Aravind Maheshwari “A Jewellery Shop Runs Due To Faith”

Aravind Maheshwari, the reticent middle aged owner of Radhika Jewellers at Mira Road tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that he is extremely satisfied with his buisness as a jeweller and talks about how he came down to Mumbai from Rajasthan with just Rs 300 in his pocket way back twenty five years ago and started from scratch and how his two sons are being readied to run the shop though he does not plan to retire.

In what way is your Radhika Jewellers different from other shops?
People have faith in me and my shop. Today there are 650 shops in my area alone. No one goes to a goldsmith’s shop unless and until he or she is assured of the authenticity. We guarantee the purety of the gold ornaments that we sell in our shop. I have always sought the customer’s satisfaction. It was my ambition right from beginning to start my own showroom of jewellery. I started it on my own nearly 25 years ago. It was just my gut feeling that I relied upon when I started the shop.

Has the craze for buying gold increased over the last 25 years?
The craze for buying jewellery has become double though the price has since then doubled. The margin of profits has come down now. There are several shops now though when I started there were only two more shops besides that of mine. We also make ornaments for our customers besides selling ready made ornaments. We sell only gold, diamonds and platinum but not silver at all. I have seventeen people working for me here at Radhika Jewellery. Besdies this, I also have a manufacturing unit at Andheri too. I am also a partner in a pharmaceutical shop in Mira Road.

Have you trained your sons to take over your business?
Though I had graduated in B.Com with medium of instruction in Hindi, my two college going sons are well educated and keen on taking over my business, though I have no plans to retire.

You may be leading a very stressful life!
I lead a very stressful life. I come to the shop by 9 am and go back home by 10 pm. I have branches in Bhayander, Kashimira and Kalbadevi too.For the last few years, gold prices have not fluctuated and are stable and I have a monthly turnover of 5 cr.