Wanting to buy a silk saree, the name Nalli flashes. Overlooking the Panagal Park in the busy commercial T Nagar in Chennai, the iconic Nalli shop has stood firm for nearly nine decades. This is despite 23 other silk saree shops, including RmkV, Kumaran and Sundari, having sprung over the years within a 2 km radius.

Like a Banyan tree, the brand has spread across the globe with the fifth generation coming on board. Nalli’s revenue is now around ₹1,200 crore, said Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, Partner at Nalli.

At 84 years, Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty, a doyen of India’s silk saree industry, is still in charge of the T Nagar store. Even at this age, he is seen at the entrance of the shop in the mornings taking care of customers and vendors. “This, I learnt from my father,” he told businessline.

From Kancheepuram to Chennai

In 1911, India’s capital was shifted to Delhi from Kolkata. The Coronation of King George V was then organised for the first time outside England in Delhi. To mark the event, a statue was erected in Chennai.

“It was decided to give him the Darbarpet silk shawl woven by my grandfather. Thanks to the gift, my grandfather became popular and many customers from Madras started coming to Kancheepuram to buy silk saree from him,” he said.

Iconic shop

“Since most of the customers were from Madras, a small shop was set up in T Nagar in 1928 close to the Mambalam Railway station. Sarees were brought from Kancheepuram and sold there. However, on January 26, 1935, the iconic shop was set up at Panagal Park by my grandfather,” he said.

EMI options

Many customers were unable to pay the full amount for a saree. EMI options were offered. They bought a saree for ₹18 (9 yards) and paid the amount in instalments. In 1948, revenue was R₹2.12 lakh per annum.

“I was born in 1940. On August 19, 1953, my father died and the shop was managed by relatives and managers while I visited the shop daily. It was my misfortune that I could not learn the nuances of the silk business from my father. Sales started declining sharply after my father’s death, but picked up slowly,” he said.

No looking back

“On April 1, 1961, I took charge of the shop. In five years, we clocked revenue of ₹1 crore - the only silk saree shop in India then to achieve the milestone,” he said. The cost of a 6-yard silk saree then was ₹50 while for 9-yard it was ₹90.

Sarees woven in Kancheepuram were brought to Madras daily. Nalli saree was identified by its weight and pure zari with traditional design consisting of single border, double border and solid border. With a lot of craze for cinema, the sarees were also named after films like Paalum Pazhamum. Today, the designs are based on carnatic ragas, he said.

Branches

Today, there are 24 shops in T Nagar selling silk sarees, but Nalli continues to be the most preferred, he said.

In India, Nalli has 50 branches (no franchisee) in places like Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Delhi and Mumbai. Abroad, the branches are in Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, London, US (Los Angeles, Fremont, Chicago, Dallas and New Jersey) and Sydney.

Fifth gen

“The 5th generation has entered the business. Eldest son takes care of India branches while I take care of Chennai, Madurai and Trichy, while daughter Jeyasree Ravi runs Palam Silks. Granddaughter Lavanya manages international operations and online business, he said.

“Everyone has their own strengths. For instance, I don’t believe in having branches, but my son has started many branches and is successful. International branches are handled by grand-daughter. The next generation is more intelligent and successful. I leave it to their own decisions,” he said.

Related Topics