Most jewellers in India retail luxury products, yet only a few qualify
as luxury brands. Ganjam is among the handful of jewellers who
are an exception. The brand has all the characteristics of a luxury
brand such as heritage, rarity, exclusivity, credibility, premium,
international presence and above all an interesting story.
By Anil Prabhakar
Necklace from the Ikat collection.
Ganda Berunda
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Case study
n a cold winter evening in November I am in Bangalore to meet Umesh Ganjam, the joint managing director of Ganjam. Fortunately, his office located on Palace Road is close to Hotel Windsor
ITC, where I am put up. I therefore do not have to navigate through the unruly Bangalore traffic.
Though I have known Umesh Ganjam for many years, this is my first visit to his office.
His staff directs me to the conference room. While I wait for him to join me, I notice the sparse interiors. The only thing conspicuous in the room is the large flat screen television.
Umesh enters the room clad in a blue blazer and formal grey trousers. The joint managing director of India’s most respected luxury jewellery brand is simplicity personified and wears the brand’s 125-year heritage lightly on his sleeves.
We chat for close to two hours. During our interaction he comes across as a passionate, well read, humble and courteous individual. We discuss, among other things, his passion for arts, music and his friendship with renowned photographers, fashion designers and musicians. Umesh, presents me with a copy of The Silence of Hampi by the renowned fashion and fine art photographer, Prabuddha Dasgupta. Unfortunately, he has only one copy of Bollywood photographer Dhiraj Chawda’s coffee-table book Reflections.
Umesh, himself a good photographer, was a close friend of Dasgupta and Chawda—both of whom, coincidentally, passed away in 2012.
I then head to his flagship store on Vittal Mallya Road opposite UB City mall, where Umesh’s son Dushyanth greets me and takes me on a guided tour.
OriginsGanjam is a town and a notified area council in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. It shares its southern boundary with Andhra Pradesh. The district has its own international reputation for its cottage industries and handicrafts. The main crafts are brass, appliqué, bamboo craft, stone carving, wood carving, terracotta, textile toys, etc. and thousands of artisans are operating individually and through co-operative societies.
The story of this internationally acclaimed brand traces back to this little town, where its founder Ganjam Nagappa was born into a family with a tradition of gem trading and jewellery in the late 1800s. He soon took the legacy across India conquering new markets as dynasties in the region flourished. Ganjam moved to Hampi, the erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Over a period of time, the business and family moved to Mysore, and finally to Bangalore when the city was proclaimed as capital of the Karnataka state.
Ganjam’s inheritance dates back to the 4th century, when diamonds were discovered in South India. Today, Ganjam is still creating the same uniquely distinctive South Indian classical jewellery using traditional skills in 22-karat gold. Ganjam
continues to retain the centuries old ‘lost-wax’ casting technique that originated on the banks of the river Cauvery.
The arrival of Ganjam Nagappa in Bangalore in 1885 laid the modern-day foundation of this sophisticated brand. Legend has it that Ganjam Nagappa travelled to Bangalore with just R20 in his pocket. Two years later, when he was almost on the verge of leaving the town for Bombay, the then Diwan to the Maharajah of Mysore, Madava Rao, requested him to reconsider his decision. It was this decision that led to the establishment of the Ganjam business in 1889.
Jewellers of kings Under Subbaramiah Ganjam, Nagappa’s son, the golden age of Ganjam Nagappa & Sons began. By royal decree, Ganjam was appointed jeweller to his majesty, the Maharajah of Mysore. By then, Ganjam had established itself as the leading maker of fine diamond and traditional Carnatic jewellery.
Ganjam’s exquisite craftsmanship and design found favour with several royal families. It received its earliest royal appointment beginning with the Wodeyars, the royal family of Mysore, in 1942, during the reign of Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar. Soon after, Ganjam was invited by the King of Nepal to Humayun Dhoka Palace to train his goldsmiths.
On March 31st 1953, Bhimaji Ganjam and Eswar Ganjam, sons of Subbaramiah Ganjam, took over the business. Bhimaji, the eldest son of Subbaramiah Ganjam, took over the reins of the shop after his father passed away in 1959. It was under the stewardship of Bhimaji and his brother Eswar that the brand took on the changing times.
