JWA 2021 Jewellery Industry Best Practices

20 | Jewellery World Awards 2021 Whether by transforming his family’s enterprise into a successful jewellery and gemstone empire with a presence in 16 countries and regions or by giving aid to the underprivileged through his numerous advocacies, KGK Group Chairman Navrattan Kothari undoubtedly inspires his peers as a business leader with a heart of gold. Kothari began his professional journey in 1960, when the then 18-year-old fledgling entrepreneur left his hometown of Jaipur, India, to start a venture in Chennai. Away from his family and the business that they established in 1905, he developed an eye for high-quality coloured stones as well as a nose for opportunities. After finding success in selling ruby, sapphire and emerald, Kothari rejoined the family business, with the goal of taking it to the next level. Building on the legacies of his father, Shri Ghisilal, and grandfather, Shri Keshrimal, he expanded KGK’s horizons by turning it into one of the few players in the diamond sector to invest in its own manufacturing units in 1972. “With the changing times, we, too, must change as an organisation. That is why we are relentless when it comes to transforming our operations, not only to adapt, but to revolutionise the way business is conducted across the industry,” Kothari says. GLOBAL ENTERPRISE Soon after assuming leadership at KGK, Kothari grew it into a multinational company that covers the entire spectrum of mining, sourcing, manufacturing, distributing and retailing coloured stones, diamonds and jewellery in the last 50 years. Along with its vast network of global marketing offices, the conglomerate established manufacturing facilities in seven countries. KGK celebrated one milestone after another. These include the Group’s entry into Hong Kong where it started its operations in 1962; its accreditation as a De Beers Sightholder in 1997, which allowed it to purchase rough diamonds in bulk, and the establishment of manufacturing facilities and similar ventures in Angola, Namibia and Russia from 2017 to 2019. Supported by its sterling track record, KGK also became an Alrosa LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Navrattan Kothari 1 2