MAM
Kalyan Jewellers expands in Punjab with Rs. 75 crore investment
MUMBAI: Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s leading and trusted jewellery brands launched showrooms in Amritsar and Jalandhar launching the Northern leg of the company’s domestic expansion plan. On December 7, Kalyan’s national brand ambassador, Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan inaugurated both these showrooms. The showroom in Amritsar is located at Mall Road and the showroom in Jalandhar is located at Model Town. The expansion is part of Kalyan Jewellers’ efforts to expand its presence in Punjab with an investment of Rs. 75 crore in the two showrooms. Kalyan Jewellers is also present in Mohali and Ludhiana in Punjab.
Kalyan Jewellers has added a record 11 showrooms in the last 60 days including inaugurating 5 showrooms on the same day in Kerala recently. Kalyan Jewellers will significantly boost its distribution network in the calendar year 2014 by over 30% with the addition of new showrooms.
T S Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director, Kalyan Jewellers, said, “We are delighted to launch our new showrooms in Amritsar and Jalandhar which are strategic locations in Punjab. We have timed the opening of the showrooms during the wedding season as we can cater to the demand of exquisite designs in gold and precious jewellery. Our stringent quality standards have already struck a chord with the discerning customers in the state – a relationship which we are striving to grow.”
Rajesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, “The two new showrooms in Punjab will boost our presence in North India. We continue to be focused on the aggressive domestic expansion plan to boost our network to reach out to customers across the country.”
Kalyan Jewellers recently attracted a significant investment of Rs. 1,200 crore from the private equity investor Warburg Pincus. The investment has accelerated the growth plans of Kalyan Jewellers as it consolidates its leading position in existing markets and forays into global markets including Singapore and Malaysia. Kalyan is already present in the UAE with nine showrooms and plans to expand into Kuwait and Qatar.
Ramesh Kalayanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, “Our focus on enhancing our network during the year 2014 has been implemented and we have leveraged our recognition as a national brand by developing our presence in key markets across the country.”
Kalyan Jewellers has set industry level standards on customer experience, innovations and transparent pricing. The brand’s leadership position in the Indian jewellery industry is defined by a customer-centric business model that includes many “firsts” such as:
- introducing BIS certification of gold jewellery
- introducing a customer loyalty program, which today has more than 16 lakh members
- pioneering the use of detailed price tags, thus demystifying making charges and providing increased transparency to customers, which has become a best practice in the industry
- introducing the concept of neighbourhood customer service centers in the jewellery industry under the “My Kalyan” brand
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
