Opinion Look who’s splurging

Each of the three homes belonging to the family of T.S. Kalyanaraman, 66, the billionaire promoter of the jewellery chain Kalyan, stands on adjacent one-acre plots. The houses sprawl over areas of about 35,000 sq ft each and have been four-and-a-half years in the making. Each home is in a distinctive style, costs about 75 crore rupees, and is within a couple of minutes walking distance from the family’s private helipad, Kerala’s first, from where the ride to their private aircraft, parked at the Kochi airport, is just 10 minutes. The father, Kalyanaraman, and sons Rajesh and Ramesh, are scheduled to move into the homes soon.

The family has illustrious neighbours. Joy Alukkas of the eponymous jewellery chain is a competitor in the marketplace, but a friend and neighbour within the walled community. P.N.C. Menon of the real estate conglomerate Sobha Developers has plans for a future home in the gated community, which is promoted by his own company.

Thrissur ranks 138 among India’s largest cities, but a disproportionate number of successful businessmen have their roots there. Besides the two jewellery chain owners and the real estate developer, the owners of gold finance firm Muthoot finance, the Muthoot brothers, and the Gulf-based retail billionaire, Yusuff Ali, as well as the promoters of several Kerala-based banks, hail from the town. In fact, Yusuff Ali’s own Kerala home is a 60,000-sq ft, three-level waterfront residence with 11 bedrooms and a helipad that stands on three acres (to put that in context, the White House is a 55,000-sq ft dwelling that stands on 18 acres).

Like many of their successful peers with smalltown origins, Thrissur’s flourishing entrepreneurs have sprouted wings for their business but have chosen to grow their roots in their birthplace. The palatial new homes in the unlikely location of Thrissur mirror a trend visible in every corner of India, as more such homes come up in towns like Ajmer and Siliguri and Coimbatore.

“Many Indian entrepreneurs travel the world, are exposed to opulence everywhere they go, and now want the same comfort and luxury in their homes,” said Ramesh Kalyanaraman, 36, the younger of Kalyanaraman’s two sons. He said the brothers and the father travelled extensively outside India, as many as five to 10 days a month, and usually stayed in plush hotels. “When we returned home, we wanted the same level of well-being for ourselves and our families; we cannot lead two lives,” he said.

In the rather abstemious southern India, where conspicuous consumption patterns have lagged its northern counterpart, the sumptuousness of these homes heralds signs of a social change. On this side of the Vindhyas, billionaires, especially those that made their riches from the IT industry, are known to drive used cars and live in modest digs. The trend could be turning.

In the Thrissur gated community, the home of the patriarch Kalyanaraman stands in the middle and is built in the neo-classical style, older son Rajesh’s home in the classical style, while younger son Ramesh’s house has a modern, contemporary feel. The homes look nothing like the traditional residences of Kerala’s wealthy, which are characterised by the generous use of expensive wood. “There isn’t a single piece of teak in our three homes,” said Ramesh.

Each piece of furniture has been sourced from upscale furniture fairs in Europe and carries designer brand names like Armani and Fendi. The handpicked designer chandeliers cost a crore each. Everything from the mattresses to the door handles has been imported after careful selection. “These kinds of accessories have never been seen in Kerala,” Ramesh said.

The homes are fully automated, from the lights indoors to the water sprinklers in the garden. Bedroom curtains can be set to draw out at a certain time to a personal song. Each of the three homes has an entertainment theatre that cost a crore  to put together.

The security features in these homes are immaculate. The windows have double-layer, bulletproof, imported glass, which does not let a single whisper of sound through. There are 20 security cameras in and around each home, and laser beams sweep the boundaries. The cameras are rigged to beam images to the nearest police station in case of any intrusion. “Many people spend money on things that are noticeable, but this home is built not for people to see but for us to live and enjoy,” Ramesh Kalyanaraman said.

saritha.rai@expressindia.com