Currently in the seventh generation, Ganjam has built upon two centuries of trust and commitment to give the customer only the finest. After being jewellers to Indian royalty over the last century, Ganjam has grown to become one of India’s leading luxury brands offering an exquisite blend of modern and traditional jewellery.
Umesh Ganjam, who joined the business in 1972, has been instrumental in restructuring and repositioning Ganjam to a prestigious brand with a classic-contemporary feel and flavour.
Umesh Ganjam
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He established Ganjam as a brand of international repute with exclusive boutiques in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi and significant associations in the global scenario.
Ganjam logoThe two-headed, three-eyed mythical bird called Ganda Berunda, signifies Vishnu or the King of Kings in the Mahabharata. The Ganda Berunda bears the indentation of an eagle made of gold and studded with verdant emeralds, burning rubies, unmatched pearls and brilliant diamonds.
The Ganda Berunda was created by Ganjam for the royal family of the Mysore Wodeyars and has been a part of the royal insignia for generations.
Heritage and craftsmanship Ganjam is on a constant endeavour to create a complete experience for the rarefied customer – to possess a piece with a story to tell of its craftsmanship, quality, inspiration and uniqueness.
Completing 125 years of existence in 2014, Ganjam is a true blue, heritage brand. Over seven generations of the Ganjam family have been closely and deeply involved in the development of the company as a purveyor of the highest quality jewellery.
Meticulous handcrafted excellence is the hallmark of Ganjam’s unique position in the world of jewellery. When most brands are obsessed with machine-made products to achieve higher levels
of productivity, Ganjam offers the customer a unique brand of superb handcrafted jewellery, painstakingly produced, without a care for time and expense. A product of the very best that human skill can achieve. Today, the brand is held in high regard and treated with immense respect.
Unique jewellery creations The latest jewellery trends show openness to new ideas, and modern advances, but also pay homage to past traditions.
When it comes to the latest jewellery trends, the popularity of coloured gemstones has escalated. Stones such as emeralds, rubies, tanzanite, sapphires, opal, etc., continue to appeal.
Mooresque, an exquisite new collection from Ganjam, uses high-end quality Zambian emeralds with individualistic products to suit different tastes.
Handcrafted jewellery pieces bear an understated elegance and reflect our true culture, heritage and traditions. Ganjam introduced Tasrika, an aspirational line that celebrates the modern woman of today. This collection is inspired from the centuries-old handcrafting technique of weaving.
Song of the sea A heady combination of blue sapphires, tanzanites, and Ganjam F colour VVS clarity diamonds, this stunning collection, inspired by the ebb and swell of the sea, is truly a contemporary classic.
(Clockwise from below) Supernova cuff; Tasrika rings inspired by weaving; Ganjam logo; and a bangle from the Song of the Sea collection.
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IkatEchoing the art and striking hues of the traditional weave, the Ikat collection uses marquise cut rubies with round brilliant and marquise-cut diamonds to convey the gentle geometric patterns of the Ikat fabric.
HeritageThe Heritage line pays tribute to the very essence of the finest Indian jewellery making, reviving age-old traditions of handcrafting. Master craftsmen handpick rare rubies, uncut diamonds and cabochon emeralds, all of these set in 22-karat gold.
A true luxury brand depends entirely on craftsmanship. Ganjam’s philosophy has always been one that upholds craftsmanship and design at the highest echelon. Creating jewellery is a craft which requires deep involvement from the craftsperson and is no less than art, which is why they are regarded as artisans.
Iraja in Sanskrit means born of water. This design draws conceptual inspiration from the aspect of diverse Indian cultures, beliefs and lives of the people that are bound together by the rivers that flow through the sub-continent.
Melting furyThe handcrafted design manifests the idea of the union of opposites. It emerged as the international winner
in the necklace category at the Tahitian Pearl Trophy in Venice during the year 2005-2006.
Alliances, international presence and accoladesOver the years, Ganjam has worked with various national and international designers both in fashion and jewellery – late Kazuo Ogawa, Yumi Katsura, Wendell Rodricks, Tarun Tahiliani and Payal Jain to name a few. Although jewellery is always worn in conjunction with clothing/fashion to create an entire look, jewellery has a very long life cycle, while fashion changes every season. This inherent difference drives the need for creating Contemporary-Classic jewellery pieces that are relevant today yet can evolve into classics.
