In the state capital of Tamil Nadu, an exclusive auditorium located in the center of the city is usually visited by many throughout the year. But the current occupant of the auditorium is home to a group of famous industrialists, sports stars and supporters of a great innovator and businessman. As he walked across the stage in pure white shirt and dhoti towards the podium, the entire crowd, like a military baton, represented KR Nagaranjan as he unveiled the anthem Salute Ramraj. As the crowd cheered Nagaranjan, his face was visibly beaming with pride. A business that began in the 1920s as a response to an insult he suffered when he was in a hotel for a business meeting has turned into a million-dollar enterprise in 40 years. Born to a family of modest means, Nagaranjan had to abandon his studies after matriculation to become the breadwinner of his family. Being a quick learner, he was able to learn the tricks of the cloth trade within two years of joining a cloth mill in the neighborhood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay He went on to establish Ramraj Khadi Textiles in 1983 in Avanashi, which in his words was an office with a table and chair. His vision was very clear: “To provide quality ethnic wear to people in and around South India.” Nagaranjan felt that clothes are an integral part of India and should be woven not just with thread and pin but with pride, culture, prosperity and quality. He sold Khadi clothing in Tirupur on bicycle, a 14km return journey every day, saving 20 rupees on bus fare and got an idea on how to completely turn the business around worth unsold inventory of Rs.85000/-. He realized that the main reason the inventory remained unsold was that people were accustomed to similar types of clothing and needed differentiation that offered better quality and durability. This is what Nagaranjan capitalized on. In 1987 he renamed the company Ramraj Cotton Textiles and developed a production model that used products made by local weavers in the Rayalaseema region of undivided Andhra Pradesh. The concept of outsourcing, a rather popular term used for services provided by a company outside their core competencies, was unheard of back then. Through Labor Innovation, as it is known, Nagaranjan has transformed the lives of many in the Rayalaseema region. In 1986 Andhra Pradesh was hit by a severe drought. Farmers were burdened with loans and cooperative banks were not interested in offering new loans. He continued to spread the idea of sourcing cotton and producing dhotis and shirts on a contract basis directly from the people. He offered a lucrative deal for the services, then the offer spread like wildfire across the Rayalaseema region. Today, over 1,000 families have a direct contract with Ramraj, with over 2.5 lakh meters of cotton yarn transformed into dhotis, shirts and underwear daily, without any significant major investment by the firm. Ramraj, who currently has over 30 stores in India located in malls and airports, came up with the idea of developing a retail outlet from an old warehouse. Yes, you heard right. In the late 1990s, Ramraj faced problems with his old warehouse and later moved to a larger warehouse. Instead of giving up the location, Nagaranjan tried the model of a premium touch-and-feel store in the old warehouse location. AND.
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