Shruti Sushma, a contemporary Indian jewellery brand with stores in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, is whipping up a storm worldwide with three collections at the moment – Modern Love, personalised initials and charms, and limited-edition pieces inspired by anything and everything that catches their fancy.
Sushma Chhajer founded the brand in 1997 in Ahmedabad. Twelve years ago, her daughter Shruti armed with a graduate degree in diamond studies from the Gemological Institute of America joined the business. Together, they have been creating timeless jewels for ultra-high net worth individuals in India as well as across the globe. Their jewels have also been worn by fashion icons such as Sonam Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez.
Shruti Chhajer Ranka talks about how the brand has been catching the attention of the world in the last one year.
How has the pandemic impacted your brand?
We don’t want to take away from the miseries that it is has brought many people but we were most constructive during the lockdown in 2020 than we have ever been. It gave us the time and liberty to pause and reflect on our business and to explore new designs. We also realised that we don’t need to restrict ourselves to one country and began shipping worldwide.
Our stores in Ahmedabad and Bangalore are located in 5-star hotels and over the years, we have built up clientele based in the UAE, USA and Qatar, many of whom would frequently visit India. Last year, we turned to virtual consultations to reach out to a larger audience.
We have been interacting with our clients more than ever before through the digital medium and even offer 1-day express shipping within India. We also began working on our e-store which will be ready in two weeks.
Which are your major markets?
We have been getting orders from the USA and UK in the last one year. Our jewellery has been featured in international publications like Robb Report, Vanity Fair, Tatler and Forbes, which has increased our visibility and substantially increased our client base in the above countries. We have also a few clients in Singapore.
Surprisingly, we have also had sales conversions through Instagram.
Tell us about your recent jewellery collections.
We cater to the ultra-high net worth individuals and their offspring. Earlier, the younger generation preferred spending money on bags, travel and partying but with things changing post Covid-19, they are turning to invest in things that will last a lifetime, like jewellery.
Younger to middle aged women are looking at initial pendants with diamonds and multi-coloured sapphires, personalised jewellery such as charm bracelets and pendants as well as layered and stacked bracelets. These are all priced at Rs. 2.5 lakh and below.
Our Modern Love collection is an ode to two people coming together with equality but yet give each other space in the relationship. The open rings and bracelets feature two solitaires at the finials. People have ditched their Cartier bracelets for our Modern Love bracelets.
We also have limited edition pieces which range from Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. These are not part of any collection but have myriad sources of inspiration such as a flower or a mood. We use high quality gemstones for each piece.
We also cater to brides.
Who designs the jewellery?
My mother is as involved in the design and manufacturing process as I am. I also look after the PR and social media aspect of the brand.
Tell us about your design philosophy.
We have something for everybody. Our jewellery is very versatile. It is for women who know what they want in life. The basic essence of our design is creating jewellery that will stand the test of time.
