A small store in the middle of the busy Ulsoor Bazaar Street, Jiwan Singh and Sons looks like any other clothes store. And yet, when if you look closely you can see a letter dated July, 1946 and you realise there’s something special about the store.

Jiwan Singh and Sons was started by Jiwan Singh on August 16, 1956 and so will be completing 51 years of existence in the City. The store is now run by his son Tejinder Singh who took over after his father’s demise.

Remembering the first time he stepped into the store, Tejinder says, “I was here when my father set up the store. At the time, I was a class IX student studying in Joseph's. I would come to the store during the lunch break, take over the business and let my father finish up with his meal.

I would also come back after school and stay till 9 pm and go home with my father,” he says Tejinder who has been looking after the business himself.

A nostalgic Tejinder recounts setting up a store in Bangalore in the 50s, “Even at that time, this street was a great place to set up a store. There were a handful of shops then and the street wasn’t this crowded. In fact, I don’t think we will be able to do as much business now as we did then! (laughs)”.

The store retails only materials and has no ready-made garments. They have a collection of sarees, salwar sets, blouse materials, towels, dhotis, materials for suits among others. While we sit at the store, a customer walks in and Tejinder immediately recognises her and she smiles and says she shopped at the store for her wedding.

Another customer comes in asking for Tejinder’s help to find a tailor and he patiently helps her out with that.
“This is the kind of relationship I have with my customers. I interact with them personally and most of them are loyal and return to the store. In fact, I’ve been around for so long, I have second and even third generation customers,” he says.

Sixty six-year-old Tejinder says that the store will go with him as his son has taken on a different profession.
He plans on working as long as he can in his store which, in about a year, will shift to his own shopping complex in Indiranagar.

Jiwan Singh and Sons is currently at 52-53, Bazaar Street, Halasuru.