CHENNAI: Sixty years ago, the yellow metal that is now deeply entwined into the culture and traditions of most parts of south India, wasn’t displayed and sold in small shops, like today.
Even though, gold made its entry into the Kerala market as a valuable entity, it took a lot of time for it to become a commercial product that provided different options for the customers and adapted different designs to suit their needs, A history of gold and its proliferation as a business in Kerala was what welcomed everyone to the Apartment Hall of Park Hyatt, Velachery on Wednesday.
“Initially, gold was only sold at textile shops in a small counter. The people who wanted to buy ornaments would have to consult the goldsmith in that shop, agree to the limited options and then have to wait a few days for the jewellery. I wanted to change this structure. With Jos Alukkas, we made this possible. Ready-made jewellery was collected and displayed at shops and gave the customers the option to pick their jewellery,” Jos Alukka, chairman, shared at the press conference organised by the group.
Plans of expansion
Announcing the company’s latest plans to expand the business, VA Shrikumar, brand strategist, said, “It is a historical moment for Jos Alukkas. We are launching 100 stores with an investment of Rs 5,500 crore. For Jos Alukkas, Tamil Nadu has always been a welcoming market. People have shown immense love and respect. We wanted to let the world know about the next phase of our company from Chennai.”
The company also appointed actor R Madhavan as their global brand ambassador. Addressing the gathering, Madhavan said, “The values of Jos Alukkas have always been clear. Today, everybody is behind taking the quick routes. Anything that has a meteoric route has a meteoric fall. Jos Alukkas has sustained growth throughout the years because of customers’ faith in them.
Sustained growth is greater than meteoric growth. I am completely enamoured by their new plan. For me, this is a great opportunity and I am so keen to study the business. It (company’s growth) not only comes from honesty and sincerity but also from combined courage.”
While staying true to the craft of south India, the company sources its materials and designs from craftsmen all over India. However, for expanding globally, it aims to match the standards of a designer brand without any compromise in quality.
Concluding the event, Paul Alukka, MD of Jos Alukkas who handles Sales Strategy and HR shared, “The true heroes are our employees. Customer trust has been built over the years because of our employees. Our company has one of the lowest attrition rates in India. Over the years, we have been a zero-debt company. We have a well calibrated growth plan and hope to grow globally.”