THE MAN WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH
WORDS / Neelam Mathews There is an air of minimalism in Joy Alukkas’ office with everything understated, including the man himself. He is made of a different metal, and it is not gold. He has no gold ornaments on him as would be expected in South India, where even men don gold ornaments on their wrists, fingers and neck. (They might even have a waistband of gold!) It is hard to believe he produces high-end gold jewellery that touches the lives of over 10 million customers across nine countries. “I believe in simple living, high thinking,” says the billionaire, whose turnover is rumoured to be over $1billion - something he does not comment on. Joy Alukkas - whose stores are named after him- is now the world’s number one 22-carat jewellery maker with over 100,000 designs in his portfolio, and growing. By the end of 2012, he will have added ten more showrooms in India and 25 by the end of 2013, of which 15 will be in India. As a matter of fact, his futu...