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The Tanishq Story: Inside India’s No. 1 Jewellery Brand
When we think of jewellery in India, Tanishq comes to mind first. It occupies substantial mind space, millions own it, and its stores are prominent and everywhere. But the story of Tanishq is more than just a successful business one. Tanishq transformed the jewellery industry by formalizing the business, creating industry standards in production, providing, for the first time, stringent quality assurances to its customers and giving new meaning to jewellery through deep-design stories and craftsmanship.
But it wasn’t always like this. Tanishq was launched in the mid-1990s with little thought of the Indian jewellery market and consumer, and made consistent losses in its early years. How did it turn things around? How does any company change its fortunes? And what are the lessons we can learn from it?
C.K. Venkataraman tells the story of this extraordinary brand from the inside with honesty, intelligence and colour, opening up about its missteps, analysing its strengths and weaknesses, and pulling in key Titan executives who were involved with the business from its earliest days. Inspiring, thought-provoking and deeply engaging, The Tanishq Story is an outstanding book.
But it wasn’t always like this. Tanishq was launched in the mid-1990s with little thought of the Indian jewellery market and consumer, and made consistent losses in its early years. How did it turn things around? How does any company change its fortunes? And what are the lessons we can learn from it?
C.K. Venkataraman tells the story of this extraordinary brand from the inside with honesty, intelligence and colour, opening up about its missteps, analysing its strengths and weaknesses, and pulling in key Titan executives who were involved with the business from its earliest days. Inspiring, thought-provoking and deeply engaging, The Tanishq Story is an outstanding book.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 27, 2025
The Tanishq Story by C.K. Venkataraman is a fascinating inside account of how India’s leading jewellery brand was built from the ground up told by none other than its CEO. What stood out to me is how progress is never linear: Tanishq navigated setbacks in it's explosive growth like the gold import ban (2011) and demonetisation, yet emerged stronger by leveraging it's relationships with suppliers, consumers & government. Their bold marketing campaigns, revolving around genuine problems like deception in gold purity resonated deeply with the public. The sections on the Gold Harvest Scheme, Gold on Loan, using smaller diamonds & streamlining supply chains very interesting from a business perspective.
As one might expect from a Tata company, Tanishq kept a dual focus on both customers and employees. During Covid, the company went beyond profits ensuring safe working conditions for staff while supporting customers with extraordinary gestures like procuring oxygen cylinders or helping organise weddings. (This reminds me of Dare to Dream by MS Oberoi, he had a similar focus on providing best hospitality to his guests)
If you are curious about how great Indian brands are built, this book is the one for you!
As one might expect from a Tata company, Tanishq kept a dual focus on both customers and employees. During Covid, the company went beyond profits ensuring safe working conditions for staff while supporting customers with extraordinary gestures like procuring oxygen cylinders or helping organise weddings. (This reminds me of Dare to Dream by MS Oberoi, he had a similar focus on providing best hospitality to his guests)
If you are curious about how great Indian brands are built, this book is the one for you!
January 10, 2025
-An Incredible Story of India's Leading Jewellery Brand-
Review of 'The Tanishq Story' by CK Venkataraman
The Tanishq Story takes you behind the stage of India's one of the most successful jewelry brand. Tanishq, it might be said, is a brand that transformed how the women look at jewelry. Since gold jewelry is more loved in the southern states of India, it's only befitting that Tanishq started out as a joint venture between Tamilnadu Government and TATA, the same way Titan had started way back in 1984. The book has many more such juicy tidbits that you might never get to read anywhere.
Tanishq has been a game changer ever since it was introduced in the Indian market. It transformed the jewellery industry by formalizing the business, creating industry standards in production, providing, for the first time, stringent quality assurances to its customers and giving new meaning to jewellery through deep-design stories and craftsmanship.
CK Ventaraman has a gripping storytelling kind of style, the one that suits a non fiction very much otherwise it runs the risk of treading into staid waters.The author keeps it interesting introducing anecdotes and stories from the house of TATA as well as Tanishq. He compresses intervoesoand presents them like a story. It doesn't let the reader lose their attention.
From time to time the author also dives into history, distant as well as recent, and comes up with gems that link Titan with Kohinoor.
How? What? Well, read on to find out more.
Review of 'The Tanishq Story' by CK Venkataraman
The Tanishq Story takes you behind the stage of India's one of the most successful jewelry brand. Tanishq, it might be said, is a brand that transformed how the women look at jewelry. Since gold jewelry is more loved in the southern states of India, it's only befitting that Tanishq started out as a joint venture between Tamilnadu Government and TATA, the same way Titan had started way back in 1984. The book has many more such juicy tidbits that you might never get to read anywhere.
Tanishq has been a game changer ever since it was introduced in the Indian market. It transformed the jewellery industry by formalizing the business, creating industry standards in production, providing, for the first time, stringent quality assurances to its customers and giving new meaning to jewellery through deep-design stories and craftsmanship.
CK Ventaraman has a gripping storytelling kind of style, the one that suits a non fiction very much otherwise it runs the risk of treading into staid waters.The author keeps it interesting introducing anecdotes and stories from the house of TATA as well as Tanishq. He compresses intervoesoand presents them like a story. It doesn't let the reader lose their attention.
From time to time the author also dives into history, distant as well as recent, and comes up with gems that link Titan with Kohinoor.
How? What? Well, read on to find out more.
August 4, 2024
Pure love for Titan and Venkat made me pick this book. These last 5 years I have heard many stories of Titan legends but this book just solidified the core of who we are. Read it to know who Titan is, even though it’s book on the journey of Tanishq, Tanishq is of Titan and hence you get glimpse of the Titanian world.. 😄
August 15, 2024
Sheer curiosity about the leading consumer business from the stable of Tata led me to this. Good to hear from the Horse's mouth directly. Lots of personal connect - Hosur, Golden Enclave, Royal Orchid Hotel. How ever, It lacked the much expected depth in the stories about "Tiffany of East" and Xerxes Desai Myth.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews