Draft:KR Nagarajan

KR Nagarajan is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder of Ramraj Cotton, a prominent brand specializing in traditional Indian wear, particularly veshtis (dhotis).

Early Life and Education
KR Nagarajan was born in 1960, and hails from Avinashi, near Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, India. He started his career in 1977, right after completing his SSLC.

Career
Nagarajan spent 18 months in a dhoti manufacturing firm in Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh to learn about production and marketing in the textile industry.

A failed joint venture in Tirupur, the textile capital of Tamil Nadu, left him with dhotis worth Rs 85,000 in return for his investment. He went back to Rayalaseema to sell the dhotis as there was a demand there. He hit upon the idea of improving the cotton used for dhotis and building a business based on this.

Entrepreneurship
In 1983, Nagarajan started Ramraj Khadi Traders in Tirupur. He sourced dhotis, and cycled from Avinashi to Tirupur every day to sell them.

In 1986, he began manufacturing dhotis under his own brand. Due to poor agricultural returns and drought at this time, many farmers were involved in knitwear manufacturing in Tirupur. Nagarajan approached them to weave dhotis from 80s count cotton. He offered a higher price than the market rate. He then approached a retailer in Rayalaseema, pricing his dhotis at nearly double the going rate. There was good demand in the market, and customers wanted more of his product.

In 1987, Ramraj Khadi Traders became Ramraj Cotton, as khadi was replaced by cotton.

In 1999, he started manufacturing white cotton shirts. He also launched the first showroom for the brand in Tirupur.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Ramraj Cotton expanded its product line to include shirts, innerwear, and other traditional garments. They also added hundreds of new stores across the country.

Cultural and social impact
On multiple occasions, Nagarajan was denied entry into spaces like five-star hotels and boardrooms because he was wearing a dhoti.

These incidents gave birth to the ‘Salute Ramraj’ anthem. These advertisements had film stars, industrialists and other men of substance dressed in dhotis, alighting from shiny cars at five-star hotels, banks and other important places. His aim was to show the respectability of the dhoti as a garment.