GRT Jewellers

GRT Jewellers (G.R. Thanga Maligai), established in 1964 by Shri G. Rajendran in Chennai (then Madras), has grown from a single store into one of South India's most trusted and beloved jewellery retail chains. With over 60 years of heritage and more than 75 showrooms across South India plus an international presence in Singapore, GRT represents the gold standard for quality, craftsmanship, and customer trust in the region. The brand has become synonymous with traditional South Indian jewellery, particularly the intricate temple designs and elaborate bridal collections that are integral to Tamil Nadu's cultural heritage.

The brand's founding story reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of Tamil Nadu. Starting as a small shop in T Nagar, Chennai, with a steadfast focus on purity and fair dealing, G. Rajendran built a reputation that attracted customers from across the city and beyond. His vision was to create a jewellery store where customers could trust the purity of gold without question and find designs that honored South Indian traditions while embracing contemporary aesthetics. Today, under the leadership of second-generation Managing Directors G.R. Ananthapadmanabhan and G.R. Radhakrishnan, the company continues to uphold these founding values while expanding its reach and modernizing its offerings for a new generation of customers.

GRT's flagship showroom in T Nagar, Chennai, has achieved legendary status among jewellery destinations in India. Spanning multiple floors with thousands of designs on display, it is one of the largest jewellery showrooms in the country and a must-visit destination for anyone shopping for gold in Tamil Nadu. The store features dedicated sections for different jewellery categories including traditional temple jewellery, contemporary diamond collections, silver articles, platinum jewellery, and bridal sets. The customer experience includes private consultation rooms for bridal jewellery selection, digital cataloging systems, and trained staff who can guide customers through the extensive collections. The store sees particularly heavy footfall during wedding seasons and auspicious occasions like Akshaya Tritiya, Pongal, and Diwali.

The brand's product portfolio is remarkably diverse, covering gold, silver, platinum, and diamond jewellery across every price point and occasion. Collections include traditional temple designs featuring deities like Lakshmi, Ganesha, and traditional motifs, contemporary pieces for everyday wear, elaborate bridal collections for South Indian weddings, lightweight office wear, children's jewellery, men's gold chains and rings, and ceremonial pieces for religious occasions. Named collections like Adore (contemporary gold), Elena (diamond cocktail rings), Mayuri (peacock-inspired designs), Zeva (modern minimalist), Viha (wedding collection), Laya (layered necklaces), Oriana (precious gemstones), GRT Brides (comprehensive bridal trousseau), and GRT Verse (fusion designs) cater to different aesthetic preferences and occasions. The company also offers an extensive range of silver articles including pooja items, dinner sets, gift articles, and decorative pieces.

Making charges at GRT range from ₹180 to ₹450 per gram - significantly more competitive than national chains like Tanishq (₹350-800/gram) while maintaining equivalent quality standards with BIS hallmarking. This value proposition, combined with trusted purity, exceptional design variety, and deep understanding of South Indian wedding traditions, has made GRT the default choice for Tamil Nadu weddings and celebrations. A typical 50-gram bridal necklace could cost ₹5,000-15,000 less at GRT compared to national chains, making a substantial difference for families purchasing complete wedding sets.

GRT has invested heavily in digital transformation, recognizing the changing preferences of modern customers. Their e-commerce platform (grtjewels.com) features over 8,000 ready-to-ship products across all categories. Digital features include free shipping across India, international delivery to select locations including the USA, UK, UAE, and Singapore, a mobile app for iOS and Android with virtual try-on capabilities, video shopping consultations through GRT Live where customers can connect with jewellery experts, reserve-online-pick-up-in-store functionality, 360-degree product views, and real-time gold rate tracking. The digital platform has become particularly popular for gifts and lightweight everyday jewellery purchases.

The brand's commitment to quality is backed by stringent standards at every level. All gold jewellery is BIS hallmarked with the mandatory 6-digit HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification Number) that can be verified online. GRT operates in-house quality testing laboratories to ensure purity before products reach showroom floors. Diamonds are certified by reputable international laboratories including IGI (International Gemological Institute) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America), providing customers with confidence in stone quality and grading. Transparent billing practices show gold rate, net weight, making charges, stone charges, and GST separately, allowing customers to understand exactly what they're paying for.

GRT operates several gold savings schemes designed to help customers plan for significant purchases. The popular Golden Eleven Flexi Plan allows customers to make monthly payments for 11 months and purchase jewellery in the 12th month with bonus benefits - effectively earning an 8-9% return on their deposits. The scheme offers flexibility in deposit amounts and can be used to purchase any jewellery from their collections. This has become particularly popular among families planning wedding purchases, allowing systematic savings over 1-2 years before the wedding date.

The company's geographic expansion has been strategic and steady. Starting from Chennai, GRT has established showrooms across Tamil Nadu including major cities like Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli, Erode, Vellore, Hosur, and numerous smaller towns. Beyond Tamil Nadu, they have expanded to Karnataka (Bangalore), Telangana (Hyderabad), Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati), and internationally to Singapore. Each showroom maintains consistent quality and service standards while adapting design selections to local preferences.

Beyond retail, the GRT Group has diversified into hospitality through GRT Hotels & Resorts, which operates premium properties in Chennai, Pondicherry, and other locations. The group has also invested in education and community development through various CSR initiatives. This diversification reflects the group's evolution from a jewellery retailer to a well-rounded business conglomerate while maintaining its core focus on jewellery excellence.

In 2024, GRT celebrated its 60th anniversary with a spectacular achievement - creating a Guinness World Record for the heaviest pair of gold earrings (jhumkas), weighing 3.527 kg in 22-carat gold. This remarkable creation, displaying extraordinary craftsmanship with intricate traditional designs, was a testament to their goldsmiths' skills and the brand's commitment to celebrating Indian jewellery traditions. The achievement garnered significant media attention and reinforced GRT's position as a leader in South Indian jewellery craftsmanship.

GRT's strength lies in understanding the nuances of South Indian wedding traditions and creating jewellery that honors these customs. Different Tamil Nadu communities have specific jewellery traditions - the Chettiars prefer particular designs, Brahmin weddings feature specific items, and Nadar community weddings have their own requirements. GRT's collections cater to all these variations, with staff trained to guide families through community-specific requirements. This deep cultural understanding, combined with competitive pricing and trusted quality, has made GRT an institution in South Indian jewellery retail.