Case study
(Clockwise from above) Iraja necklace; Vanki armlet; and Melting Fury bib necklace.
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An endorsement of Ganjam’s leadership and expertise in jewellery in the country has been its constant engagement on an international platform. Ganjam is a winner of the Gold Virtuosi 2 Awards, the “Oscars” for gold jewellery design. Ganjam was also the only Indian jeweller to be invited to Japan to participate in the 50th year celebrations of Indo-Japanese collaboration. The brand created waves at the Milan Fashion Week in 2003.
Ganjam has also won international awards from De Beers, Perles de Tahiti and Platinim Guild International.
The brand was associated with the Guards Polo Club as the title sponsor of The Ganjam Jaipur Polo Trophy from 2006 to 2014.
Being the first time an event such as this was hosted by an Indian brand, Ganjam has since then been associated with this royal sport every year at Berkshire at Great Windsor Park, England. The Jaipur Trophy was initiated by the Late Her Highness Rajmata of Jaipur Gayatri Devi, in memory of the Late Maharaja of Jaipur.
Retail presenceGanjam has three stores in India: one in Bangalore, one in Delhi at DLF Emporio, and one at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. With its trendsetting designs, high standards of craftsmanship using only the best quality F colour VVS diamonds, Ganjam has won global acclaim and has been invited to display at many prestigious international events.
The design of its 15,000 sq ft iconic Bangalore flagship store is inspired by traditional Indian vignettes – the five elements of earth, fire, air, water and ether; the ancient kingdom of Hampi; the peacock; the banyan tree; and the Ganda Berunda – the essence of which was captured and translated to create a highly elegant setting for Ganjam’s bespoke jewels.
Inaugurated in January 2016, the store houses an art gallery and won an award at the Prix Versailles 2016, held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The store has been rewarded for interior store design by a jury of international architects and cultural experts.
Patron of arts and cultureTo celebrate 125 years of Ganjam, the flagship store opened its doors to its first in-house exhibition by Prabuddha Dasgupta. This exhibition features 15 photographs that come together under a common theme – the silence of Hampi. The photographs capture the silent expression of Prabuddha that is communicated through the medium of his lens. The textures and the compositions seem to have captured the silence of thought yet portray experience and memory in the simplicity of the photographs.
(Left and below) Ganjam’s flagship store interior won an award at the Prix Versailles 2016.
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Case study
Ganjam wishes to organise challenging and thought-provoking exhibitions every year with works by Indian and international contemporary artists and designers working in various media and promote contemporary visual culture and contribute to critical discourse through its programmes. A space has been conceived with this aim to promote artistic exchange and create opportunities to engage, explore and curate giving rise to opportunities for public interaction, dissemination and enjoyment.
Since its inception in 1997, Flights of Fantasy, a Carnatic music festival hosted by Ganjam, has steadily gained popularity as one of Bangalore’s most looked-forward-to cultural events. The event is a testimony to Ganjam’s commitment to keeping alive the tradition and heritage of Indian classical music and dance. The annual event provides a platform to encourage and promote talent from across the country.
At Ganjam, the management is aware of the fact that the high-end consumer of jewellery is an elusive customer. Brands make an inordinate amount of effort using innovative and non-traditional methods to reach out to them; the best methods still remain reference and word of mouth. A critical aspect is to have a specialised service that is offered to the customers, most often by one of the directors of the company. Their first experience and touch point with the brand is crucial and has to create the right impression. The relationship has to be personalised to suit the customers’ needs and an in-depth understanding of their lifestyle has to be developed over time. All efforts are made to pamper and look after them by taking care of small details, which might otherwise appear insignificant. n
Additional inputs from Suresh Subrahmanyan, marketing head, Ganjam.
Umesh Ganjam (centre) receiving the Prix Versailles 2016.
Ganjam hosts the Flights of Fantasy Carnatic music festival each year.
The store’s in-house art gallery exhibited 15 photographs of Hampi shot by the late Prabuddha Dasgupta.
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