Cairo-founded firm finds entrepreneurial success in flexibility
Men don't define Chitra Chellaram, but they certainly surround her.
Mrs Chellaram's men include her father-in-law, Udharam Shamdas 'US' Chellaram, 84; her husband, Manolo Chellaram, 51; and their two sons, Manesh, 26 and Manoj, 22. They represent the fifth, sixth and seventh generations of this exporting family that has managed to keep its business alive for 147 years.
And they owe their success to adhering to a core business strategy that, in part by being flexible, has weathered some of the world's most tumultuous times.
D. Chellaram (HK) Limited - with offices in Central and Gibraltar - traces its infancy back to Cairo, where it started in 1860 in local arts and goods. As the company matured, it expanded to cities throughout the world, including Shanghai, Gibraltar and Johannesburg. A branch was set up in Hong Kong in 1894.
By the 1920s, D. Chellaram had 27 branches and claimed: 'The sun never sets on the Chellarams', echoing a motto of the British Empire. It was one of the six largest firms run by Indian merchants out of Hyderabad.