Janab A.Thangal Kunju Musaliar was born in a middle class family at the ancestral home of his parents at Kollam on 12th January 1897. His family proudly trace their ancestry to Malik ibu Deenar, a legendary Islamic missionary who came to India in the 8th century. Another ancestor of the later generation was Sheikh Ali Hassan Musaliar entombed in the Sheikh Masjid at Karunagappally, Kollam. Janab Musaliar is being the 12th in the line after him.

 The name Thangal Kunju Musaliar conjures up the memories of an era, when Kerala dominated the cashew export trade in the 1940s and 50s. He was a pioneer in this field who built up a vast business empire through impeccable planning and its systematic implementation and played a pivotal role in contributing the much – needed foreign exchange to the Nation.

By 1940, he had the unique distinction of being one of the world’s renowned employers. In 1950, while at the peak of his business career, Janab Musaliar became preoccupied with new thoughts, of , how best he could provide education to the new generation for the better development of the society. As a man of extra ordinary vision he foresaw the tremendous importance of education in the years to come. He was a successful industrialist, philanthropist and a great visionary.
He earnestly upheld humanitarian values and laid the foundation of professional education in Kerala by establishing the TKM College Trust in the year 1956 and the first private Engineering college ie the T.K.M College of Engineering in the year 1958. He also established the T.K.M College of Arts & Science in 1965. Janab Musaliar passed away on 19th February 1966.

The trust has the heritage of holding up firmly the values of late Janab Thangal Kunju Musaliar. The TKM Institute of Management was then established in the year 1995 in a new campus at Musaliar Hills, Karuvelil near Cheerankavu, Ezhukone, Kollam. T.K.M School of Communication and Information Technology in 1996. The T.K.M Centenary Public School in 1997. T.K.M High School and T.K.M Higher Secondary School were added in 2000. The TKM Institute of Technology in 2002 at the new campus at Ezhukone, Kollam.

Today we see the success of a visionary statesman and multifaceted personality, the late Janab A. Thangal Kunju Musaliar, who full-filled his dream of uplifting the society primarily through education. The life of Thangal Kunju Musaliar exemplifies greatness in its true sense. Several of his initiatives,innovation and achievements in trade,industry and education have assumed prophetic characters in the changing national and global scenario.