M. V. Raghavan (popularly known as MVR) was a veteran politician and visionary founder of multi-sectoral cooperative enterprises in Kerala, transforming industrial, healthcare, and rubber processing sectors through cooperative models.
- May 5, 1933 – November 9, 2014
- Primary education in Kannur, Kerala
- Parents: Son of Shri Sankaran Nambiar and Smt. Thambai Amma.
- Place of Origin: Born in Pappinisseri, Kannur district, Kerala.
- Family: Married to C. V. Janaki; survived by three sons and one daughter.
- Founder and Chairman of the Kerala State Co-operative Rubber Marketing Federation (RUBCO)
- Founder of Pappinisseri Co-operative Hospital
- Key organizer and leader of Kerala Dinesh Beedi Workers' Central Co-operative Society
- Built RUBCO into a multi-state commercial enterprise in rubber processing, furniture, and value-added manufacturing, creating steady employment for thousands across Southern India.
- Pioneered the cooperative healthcare model by establishing cooperative hospital networks and medical educational institutions owned and managed by community trusts.
- Re-engineered industrial labor cooperatives to transition traditional workers (beedi, handloom, tile) into viable, self-sustaining cooperative enterprise structures.
- Oru Poovukku Varukila (Autobiography detailing his political journey, institutional achievements, and cooperative ideology)
- Commemorated through the annual M. V. Raghavan Memorial Cooperative Awards.
- Widely recognized across South India as one of the most effective institutional builders in the cooperative enterprise sector.