Times Applaud

Niraj Johri's home décor business started small. Casa Décor now clocks a Rs 100 crore turnover. Niraj Johri's small concept in home decor has blossomed into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Around 13 years ago, he and his brother Pankaj Johri spent a few thousand rupees to purchase several examples of ceramic knobs from Khurja, a village in Uttar Pradesh famed for its ceramic-ware. Niraj, whose father was involved in furniture exports at the time, explains, "We got these ceramic doorknobs from Khurja for Rs 15-20 and realised it had a big potential to be used as knobs for cabinets and drawers, as they liven up the furniture. Around the same time, in 2009, I began exporting ceramic knobs. We only required a sample to secure the order." The major break came when they took the samples to the Ambiente trade show in Germany and sold them for a great profit while also bagging orders to make more. The products were rapidly sold out. Niraj says, "The...