The flagship store of Nalli occupies the entrance to the glitzy Nageshwara Rao Road, the high street for sari and jewellery stores in T Nagar. Most customers venture no further down the road, heading straight into Nalli where a century old ritual plays out.

Well trained staff dramatically unfurl yards of magnificent silk for inspection, and delighted patrons run their fingers along the rustling silk, admiring the glint of the intricate gold border or zari.

The genial Nalli Kuppusami Chetty, recipient of the Padmashree award from the Government of India for ‘Best Trader’ in 2003 and the third generation owner of the Nalli chain, continues a tradition practised by his father and grandfather when the store was established in 1928. This author of several books on business management advocates personalised service; establishing a rapport with customers and meeting their requirements to the minutest detail. The personal touch and affability of the staff are what keep customers coming back for more, along with the undoubted quality of the silks.

The Chetty family hails from the silk capital of Kancheepuram, where Nalli Chinnasami Chetty, Kuppuswami Chetty’s grandfather, used to book orders for saris from visiting Chennaiites and then travel to the city to deliver as promised. Sensing a growing demand, Chetty set up a depot in Chennai and it soon evolved into a store. The history of Nalli is peppered with interesting anecdotes. When King George V visited Chennai (then known as Madras) in 1911, Chinnasami Chetty was given the task of creating a classic Kancheepuram sari as a souvenir. While many traders shut shop during World War II, Nalli bravely remained open, and its reputation spread even to the corners of the city.

Nalli saris are made of the finest raw material available with strict quality checks at its own looms; Sidlaghatta silk, the best in India, and ‘Napoleon’ zari (embroidered gold borders) with the highest percentage of gold and silver are the hallmark of all its signature silk saris. It was the first in the industry to use computers in documentation and design, which has significantly reduced the turnaround time in a craft that is conventionally long-drawn-out.

Nalli has been setting up branches since 1985 under the guidance of Kuppusami Chetty’s son Ramanathan K Nalli, and now has a presence in Singapore, the US, the UK and Australia. While saris, from silk to crepe and chiffon, remain its central focus, Nalli’s business now includes the manufacture and export of fabrics, apparel and home furnishings. It retails accessories like jewellery, stoles and dupattas as well.

Nalli Next, piloted by Lavanya R Nalli, the fifth generation entrepreneur from the family, targets the young urban woman. These stores, currently in Chennai and Bangalore, stock unique pieces and designer saris ideal for casual wear, cocktail parties and the boardroom. Its home furnishing line Next Living, part of the Nalli Next stores, has a variety of options for the domestic retail market, in a tastefully appointed ambience. Nalli saris are fondly passed on through generations as heirlooms.

Nalli Next is now all set to weave its silken magic in the rest of the country