The Golden Touch- The Journey of Kalyan Jewellers

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The Golden Touch lays out the extraordinary story of Kalyan Jewellers and the life of its founder, T.S. Kalyanaraman. It is the personal account of a visionary from Thrissur with humble beginnings, who set up one of the largest jewellery stores in the country-a Rs 25,000-crore behemoth employing over 8000 people.

This captivating autobiography offers an intimate glimpse into the transformative moments that shaped the life of this remarkable individual who dared to dream big and turn those dreams into reality. The book will take you through the author's life journey-from a curious and ambitious young mind to a seasoned business leader who has left an indelible mark on the world of entrepreneurship.

The Golden Touch provides a novel perspective on building a business empire, and inspiring generations of entrepreneurs and dreamers.

T.S. KALYANARAMAN, born on 23 April 1947, in Punkunnam, Thrissur, Kerala, is the son of Sitaram Iyer and Narayani Ammal of Ramadaya. He was educated at Model School and Sree Kerala Varma College and entered the field of business through Kalyanram Textiles. He made his mark in the jewellery business in 1993 by opening Kalyan's first showroom in Thrissur. Today, he is the chairman and managing director of Kalyan Group of Jewellers, which has a chain of over 200 showrooms all over the world. He earned a place in the Forbes list of billionaires in 2013.

Somewhere about 2000 years ago, a young boy called Adi Shankaracharya, rose like a phoenix in the skies of what was beginning to seem like the sunset of a civilization before him. He crafted a systematic vision for mankind to rise above mundane, temporal livelihoods to the transcendental glory of being human. His Advait philosophy remains even to date the most enduring quest of mankind in every way of life....

If I were to place a template of success for any start-up today, discounting the support and encouragement provided by governments and the administration today, I would still say the first of those systematic templates was crafted by Adi Shankaracharya. And, if you cannot find that template, I strongly recommend this autobiography of Mr. T.S. Kalyanaraman or Swamy. as he is lovingly called. I think, Swamy is for start-ups today, what Adi Shankaracharya was for Advait.

The story of Kalyan Jewellers and the life of Swamy are quite simply inseparable. And, methinks, it is a handbook for entrepreneurs who venture into the world of start-ups today, if only for the vision, the mission, the belief, the determination and the persistence required in some of the toughest conditions.

An enterprise, a business, is many a times the only lifeline for its originator. One makes it the primary purpose of life. And thus a lifetime goes into its making. If you were to ask the person after it's all done and dusted, I'm not sure it's possible to remember every detail. These things just happen, like a raging wind blowing over the water and land without the resistance of any boundaries.

The faith in the goodness of human societies, the belief in the economy of happiness, and the urge to add value to the wealth of human efforts at progress are perhaps the most outstanding features of TSK's vision.

A business is not merely about managing its assets or its growth. I feel, its more about steering a vision beyond visible horizons, and also daring to keep driving in the most uncertain terrains.

The first book I had known in my life was the Ramayana. My grandfather, who introduced me to the book, used to narrate stories from it while I listened intently. When I could read by myself, he presented me with a copy of the book. It was a sea of stories. And I stepped into it... I made reading a habit. How many stories! What an experience! How many lines entered my heart! The varied conversations But, never have I wanted to write something on my own. And it might surprise you when someone like me comes before you with his autobiography. The more I think about it, the more I find it hard to believe-how it happened. The Covid years, which shook the world, might have been a reason.

Hardly had 2020 begun than a virus, which came from China, no larger than a grain of sand, multiplied and wreaked havoc on the world. We lost sleep over voices crying hoarse about 'Corona' and 'Covid'. Scared of the uninvited guest knocking at the door, we stayed indoors.

Since the virus rapidly spread through contact, countries felt that the best way to keep it under check would be a lockdown. By the end of March 2020, India was under a complete lockdown. Downing shutters and sitting idle at home were something not everyone could digest. But, as there was no other way out, people slowly adjusted themselves to the new world order.

Naturally, days of boredom followed. There was nothing much to do. One couldn't go outdoors. There were no get-togethers, weddings or birthday parties. Life was confined to the four walls of one's house, even in the villages. People for whom twenty-four hours seemed insufficient earlier did not know what to do with the time they had on their hands. Cobwebs of laziness covered every nook and cranny of one's self.

My situation, too, was no different. It was as if someone had switched off all my activities. I couldn't go to my office.

Gone were the usual business meetings. What if the car you were travelling in suddenly lost power and stalled in the middle of the road? It was very much the same situation. The flip side is I got to spend quality time with my family. But somehow my mind couldn't adjust to the massive changes in my daily routine.