NEW DELHI, Oct. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Spreading Joy captures a phenomenal entrepreneurial story that provides rare insights into a predominantly fragmented and unorganized industry.

Published by Harper Business

Hardback | Non-Fiction | 256 pp | INR 699

Available wherever books are sold | Releasing worldwide on 29^th October 2023

“Joy Alukkas is the perfect embodiment of the tireless entrepreneurial spirit that shaped the United Arab Emirates. His vision and leadership have built Joyalukkas into a brand that is loved and respected across the world and contributed to the long-standing commercial and cultural ties between the UAE and India. It is certain that his story, through his autobiography, will be applauded globally.”

–       H.E. Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Thrissur, on the coast of Kerala, is known as India’s ‘gold town’. It was here that Puthussery Alukka Joseph Varghese moved into jewellery retail from his umbrella business in the late 1950s. One of his fifteen children, Joy Alukkas, seemed to have inherited his father’s entrepreneurial spirit. In 1986, the quest for his personal El Dorado took Joy to the modern ‘city of gold’: Dubai.

Getting to know the lay of the land, including aspects of procurement, staffing, sales, and other regulations, exacerbated by the language barrier, was a challenge that could dampen any entrepreneur’s spirit, but Joy persisted and opened the first ‘Alukkas’ jewellery store in Abu Dhabi, followed soon after by another in Dubai. Just as business was taking off, the Gulf War broke out in 1990, disrupting every aspect of life and forcing Joy to return to India. Not only did a resilient Joy go back to the Gulf some months later, but he also re-established the Alukkas footprint, opening stores within and around the UAE. In the next two decades, he expanded his business to eleven countries with more than 160 outlets and revolutionized the gold-retailing business with innovations such as the use of the karat meter, the first billing software in the industry and board rate for gold price, to mention a few. Throughout the years, the ethos of his business has remained the same: to be the ‘customer’s favourite jeweller’.

Spreading Joy not only captures a phenomenal entrepreneurial story but also provides rare insights into an industry that has predominantly been fragmented and unorganized. Aspiring entrepreneurs, irrespective of the industry they operate in, will find this book of immense value as they build their dream organizations. 

Joy Alukkas says, “Our brand, Joyalukkas (single-owned largest jewellery retail in the world) has not been an overnight success. The legacy started by my father, Alukka Joseph Varghese, in 1956 marks 35 years of strong impression in UAE this year. Over these years, we continue to receive love, trust, recognition and applause from our customers and business associates across the globe. 2023 will be ending on yet another exciting note, as I feel more than ready for the very first time to share the journey of my trials and tribulations, and how with consistency and perseverance all that resulted in the bestowed glory today. My book Spreading Joy is dedicated to my father. I hope that my autobiography truly uplifts each one of you reading it and encourages you to develop a never-give-up attitude. I would like to sincerely thank HarperCollins for releasing the book worldwide.”

Thomas Scaria and Nidhi Jain, co-authors of Spreading Joy say, “‘Joy Sir’, as we fondly refer to him, cooperated fully in the writing of this book, and gave us total creative freedom. Nothing was off-limits. He encouraged everyone who contributed to speak honestly. He was himself remarkably candid. His family, friends, competitors, and colleagues together gave us an unexpurgated view of the passion, perfectionism and artistry that shaped his approach to business and resulted in the creation of the brand Joyalukkas. We have done our best to do justice to his story and portray the extraordinary life of an extraordinary man.”

Sachin Sharma, Associate Publisher, HarperCollins says, “In the Indian subcontinent, there are more than 180,000 independent jewellery retailers. Most of them are in their second or third generation, managing mostly one or two stores. How did Joy Alukkas create one of the largest jewellery store chains in the world? Not only that but how did he manage to become his ‘customer’s favourite’ jeweller? Spreading Joy is an extraordinary tale of grit, resilience and above all, a happy-go-lucky entrepreneurial spirit. This is a book that will inspire you to make your big leap in business and life.”

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

“I have witnessed the growth of Joy and the Joyalukkas group over the decades. With dedication, credibility and humility, he has worked very hard to shape Joyalukkas into a global entity. I am sure his autobiography will inspire not only this generation but also the ones to come.” 

–       Yusuff Ali M.A, Chairman and MD, Lulu Group International 

“Joy Alukkas’s autobiography is a compelling read that offers valuable insights into leadership, brand-building and the single-minded pursuit of a goal through consistency, grit and determination.”

–       L.V. Navaneeth, CEO, The Hindu Group 

“I have known Joy for quite some time. His success in establishing his brand Joyalukkas across eleven countries is a remarkable feat of leadership. I am sure that many entrepreneurs across the globe will be curious to read how the man himself has been standing tall in such fierce competition for so many decades. Much success.” 

–       Nikhil Kamath, Co-Founder, Zerodha 

“Torchbearer of the brand Joyalukkas, Joy is recognized as a great visionary leader in the UAE. ‘Spreading Joy’, the title of his book simply denotes the love that customers have for his brand across the globe. I wish nothing less than great success for his book.”

–       Abdul Hamid Ahmad, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Gulf News

“Joy Alukkas has garnered immense admiration for his remarkable journey in the jewellery business. His unwavering determination, meticulous attention to detail, and supreme self-confidence have propelled him to become one of the leading gold retailers in the world. We extend our best wishes to him, and we are sure this autobiography will inspire generations of readers across the globe.”

–       Malayala Manorama

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Joy Alukkas is the founder and chairman of the eponymous global retail brand Joyalukkas Jewellery. Originally from Thrissur in Kerala, he is credited with modernizing the Indian jewellery retail business globally. Branching out on his own from a family-run business, he disrupted the traditional model of standalone jewellery stores and created a global chain comprising 160 stores in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the UK and the US. His diverse business interests include forex remittance and textile retail under the brand names Joyalukkas Exchange and Jolly Silks, respectively. He figures on the Forbes’ Billionaires list of 2023 and is regarded as one of the most prominent business leaders of the Arab world.

Thomas Scaria is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of India and the UK with over two decades of experience in financial strategies. Currently the General Manager (Finance) of Joyalukkas International and a member of its board of directors in India, he has worked closely with Joy Alukkas and learnt from him, gaining intimate insights into his professional and personal life. Having grown with the company in different roles, he has led various projects in acquisition, debt and equity financing. He is an avid reader of non-fiction books and has a great passion for teaching.

Nidhi Jain is a writer, broadcaster, TV producer and media consultant. A journalist by training, she graduated from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and worked with All India Radio, TV Today’s Aaj Tak news channel and Sony Entertainment Television in India before moving to Dubai as a programme director with TEN Sports. She also served as a relationship manager with the Emirates NBD Bank, Dubai. She has a deep interest in finance and psychology.

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS INDIA

HarperCollins is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, having begun publishing in India in 1992. HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian Subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2,000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live! Award, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Harvard University Press, Gallup Press, Oneworld, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet. HarperCollins India has won the Publisher of the Year Award four times at Tata Literature Live! in 2022, 2021, 2018 and 2016, and at Publishing Next in 2021 & 2015. HarperCollins India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers.

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