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Journalism of Courage
Gold-rimmed glasses, designer attire an impeccable disposition seated behind a giant teak wood table with a laptop. Samrat Zaveri doesn8217;t look a goldsmith in the least. A corporate magnate probably. But a jeweller? No way!In a way, he is a little bit of both. Zaveri is one of the heir apparents to Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri TBZ jewellers the first to sell branded gold in the market. quot;I would rather say I have the responsibility of taking TBZ to the next millennium.quot;
A colossal task for one so young?
All of 27, Zaveri has been eating, drinking and sleeping business for a long time now. quot;To be Olympic stars, athletes begin when they are just five, or may be seven years old. Like them, I believe that to be good at something, you must start early.quot;
After graduating in Commerce from HR College, he went to the mecca of education, Harvard, for a three-month course in Business Case Studies. Incidentally, he was the youngest there too. quot;An intensivecourse, it gave me immense exposure. I met several lawyers and businessmen there.quot;
What about lessons learnt in the past from the past?
quot;Though TBZ has always embarked on its assets of trust, goodwill and experience, today if you don8217;t eat, you get eaten up. So, a totally different mindset has to be applied in this day and age. More so now, when everything revolves around the next millennium.quot;
So, Zaveri also has millennium plans up his Jean Paul Gaultier sleeve! A new collection?
quot;Think for 100 days and you will still not come close to guessing what it really is. But calling it a collection is saying too little about it. It is something that will revolutionise the way jewellery is designed.quot; Zaveri prefers to hang on to the suspense that way he can keep his competitors guessing as well!
But does jewellery also require to be labelled under range and collection?
quot;Sure. If fashion designers can do it, why not jewellery designers?quot; Which is why TBZ were among the first touse that term. quot;Our 1980 Empress Collection still draws great response. Then there8217;s the Young Miss Collection which was designed to cater to the impulse-buying segment and comprises Rs 2,000-upward contemporary designs.quot;
What about the latest collection?
Designed by in-house designer, Gautam Banerjee, the One Collection is for the chic who love nothing but exclusivity. The range is based on the no copies8217; principle.
Anything for men, or is jewellery only a woman8217;s forte?
TBZ has a men8217;s line on the cards this year. Cufflinks, tie pins, belt buckles, rings, chains and bracelets, name it and there will be options for men too.
So, is it all work and no play for this entrepreneur?
quot;Those who say they are too busy for something are not interested in pursuing their interests. I make time for everything. But no books. Rarely will you see me sit down and concentrate on a book. I would rather go out and meet someone.quot; Or travel, which he does at least five times a year.
So,he has lived life to the fullest!
Even in his school days, when he was more into cricket and tennis, he had his eyes and ears open for business. quot;It all boils down to using a resource called time properly accommodating work, movies and family.quot;
Talking about the family, is wife Shalini a die-hard TBZ-loyalist or is it something else for her?
quot;Only TBZ white gold for her.quot; But strangely this gold moghul himself doesn8217;t wear any jewellery. quot;Yes. People have told me that I don8217;t look like a typical jeweller. But I have never been inclined to wearing gold in any form.quot; No sir. Samrat8217;s job is to get you to wear it instead!
