From selling tea leaves in Munnar to building India’s largest furniture retail chain, the journey of Royaloak’s Chairman is a story of grit, design-led disruption, and the power of obsession. What began in 2010 as a 200 sq. ft. store in Bengaluru, funded by just Rs 28,000 and the sale of a scooter, has today transformed into a global presence with 200+ stores, a Rs 1,000 Cr turnover, thousands of livelihoods created, and a vision stretching from Tier-3 India to the Middle East and beyond. Royaloak’s rise is not built on VC money, but on a relentless belief in quality, innovation, and accessibility a belief that world-class furniture must be both beautiful and affordable for every home.
At the Center of this meteoric growth stands a first-generation entrepreneur who rose not from privilege, but from perseverance. His leadership is people-first, customer obsessed, and unwaveringly focused on elevating lifestyles through thoughtfully designed, globally inspired products. As he empowers franchisees, builds a tech-driven retail ecosystem, expands across continents, and stays grounded through weekly store visits his story is not merely about furniture, but about building a brand that lifts communities while redefining how India lives and works.
Here’s where his philosophy comes into focus not through slogans, but through lived action.
To understand his journey, we first need to understand what drives every decision he makes.
What core leadership principles guided you through this journey?
My journey building Royaloak has been guided by a set of core leadership principles that we have also deeply embedded in our brand’s vision and mission. At its heart, our vision is to emerge as a global leader in the furniture industry. For us, this means not just being a dominant player in India but making our mark on the world stage through quality, innovation, and trust. We are equally committed to creating vast and meaningful growth opportunities, not only for our employees but for all our partners and franchisees who are the backbone of our expansive network. This collective growth mindset drives us to nurture talent, encourage entrepreneurship, and empower stakeholders at every level. I also believe that it is equally important to have an unwavering focus on elevating the lifestyles of our customers by offering them beautifully designed, international-quality furnishings at unbeatable prices. This dual commitment to quality and affordability is our mantra. Our mission is clear: to provide seamless, integrated experiences for customers irrespective of where they shop, be it urban metros or emerging Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, or even abroad. As a leader, I emphasize that success is a shared journey. We continually align our strategy around these principles, which helps us stay anchored amid rapid market changes. Be it innovation in product design, pioneering efficient supply chains, or enhancing customer touchpoints through technology, everything is tethered to this core. Our people, our customers, and the communities we serve define our success, and this collective ethos propels us forward every day.
What were the early challenges of building a national brand, and how did you overcome them?
Building Royaloak into a national brand started from very humble beginnings. Back in 2010, I opened our first modest 200 sq ft shop in Bengaluru with just Rs 28,000 that I had scraped together. This came after years of hustling, selling tea leaves and powders to local shops in Munnar to pay my college fees in Chittur, and then working as a credit card agent in Coimbatore. One bold decision changed everything for me: I sold my scooter, pooled funds with two friends, and took the leap into business. At that time, the furniture market was 95% unorganised, dominated by local carpenters offering custom pieces at throwaway prices. On the other hand, we were importing international-quality designs from China, Malaysia, and Vietnam, facing sky-high duties, fragmented supply chains, and a complete lack of consumer awareness about organised retail. In 2016, import duty hikes nearly crippled us; customers didn’t trust branded furniture, logistics were a nightmare across India’s vast geography, and scaling from 4 stores to a national presence meant battling cash flow crunches without VC backing. We overcame these by staying laser-focused on fundamentals: relentless customer education through demos and affordability, sourcing from 280 global factories to keep prices competitive, pivoting to wholesale and B2B during crises, and building a franchise model that empowered local entrepreneurs. Post-COVID, we doubled down on our omnichannel. Online sales exploded, enabling rapid expansion to 150+ stores. Loyalty from our early team, who shared the grind, and direct store visits kept us grounded. Today, that resilience has us in 200+ locations, proving persistence and product excellence trump all hurdles.
How has your definition of success evolved since founding Royaloak?
When I founded Royaloak, success meant survival. It meant turning Rs 28,000 into the first profitable month selling TV stands from that tiny Bengaluru shop, funding my dreams without loans or investors, and proving a first-generation entrepreneur could disrupt this market. Early wins were about hitting Rs 1 Cr turnover, opening the second store, and keeping 20 employees paid amid duty shocks. Today, with about Rs 1,000 Cr turnover, 200+ stores, 2,000+ jobs created, and footprints in the UAE, success is holistic and sustainable. Now it’s about empowering franchise partners in Tier-2/3 cities to build wealth, delighting customers with seamless experiences from design to delivery, and scaling global ambitions without compromising quality. It’s the quiet pride of seeing families furnish dream homes affordably, employees grow into leaders, and Royaloak as a beacon for Indian entrepreneurship.
What does a day in the life of a chairman look like for you?
