“I was born into a legacy, but I had to discover my own way within it.”

I am a Chennai boy, born and brought up here. I studied in the city, completed my undergrad at Loyola College, and later moved to New Zealand for my post graduation.

My family has been running Turakhia Opticians since 1940. Today, I work as the fourth generation in the business, alongside my father. Growing up around the store, watching customers walk in and out, hearing conversations about lenses and life, it always felt like more than just a business. It felt like responsibility.

What shaped me the most was observing two generations at close quarters. My grandfather and my father come from completely different eras. Their approaches to risk, discipline, relationships, and growth are not the same. Watching them taught me that tradition and change do not have to compete. They can coexist. I learnt to respect legacy, but also to question and evolve it.

Meditation and spirituality have helped me navigate that balance. When you are carrying expectations and trying to build something of your own at the same time, you need clarity. A calm mind has been my biggest asset, both in business and in life.

Moving to New Zealand changed me.

For the first time, I was entirely on my own. I worked as a security guard. I worked in construction. Long hours, physical work, no shortcuts. It humbled me. It gave me a deep respect for effort at every level. When you have stood through a night shift or done hard labour to earn your keep, you never look at work the same way again.

When I came back to Chennai and stepped fully into the family business, I brought that perspective with me. Leadership, I realised, begins with understanding ground realities.

Chennai, for me, is the sea.

It is the smell of salt in the air. The sound of waves breaking against the shore. The endless horizon at sunset. Sailing has become one of my greatest passions, and not many people realise that Chennai has such a beautiful sailing culture.

When I am out on the water, with just the wind guiding the boat and the city quietly in the distance, there is a stillness that is hard to explain. Watching the sun dip into the horizon while sailing, that is Chennai to me.

No matter where life takes me, this shoreline will always feel like home.”