: 777: The 88-YO Desi Brand Making Rs 60 Crore/Year via Pickles, Podis #IndiaNEWS #Chennai This story has its origin 88 years ago in 1933 when R S Narayanasamy Iyer and R S Ganapathy Iyer migrated to

777: The 88-YO Desi Brand Making Rs 60 Crore/Year via Pickles, Podis #IndiaNEWS #Chennai
This story has its origin 88 years ago in 1933 when R S Narayanasamy Iyer and R S Ganapathy Iyer migrated to Madras in search of better opportunities. The brothers who hailed from Ramanathapuram, a small village in Palakkad, were both excellent cooks and that was the skill that they relied on to find their place in their new home.
Sri Rama Bhavan came into existence in Thambu Chetty Street in Madras (now Chennai) with just four tables to accommodate 16 people. Focusing on serving traditional food, the restaurant catered to the crowds in what was Madras’s commercial hub. Soon enough, their skills and the appreciation for the food reached far and began to attract the celebrities of that era to Sri Rama Bhawan.
For 21 years, until 1954 the brothers primarily focussed on the restaurant business.
RSN Iyer and RSG Iyer
But there were always pickles, podi (powder), papadum (papad) and chutney placed at the cash counter for sale.
Srikanth Ramani (44), a third-generation businessman and Director of one of the most famous South Indian traditional food companies today — Sri Ganesh Ram’s 777, says, “While in the beginning it was all being done without any brand name or packaging, eventually that changed. As a brand, 777 came into being in 1954 and completely changed the trajectory of everyone’s lives. ???
Cutting across all barriers
Sri Rama Bhavan
It all began with a customer suggesting that the brothers brand the products and distribute them. Srikanth says, “At that time the brothers were rather clueless about brand building and getting their licenses in order. But they worked on it and applied for the requisite licenses to get the business going. ??? As a first step in that direction, they applied for a registration.
“The Fruit Product Order (FPO) registration number allotted to the business was 777 and that was how the brand was named,??? says Srikanth. Being a numeric, the brand has had many advantages and Srikanth says that it has helped with recall value as well as establishing a presence overseas. “It cuts across all sorts of barriers – language, caste and religion,??? he says.
“When the restaurant was functional, there would be many NRIs (non-resident Indians) who would visit and tell my grandfather that because they took back the pickles and podis from the restaurant, they did not miss the food back home so much,??? says Srikanth. It was this sort of feedback that pushed them towards a new challenge. As early as 1958, the brand managed to export their products to the US, UK and even Australia. “The brothers started exploring other avenues too,??? he says.
Growing the biz
A look at Sri Rama Bhavan in Thambu Chetty Street.

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