In 1951, Mangalore born Janardhan Rao invested Rs.3000 to set up a 40 sq.ft. store in the Nilgiris hill-station of Ooty. He named the shop Modern Stores and it started out selling speciality products, imported cigarettes, candles and chocolates.
Ooty was then a typical British regimental town with a very distinct culture. Flanked on all sides by the rolling Nilgiris, the small town had a profusion of missionary educational institutes and a sizable British settlement.
The town’s demographic profile proved to be a right fit for the up-and-coming Modern Stores. The Western clientele served as the right target audience for the fledgling store. It managed to generate sufficient custom, which prompted a fresh expansion of the shop across 400 sq. ft. of retailing space at Ooty’s Ettines Road.
Around the time Modern Stores was spreading its wings, the butlers who were in the service of resident British settlers sprang on Janardhan the idea of starting an English confectionery section at the store. Acting on this piece of advice, a makeshift mini production unit was set up behind Modern Stores. And with the help and expertise of the butlers, Modern Stores started making high quality chocolates, which became a runaway hit with the locals.
In the year 1972, Janardhan made another move at expanding his Modern Stores – this time to a 600 sq. ft. space at Ooty’s Commercial Road and where he also introduced a bakery section within 200 sq. ft. of the new shop.
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