On 4 June 2001, I formally began my first job as a Retail Management Trainee with India’s first organised retail chain, the RPG Group.
On the first day at work, I recall vividly riding in my humble TVS Max 100 R motorcycle from home to Spencers Plaza, where the HQ was located.
I had been there before, countless times, but as an onlooker, as a consumer business enthusiast and a window shopper at best. Little did I know, that I would end up working in the same building one day.
25 years later, on 31 Aug. ’25, I had the chance to host an interesting evening with a handful of doyens of the Indian Retail Industry’s eponymous journey – spanning as late as 1859.
Miles2Go Consulting Services, the Management Advisory firm that I founded in 2014, hosted its first ever event on Retail, as well as to celebrate “Madras Day” – the date of 22 Aug. when the city of Madras was officially created.
What began as a seed of an idea, grew into a full-fledged, power packed event, with 8 powerful speakers spanning over 150 mins, with just 3 weeks of preparation.
Mr.Mahalingam Balasubramaniam and Ashwin Balasubramaniam, Directors of Mangathirth Estates, the promoters of Spencers Plaza spoke about the glory of the place and how it all started.
The connection between Retailing and the erstwhile Madras that is called Chennai today, dates back almost two centuries behind us.
The first ever full-fledged Department Store – “Spencers”, offering Food & Grocery products once upon a time stood here – where the mall is now located, as early as 1859.
This was a time when the gloried Harrods was not even in existence in London, the seat of the Queen and the East India Company!
Mr. Balasubramaniam spoke about how the mall was once upon a time, the largest building in India and was also the largest mall in all of Asia, during the late 90s.
In the next session, Mafoi Mr. K. Pandiarajan, Chairman & Managing Director CIEL HR, spoke about the hiring trends during the 90s and early 2000s in a candid chat with Prof. Giridhar Ramachandran, Ph. D., Associate Dean at XLRI Jamshedpur.
He also stressed about the great opportunity ahead of us for young professionals in the Indian Retail Industry.
During the Panel Discussion about the great transition of retailers and customers from the 20th Century Madras to 21st Century Chennai, Ms. Thangamalar Jaganath, Managing Partner, Vasanth & Co., spoke in detail about her Late father, Mr. Vasanth, the founder of the Consumer Durables chain and the discipline that he instilled and the processes he brought in to the business, due to which the company has not just scaled over the years, but also grown leaps and bounds.
Mr. Balachander R, Director of the Biriyani chain Junior Kupanna spoke about team management, retaining and hiring staff, ensuring operational SoPs and most importantly, how Chennai remains the Biriyani Capital of India.
In the grand finale of his chat, he spoke about how the glory of the SENGOL was discovered by well wishers two years ago, the interesting tid-bit that was passed on to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and eventually, the new Sengol – a device passed on from one ruler to the other during the days of the Chola reign in Southern India – was placed at the new Parliament building in New Delhi last year.
It was a momentous occassion for me, even as I stood in surprise, silence and satisfaction that a young boy who went about buying his first ever pair of denims from the Levis Store that once operated from this mall, with money earned from part-time gigs during the college days of 90s, was now grown up enough professionally to organise such an event of yore!
Interestingly, not only my first professional role, managing operations at RPG Retail’s Musicworld Kolkata & later at Foodworld stores across Chennai originated here, but also the interview and the confirmation for my second job with Pantaloon Retail (later The Future Group) also happened at the same building at the Pantaloons Store.
As I always say, even as I germinated in my mother’s womb over 4 decades back, my professional life began at Spencers Plaza, which for me is as sacred.
Cannot thank my Almighty, my parents, my family, my friends, former and current professional colleagues and well-wishers, without who’s support I would not have been standing on this stage today to celebrate Retail and my lovely city, Madras aka Chennai.
I would like to sincerely thank M/s Mangalthirth Estates, BESPOKE, a premium gent’s salon from Naturals, Brown Tree, Kesar Gifts, IBC Tamil and KRIA Law for their unstinted support in conducting this event. A special mention to all the staff of M/s Mangalthirth who gave their best for the sake of the event’s success.
This is the first of many more events to come.
Do visit www.MilestoGo.in, even as we aspire to become the first ever Management Consulting Firm in India to go public by 2030.
We have, after all, Miles to Go…
