Curator looks to promote handcrafted Indian jewellery

Dushyanth Ganjam, the director of Ganjam jewellers, joined the family business in 2005. Armed with an MBA in Retail Management, he joined the company as a trainee and worked his way to becoming the head of retail.

He hopes to promote their handcrafted jewellery that has been inspired by temple designs during his time as the director. “We have acquired these are designs over a decade. We take custom orders for it, and this can take anywhere from three to 14 months because they are all handmade,” he explains. A strong believer of legacy, he has ensured that along with their designs, their craft and craftsmen also boast of their tradition. The brand currently works with the fourth generation of artisans.

To him, these ornaments are more than just that; they are carriers of memories and artefacts that boasts of the artistic sensibilities of the country. “With every generation, much of our tradition and culture gets diluted. There is no Indian flavour in a solitaire ring, and sadly enough that is what the younger generation wants. I believe that every Indian is responsible for protecting and promoting these little things,” shares Dushyanth.

He also hopes to make his customers preserve older ornaments as heritage. “They are heirlooms that you can pass down from generation to generation. You could melt them, and fashion something more modern or contemporary, but along with it, you are also erasing the memories. That emotional value, I could never sell,” he adds.