Their first cloth emporium was set up in 1964 and today, over five decades later, the Narsingh brand is still thriving. Rajesh Singhania, Managing Director of Narsingh Cloth Emporium reminisces, “We were a joint family. My father and all my uncles used to work together at one small store. In those days, ours was the only store outside which people used to wait for hours together until it opened. And there used to be so much crowd that it was difficult to even keep one foot inside.” What started with just one modest store has now grown to become an empire of sorts with multiple stores across the city. Notably, Narsingh’s clients are from all walks of life — politicians, bureaucrats, doctors, Tollywood actors as well as people from all other financial and professional backgrounds.
Rajesh, who learnt the tricks of the trade from his father Susheel Kumar Singhania, loved visiting the family store as a child. So it’s only natural that he jumped into the business, straight out of college. What got him more involved in the business was seeing and, as a result, developing an interest in various kinds of fabrics in his growing years. No wonder then that Rajesh is quite the fabric connoisseur of the family! “We have been doing it for more than two generations; first it was my grandfather, then my father and now, me! We source fabrics from across the country and also recreate them to suite modern tastes,” he says.
Interestingly, after Rajesh’s wedding, Narsingh also started a designer store by the name of Kanak Studio. “Narsingh has been catering to a wide segment of customers since over 50 years. But when my wife Shivaanii came up with an idea to start a bridal store, it made sense to me and we launched Kanak. As we are a well-known brand in Hyderabad, the idea of having a fashion store is to deliver happiness to our clients and add a spark to their day of happiness,” shares Rajesh.
Mentioning how the taste of customers is constantly evolving with the times, Shivaanii says, “In recent times, things have changed. As people are travelling globally and seeing the world, they are getting exposed to different styles, markets, fibers, fabrics and fashion.”
Talking about the challenges of launching a new brand, Shivaanii says, “There is no fun in sailing in smooth waters; challenges are a part of life. Although I hail from a business family, I personally didn’t have much experience. So balancing the three facets of life — family, health and work — was the biggest challenge initially. Also, travelling to meet the best artisans or karigars for embroidery, zari work, etc, across the country, was a hectic experience. But the taste of success keeps you driving further. Now that the kids have grown up and business is well established, it’s getting better. In hindsight, all the pain was honestly worth it.”
Like his wife, even Rajesh feels that hard work, sweat and setbacks are an integral part of the road to success. He says, “I believe that when you climb a mountain, it’s a hard journey but on the top there is a beautiful view waiting for you. My father started this business with just a handful of money but now there are so many feathers in Narsingh’s cap. Our honesty, hard work and determination have paid off. I believe every day is a struggle in the journey to tomorrow.”
So, how does the brand and its team continue to grow and learn? “Our industry requires constant innovation and creativity. For this purpose, we keep looking at our surroundings for inspiration,” Shivaanii says, adding, “Nature, trees, monumental buildings and sculptures, etc., are the sources of our inspiration. Sometimes, consciously or subconsciously, we are inspired by many elements of our environment. We are also trying our bit to learn and keep evolving.”
