Aura Of Success

With a business domain that extends from Antwerp to Hong Kong, from mines to brands and from impeccable gemstones to breathtaking jewellery, few names measure up to the Kotharis of the KGK Group. Having made great strides under Navrattan Kothari, the house continues on its upward growth trajectory under his sons, especially Sanjay Kothari, who is spearheading the group’s expansion globally.

- Joseph Rozario

THE LUSTRE OF JEWELS HAS HELD royals and commoners alike in their spell from times immemorial and man’s undying fascination for them has had treasure hunters and purveyors explore not just the deepest, darkest recesses of the earth, but also undertake long, perilous journeys in their quest. It is one such daunting journey from Jaipur to Rangoon to which the KGK Group owes its being.

A tale of two cities

“The foundation of this business house was laid in 1905, when Keshrimalji Kothari started trading in coloured gemstones,” says Navrattan Kothari, talking about the inception of the KGK Group. As patriarch of the KGK Group and the third generation of the Kotharis, under Navrattan Kothari the house has seen exponential growth.

“In those days, Rangoon [now Yangon] was the hub of the gems trade, as Burma [now Myanmar] produced precious stones such as sapphires, pearls, jade and the world’s best rubies,” continues Navrattan Kothari. “Gems were bought and sold in Rangoon and brought to Rajasthan for cutting and polishing. Sensing growth prospects, Keshrimalji was fired by the idea of going to Rangoon to try his luck.”

With his business acumen and remarkable knack for the gems trade, Keshrimal Kothari was a huge success. Inspired, his son Ghisilal too joined him in Rangoon as a teenager, and the rest, as they say, is history. The business they founded still bears their name. What then was called Keshrimal Ghisilal Kothari (Jewellers & Diamond Merchant) is now the KGK Group, ‘KGK’ being the acronym for ‘Keshrimal Ghisilal Kothari’. A leading multinational corporation, it commands presence in the A-Z of the jewellery business, starting from sourcing of roughs from mines to selling the best in branded jewellery.