A typical day for me begins very early. I wake up at 4 a.m. and start with meditation. This quiet time helps me focus my thoughts, reflect deeply on key strategic decisions, and mentally prepare for the day ahead. I believe clear thinking and calm reflection are critical in leadership, especially when managing a rapidly expanding business like Royaloak. By the time the day officially starts, I engage intensively with our offline leadership teams. This morning window is when I gather insights, ask critical questions, and address immediate priorities. I aim to complete these interactions by around 9 a.m., ensuring the day’s momentum builds without delays. After that, I move into a packed schedule that involves meetings with top management, reviewing performance, discussing vendor and franchise partnerships, and planning future growth. Once a week, I hold a comprehensive review with the entire management team to maintain alignment and driveaccountability. A core part of my leadership practice is frequent store visits. At least once a week or every two weeks, I visit stores across our retail outlets to franchise locations. They enable me to experience first-hand the customer environment, engage with store teams, gather feedback, and energize our local partners. For instance, last week, I travelled all the way to Kolhapur by bike, and visited about seven or eight stores along the way, checking in with staff and customers. These store visits are not just routine but a deliberate effort to stay connected to the ground realities driving our growth. Between meetings and visits, I remain deeply involved with vendor relations and employee interactions, ensuring we maintain quality and agility across our supply chain and retail network. I also prioritize ending my day early to recharge and maintain the stamina required for sustaining intense leadership. Discipline is key here.
Men’s preferences in home and office furniture are changing. What trends are you seeing among male consumers today?
Over the years, I’ve seen a profound shift in how men approach furniture, particularly among the younger generation. They are moving away from the heavy, bulky wooden pieces their parents cherished to smart, space-saving, and notably lighter furniture that aligns with their mobile lifestyles. People relocate far more frequently now, between cities for jobs, rentals in metros, or even Tier-2 hubs, so they are prioritizing pieces that are easy to disassemble, transport, and reassemble without breaking the bank or their backs. We have been responding directly to this by curating ranges like our space-saver collections and multifunctional designs. Men specifically gravitate toward sleeker, stronger designs that withstand daily wear. Storage is non-negotiable for them, because urban living means maximizing every square foot. This trend reflects broader changes: remote work has made home offices a staple, so men seek boss-level desks that are compact yet executive-functional, with cable management and adjustable heights. They want contemporary, minimalist aesthetics in matte finishes or slim profiles that fit open-plan apartments. I see this as the furniture category evolving to match how men live, work, and move today.
How do you balance style, durability, and affordability when designing for the modern Indian man?
Balance is not a formula; it’s a relentless process driven straight from the market. We don’t design in isolation; we actively seek customer feedback through store interactions, surveys, online reviews, and direct conversations during my frequent visits. This tells us exactly what the modern Indian customer wants. That input flows directly into our product development teams, who iterate with our 280 global factories to refine prototypes. For instance, take our recliners or office chairs, we use high-resiliency foam wrapped in durable leatherette or fabric that resists wear, paired with sleek metal frames for that minimalist vibe, sourced efficiently from Malaysia or Vietnam to keep prices 30-50% below competitors. Durability means kiln-dried wood or reinforced joints that last 10+ years; style comes from global inspirations like clean Italian lines or bold American profiles; and affordability from economies of scale from massive imports and zero middlemen.
What is Royaloak’s design philosophy, and how does it reflect global influences?
Our design philosophy boils down to one powerful idea: delivering diverse, world-class options under a single roof, all shaped by real customer feedback to match every lifestyle and budget. We have curated collections inspired by the best global aesthetics – bold, oversized American pieces for those who want statement furniture that dominates a room; efficient, lightweight Malaysian designs that are affordable, practical, and perfect for mobile urban homes; elegant Italian collections with sophisticated material mixes like glass, high-gloss finishes, and tufted details for refined luxury; and our premium woodwork lines drawing from Indian craftsmanship blended with international precision. This is not random. It’s customer-driven, born from years of listening to what Indians crave, which is variety without compromise, international flair at local prices.
If you had to recommend three essential furniture pieces every man should invest in, what would they be?
As someone who’s built Royaloak from a tiny shop to India’s leading furniture brand, I have learned that men need furniture that is both functional and transformative. Here are my top three must-haves, drawn from what our customers (and I) swear by from our current collections:
a. A premium zero-gravity recliner that has buttery leather upholstery, built-in storage compartments for remotes and gadgets, USB charging ports, and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless streaming during downtime. The zero-gravity recline takes pressure off your spine, and it’s lightweight enough to move around. It has been engineered for durability, blending American-style comfort with practical technology.
b. An ergonomic boss desk and executive chair set for the work-from-home warriors. In today’s hybrid world, this duo is non-negotiable. The desk is sleek, lightweight, with multiple storage drawers,cable management, and modular options for laptops or monitors. Pair it with a high-back chair that has adjustable lumbar support, breathable mesh or leather, and a swivel base for all-day comfort.
c. Every man is also a family anchor, so a customizable family dining set is also key. We have options with chairs that are upholstered for comfort and stackable for storage. Materials like Vietnam teak tops and sturdy metal legs ensure it withstands rough-handling, while Italian-inspired elegance elevates meals. We also have customization options for the upholstery.
Royaloak’s presence has expanded across India. What’s next on your vision board for the brand?
