The Man With The Golden Touch

 

TS Kalyanaraman, Chairman of Kalyan Jewelers, was born in Tissue, Seetharamaiyer town. His family has been in business for 112 years. It was his grandfather, T. Kalyanaramaiyer, who left the priesthood for the first time and became a businessman. The decision to start a business was made in response to a call from one of the eldest relatives of the clan, who was a Dewan of the Maharaja of Kochi, who believed that "enterprise and business are necessary to create job opportunities and make India self-sufficient". ". He believed that "business should be fair for a social purpose and not just for personal reasons".

The group still adheres to the founding principles of its ancestors, which explains the group's strong foundation in fair and ethical business practices. Kalyanaraman started learning the trade from his father at the age of twelve, helping his father in his fabric shop. He later joined Sree Kerala Varma College and studied commerce. He opened his first jewelry store called Kalyan Jewelers in Thrissur City in 1993 with a modest capital of Rs 75 lakh.

Today, with a turnover of 1.4 billion dollars, the private company which counts as a key investor the American investment fund Warburg Pincus, has a total of 117 showrooms, including 89 in India and 28 in the countries from the Middle East of the Emirates. Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait.TS Kalyanaraman recently spoke to The Kerala Explorer and tells us what makes him a force to be reckoned with. You are known to be one of the richest and most successful businessmen in Kerala. What do you attribute your success to?

Honesty and trust are the hallmarks that set us apart. When we entered the jewelry industry in 1993, we set out to bring transparency to an opaque and largely disorganized industry. We have focused our attention on educating customers on how to derive value from their purchase. We introduced detailed price tags, a practice unheard of at the time. Furthermore, we were also among the first to introduce the BIS certification for gold jewelry.

It kept us in a good position and people started to trust us. Today, Kalyan Jewelers has become one of India's largest and most trusted brands. We continue to adhere to the founding principles of our ancestors to pursue fair and ethical business practices. You're on the Forbes rich list, how did you feel when this news first came out? The titles are just a reflection of the good work we have done in this area. We now have the added responsibility to do better and do more to set new benchmarks and focus on customer service excellence.

"When we entered the jewelry business in 1993, we set out to bring transparency to an opaque and largely disorganized industry. How was your childhood? Who influenced you the most? I was raised in a close-knit family, and my childhood was like any other.I played cricket and shuttle with my neighborhood brothers and friends. I took music lessons and performed in school plays. Social evenings, then and now, are a family affair. Our family temple and the festivals that surround it are central to everything we do, even today. I was an average student and loved going to the store with my dad, which I had done a lot since I was 12. It influenced me a lot.

In the book The Consolidators, the author mentions that your father took you to his fabric store when you were a 12-year-old boy going to school, offering you a Masala Dosa at the end of the day. It's true? When we were at school, my father used to take my brothers and me to the store during the holidays. It was our first introduction to the business world.I would say that business has since become part of my system. Being the eldest, I was taken to the store first. When I was 12, my father put me in charge of the fund. He watched as I collected money from clients, and if I miscalculated, he corrected me. And on the days when I was fine, I was treated with a Masala Dosa.

I was never forced to join the company, for me, it was just a natural progression. What was it like growing up in the cultural city of Thrissur? Did nature and the environment play a role in shaping your personality? Living in the city of temples has its own charm.I grew up observing classic Kerala art forms such as Kathakali, Chakiyar Koothu, Mohiniyattam and also attending the famous Thrissur Pooram parties.

I grew up in a family that believed in raising children not only in the three Rs but also in art, music and culture, so I was trained in classical music from an early age. How to relax after a day of work? I am a family man. We finish work at 8 p.m. and don't bring anything home. I consider work as a pleasure. I don't let it become a cause of stress. When I'm not working, I like to be at home with my family. In the morning, I do yoga and spend

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