Interview With Ishank Sahadeva - CEO of Swarn Mahal Jewellers

                                                     

1. Describe your Business and founders.

 

Our parent company is Sahadeva Ornaments, founded in 1991 and Swarn Mahal Jewels is a subsidiary of Sahadeva Ornaments, which was conceptualised in 2016. Our history goes back to the 1780s when my great-great-great-grandfather started jewellery making in Rajasthan. Around two and half centuries later, I am the sixth generation in my family in jewellery making.  SMJ is my brainchild, aiming to imbue traditional jewellery making with contemporary style and the exuberance and craft in Indian jewellery.

 

2. What is the biggest challenge of being a CEO, and how do you overcome it?

 

Being a CEO is all about vision, precision and decisions. Every day throws something new, but I don't see them as challenges; I see them as opportunities to create extraordinary things. As a CEO, you must envision the future, live in the present and learn from the past. I keep reinventing myself, and our jewellery designs and quality speaks volumes about our ability to overcome anything.

 

3. Where do you see the company in the next five years, and how will you bring about the change?

 

Any company goes through multiple phases, the first being product development, the second being product likeability and the third being expansion. We have done extraordinary in the first two, and we are currently focusing on expanding. We are already the leading designers and innovators in the Indian jewellery sector, and we have our reach in 22 states and over 300 cities across India. We are currently exporting jewellery over 15 countries in South-East Asia, Middle-East, Europe and Africa. Our target is to cover entire India and half the globe in the next five years.

 

4. Did you ever feel like giving up on being a CEO, and what motivated you to pull this off?

 

How can one feel like giving up on something they love the most? Swarn Mahal Jewels is like my baby, which I have nourished from day one. There have been minor ups and downs, but they only emboldened my belief in myself and my brand. When I leave for the office in the morning, I am excited like a child. When my journey started in 2016, I knew that there was no going back. I go back only to reflect upon the rich legacy which dates back to the 1780s.

 

5. Describe your biggest achievement?

 

We have come a long way from being traditional jewellery makers to being an exporter in 15 countries across four continents in the last five years. We introduced the first-ever Gold Perfume, which contains 24 carat Gold. Our Gold Perfume was designed in Paris and manufactured in India. We have also introduced rare jewellery like Black Diamond, and we were the recipient of the Jewellery Jury Award in 2019 for our unique designs and quality. In addition, we are constantly reinventing ourselves with unique ornaments like bullet jewellery.

 

6. From where did you get the idea for jewellery business?

 

Jewellery making is in my genes, I am the 6th generation in my family who designing and manufacturing jewellery. In the 1780s, my great-great-great-grandfather started his small jewellery making business in Rajasthan. He moved to Meerut in the early 19th century and was the region’s most prominent jewellery maker and designer. He also designed ornaments for Temples and Maharajas, which gained him recognition in the area. So, even though I pursued Engineering and then earned an MBA in International Business from the London Academy of Excellence, I was drawn towards my rich legacy. I applied my learnings from Engineering and MBA to further our Jewellery making business, and the results have been phenomenal.

 

7. What was your aim to start the company?

 

India had been known as the Golden Bird for millennia. In fact, India was the only country where Gold was so abundant that even the poorest have traditionally owned Gold in some form of other. So when I started Swarn Mahal Jewels, my chief goal was to mix contemporary with modern and retain the essence of our country’s rich heritage and golden history. Export has been one of my main areas of focus in the last five years as there is tremendous demand for Indian jewellery across the world.

 

8. Tell us some of your failures?

 

Failures are just like success; they come and go but end up teaching you valuable lessons. I would call myself a bit unlucky in a way because, I haven’t experienced much failures yet. Fortunately, in the last five years, whatever I have touched has turned into Gold. But yes, there have been times when our best designs were not well received in Europe and Middle East. However, our next batch of designs was so immaculate that it was sold out in just twenty days, and we ran short of our best designs.

 

9. What is the role of your family in your successful career?

 

If I am the head of my company, my parents are the heart and soul, and my family is the body. My parents never nagged me to do anything of their choice, they taught me to be a free bird from the beginning. Due to my parents and family, I began to dream about things that seemed improbable once. They have been my companions and my teammates who had stood shoulder to shoulder with me and showed the light when it was dark. Having a wonderful family as I do, makes it easy to achieve anything. My family has been the foundation and pillars on which I and Swarn Mahal Jewellers stand.

 

10. What is your message to the young generations and their parents?

 

India is home to an enormous youth population, and there is no dearth of talent in our country. India is a star that has only begun to shine, and it will only grow brighter as over a billion dreams will light it up with their talent, passion and hard work. My message to parents would be to allow the young generation to dream and create a path of their choice. The current generation is probably the smartest generation ever, and these bright minds can give anyone a run for the money. But unfortunately, I have often seen that parents and young generation don’t show a keen interest in jewellery making and designing. This industry has massive potential as Gold and Diamond will always be a store of value. The current generation must not see jewellery as a flashy thing but rather as an opportunity to build a career, make an investment and create a fortune.