Our expansion strategy is designed for deep and sustainable growth across India and internationally, driven by our commitment to making global design accessible and affordable for every household. India being vast and diverse, our key focus is to extend our franchisee network into value stores, smaller footprint outlets typically ranging from 5,000 to 6,000 sq. ft., targeted at Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This approach allows us to cater to emerging markets with rising demand for both traditional large formats and compact, modern store experiences. In 2025, our most significant push has been in South India, expanding in key cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, as well as strategically entering smaller urban centers where we empower local entrepreneurs through our unique master franchise system, which facilitates digital catalogues and modern shopping. Internationally, we have established a foundation in the UAE with operational stores in locations such as Silicon Central Mall (Dubai), RAK Mall (Ras Al Khaimah), and Lulu Mall (Fujairah), with Sharjah’s inauguration planned imminently. This presence is a stepping stone towards building leadership in the Middle East, supported by localized e-commerce platforms, partnerships with leading online marketplaces, and dedicated warehousing to ensure swift delivery. Looking forward, our blueprint includes expanding into other Gulf countries and exploring entry into Europe, the USA, and the UK, all to establish Royaloak as a globally recognized Indian furniture brand.
How do you ensure consistency in customer experience across so many stores and regions?
We have engineered this through rigorous standardization across every touchpoint. At the store level, we mandate detailed planograms and visual merchandising (VM) protocols for each floor. Master templates are created centrally and displayed prominently on every store wall as a constant reference with no deviations allowed. Our teams follow these rigorously, ensuring the look, feel, and flow are identical from Tier-1 metros to Tier-3 value stores (5-6K sq ft formats). This isn’t bureaucracy, it’s our secret to replicating the “wow” factor nationwide. Beyond physical stores, our omnichannel parity seals the deal with the same 10,000+ SKUs, pricing, EMI options, pre-delivery inspections, and delivery timelines available online, the same as offline. Centralized inventory from 280 global factories, automated backend systems, and vendor partnerships ensure stock synchronization. Franchisees get hands-on training in operations, VM, and customer service via our comprehensive programs, audited regularly during store visits.
What role does technology play in enhancing the furniture-buying experience at Royaloak?
Technology today is the invisible engine that makes buying furniture feel effortless, from browsing to unboxing, across 200+ stores and our digital platforms. We have digitized every layer. Centralized inventory systems synced from 280 global factories to give real-time stock visibility, so that there are no “out of stock” disappointments, whether you are in a value store or shopping online. Backend automation handles order processing, routing, and last-mile deliveries with GPS precision. Customers get ETAs, live tracking, and zero delays, even in places like Fujairah in the UAE. Our omnichannel backbone means seamless transitions are possible. We partner with India’s top tech vendors for state-of-the-art tools. AR/VR for virtual room try-ons, AI-driven recommendations based on past buys, and chatbots for 24/7 queries. In the UAE, localized e-commerce platforms (Noon, Amazon), backed by dedicated warehouses for 48-hour delivery. During expansions like South India’s 6 new stores, our RMS/EMS dashboards ensure ops uniformity. The pay off is frictionless touch points that build trust, and customers who rave about “no-wait” experiences that turn one-time buyers into loyalists, fueling our Rs 1,000 Cr growth.
How does your personal taste influence the brand’s direction, if at all?
I have always been a man on the move, from hustling to realise my dreams, to now crisscrossing the country for store visits. This relentless energy has also translated into our brand and, therefore, into our products. This means we have furniture that is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and built for dynamic lives, not sedentary inertia. We prioritize sleeker frames, modular pieces, and space-savers because I live it. I still instill this in teams during visits: furniture should energize, not sedate. My wife’s eye for welcoming store ambiance adds warmth, blending my functional ethos with aesthetic appeal.
How do you personally maintain work–life balance while running such a large enterprise?
Maintaining work-life balance while leading a company with an annual turnover like ours demands clear boundaries and a disciplined delegation framework. Over the years, I have built a strong second line of leadership, whom we affectionately call “generals”, to whom I’ve entrusted specific duties. These leaders interact with me daily and understand my expectations thoroughly, allowing me to focus on strategic priorities. Setting boundaries is key: not every issue or company representative needs my direct attention. This does not mean I am unapproachable. In fact, I’m deeply social, frequently visiting stores, engaging with customers and franchisees, and always accessible by phone or message. However, this second line filters and manages day-to-day matters, ensuring smooth functioning without overwhelming either party. When I am off work, I am truly off, and I expect this from my team when they take time off as well. Yet if urgent situations arise, I am ready to engage swiftly. This balance between accessibility and delegation keeps me effective, energized, and maintains the agility Royaloak needs to thrive.
What advice would you give young male entrepreneurs trying to build something meaningful in today’s competitive landscape?
I have bootstrapped Royaloak from Rs 28,000, hustling, and saving. My advice boils down to three unbreakable fundamentals: product is king, so obsess over quality. Make something superior that customers crave and return for, because flashy marketing crumbles without it. Second, build an authentic brand relentlessly. It is your moat in a crowded market, earned through consistency like our vision of elevating lifestyles at unbeatable prices. Third, guard cash flow like your life. Never sleep on receivables, and stick to healthy margins and bootstrapping. We thrived through COVID by chasing vision, not quick bucks.
