kon in Ramavatharam (Kamba Ramayanam)
P. Subbarayan - Premier of Madras Presidency (1926 - 1930), served in the cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru.
C. Subramaniam (1910 - 2000) - Former Union Minister, Deputy chairperson of the planning commission, Bharat Ratna Awardee(1998) and father of the Indian Green Revolution.
Mohan Kumaramangalam - Eminent lawyer, former Union Minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet and Communist leader.
Rangarajan Kumaramangalam - Eminent lawyer, former Union Minister and Congress/BJP leader.
T.M. Kaliyannan Gounder - Former MP (member of Constituent Assembly), Ex MLA,Ex MLC, Former Vice President of TNCC.
N.K.K. Periasamy - Former Provincial Minister for Pollution Control and Textiles, currently serving as State secretary for DMK Farmers union.
Kovai Chezian - Prominent politician.
C.P. RadhaKrishnan - Former MP(Coimbatore), Tamilnadu BJP leader.
Thambidurai - Former MP & Deputy Speaker of Loksabha.
K.N. Palanisamy Gounder - Service oriented Leader of Congress Party, Ex MLA, Chairman of Tirupur.
M. Kannappan - A staunch supporter of Vaiko and treasurer of MDMK.
Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan - Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
C. Ponnaian - Minister in the MGR and successive ADMK governments.
Pongalur N. Palanisamy - Minister for Rural Industries (Tamilnadu).
K. Subbarayan - CPI 's state leader and great orator.
S. Muthusamy - Former Minister of Tamilnadu, under Dr M G Ramachandran's leadership.
K.A. Sengottaiyan - Former Minister of Tamilnadu, under J.Jayalalitha's leadership.
NKKP. Raaja - Minister of Handlooms, Erode Constituency MLA.
Muthur Saminathan - Won three times in legislative assembly elections in Tamilnadu and became state highway minister.
C.K. Kuppusamy - Member of Parliament from Coimbatore Constituency for three terms and Mass leader.
Durai Ramasamy - Former Minister, represented Vellakovil legislative constituency for five consecutive times.
Mullai Vendhan (Morapur) - Former Minister in the state Cabinet.
Dato' Subramaniam - Former MIC Deputy President (Malaysia).
K.S. Ramasamy Gounder (Koogalur, Gobi) - Ex Central Minister.
M. Cinnusamy Gounder, (Karur) - Ex.Industrial Minister, Ex.M.P, Ex.MLA.(AIADMK).
K. Vadivel Gounder,(Karur) - Ex.MLA (AIADMK).
Mr. V. Senthil Balaij (Karur) - MLA.,(AIADMK).
Vasuki Murugesan, (Karur) -Ex.MLA (DMK).
R. Devarajan - Leader - Kongu Nadu Makkal Katchi.
Su. Duraisamy - Labour leader.
M. SelviMurugesan - Ex MLA (AIADMK) of Tamil nadu (2001-2006).
P.C. Ramasamy - Former Minister for Hindu religious rights and Charitable endowments, Tamilnadu.
Mr. C. Sivasamy - Ex.MLA - Tirupur.
S.K. Kaarventhan B.sc.,BL - Congress MP-Bar Council Member, Dharapuram.
