In his hands, business flourished so well in different fields like Shipping agencies, Manufacturing, Insurance , General stores etc that he was aptly called the Midas from Tuticorin, who turned everything Gold. Whatever business he launched into showered him with abundance. The secret of this splendid success in business was attributed to the unbelievable unity among brothers; straight dealings ;his abundant kindness to his subordinates, and his affection and love for his fellow beings —especially for those who were in need and who were in suffering. A few who were earthly, attributed the phenomenal success to his stocky and impressive physical frame immaculate dress and matching moustache he sported.

I.X. Pereira’s love for his business was matched with his love for human beings in general. Particularly, he was touched by the suffering conditions of Indian Tamils who were at the mercy of colonial estate masters and British business houses. F X Pereira & Sons departmental store that was started by Francis Xavier Pereira in 1889 became a flourishing business that they expanded and moved to the above premises in First Cross Street (Colombo 11) in 1905. The family went on to introduce the first ‘Woolworth’s type departmental stores in Ceylon in 1937.

Recognising the yeomen services he has rendered to Tamil community, Lord Willingdon Viceroy of india conferred on him in 1934 the title of *Dewan Bahadur*. Considering his philanthropy and services to the church , His Holiness the Pope in 1946, invested on him the Papal Knighthood and made him the knight commander of Sylvester. In his political career he was always for a compromise on any issue. Sensing the dangers that would emerge in times to come for tamils, he remained abstaining in the voting when the house debated handing over Independence to Sinhalese majority.

He did not agree to the proposition of necessity of five years of continuous stay in Ceylon to merit Citizenship of Ceylon. He was also against the derogatory and humiliating conditions imposed for the certificate to be obtained for facilitating permanent settlement of Tamils in Ceylon. His argument, was being Tamils at next door, they can’t be expected to be glued to Ceylon when ships sailed to anf fro and when families remained in British India. On this score as well as for seeking representations in Donoughmore Commission he met the Secretary of Colonies,in London. At times his detractors spread the canard that he spoke for the Tamil Mercantile community, and not for the plantation community of Tamils. This is far from truth. He spoke in support of beleaguered plantation Tamils whenever the estate management inveigled them into Criminal cases of trespass, instead of cases under Labour laws and afforded, to a certain, considerable amelioration to their suffering. He also spoke for schools for them with native language as medium of instruction in the estates when estate establishments were winding them up.During his 23 years of public and political life, he was elected to serve on many committees.

He was

1. Member , Port commission.

2. Member , Board of Indian immigration labour.

3. Member, war council,

4. President, Indian Club,

5. . Vice president, Ceylon Tamil congress,

6. President, Indian mercantile chamber,

7. Member, Select draft group that merged Ceylon Tamil Congress with Ceylon National congress.

When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Ceylon to bring unity among Indians in Ceylon who were pursuing different policies in different formations,he visited I.X.Pereira’s, Vajira road residence, for dinner and it is said that he got the neighbours ‘compound knocked off to accommodate the crowd to afford dharshan of Pandit Nehru.

After Independence, he was offered a place in the Ceylon senate. But he declined. He passed away on 21 st July 1951, when he was 63 years old. To commemorate his birth centenary, in1988, a stamp was issued, by the postal department Srilanka; and subsequently, a street in Pettah, Colombo was named after him. A photograph of I.X. Pereira adorns the wall of parliament in Sri Jayawardanapura. Sitting middle of the photo is Mr. I.X.others are his brothers .