This Billionaire Indian Jeweller Was Once Insulted By Rolls Royce Dealer

We have heard of several instances where dealership staff have misbehaved with customers after judging them based on their appearance, often assuming that they cannot afford the vehicle. While such incidents are usually associated with ordinary buyers, it turns out that even extremely wealthy individuals are not immune to this kind of treatment. Here is one such incident shared by Joy Alukkas, Chairman and Managing Director of the Joyalukkas Group, where he recalls feeling insulted at a Rolls-Royce dealership - an experience that ultimately led him to buy a Rolls-Royce.

Joy Alukkas is one of the most well-known jewellers in South India and the UAE. Today, he owns several expensive cars, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. During an interview with CNBC TV18, he shared the experience that led him to purchase his first Rolls-Royce.

The incident dates back to the year 2000, when he was in Dubai and visited a Rolls-Royce dealership. As he entered the showroom, the staff asked him about the purpose of his visit. He told them that he was interested in checking out their cars. The response he received from the dealership staff was something he was completely unprepared for.

Back in 2000, Rolls-Royce cars were not a common sight in India, and seeing an Indian customer at a Rolls-Royce dealership was rare. According to Joy Alukkas, the dealership staff asked him to leave the showroom and suggested that he instead visit a Mitsubishi dealership nearby. This response deeply offended him, as he had not expected such treatment. Ironically, it was this very behaviour from the salesperson that pushed him to buy his first Rolls-Royce.

In the interview, he also mentions that after purchasing the car, he realised that he actually knew very little about the brand or the vehicle itself. He admitted that it was an impulsive purchase and that he did not genuinely need a Rolls-Royce at the time. This led him to think of ways to use the car more meaningfully - particularly as a tool to build his brand.

That is when he came up with the idea of conducting a raffle draw. Raffles are extremely popular in the UAE, where participants often win expensive gifts, including luxury cars. Joy Alukkas decided to host a raffle in which the grand prize was the Rolls-Royce he had bought.

At the time, this was a unique marketing idea, and he became the first jeweller in the UAE to introduce such an offer. The strategy worked exceptionally well and helped him establish and expand the Joyalukkas brand across the UAE and other regions.

We tried searching for images of the actual Rolls-Royce purchased by Joy Alukkas but were unsuccessful. However, it is known that the jeweller eventually gifted a Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph to a lucky customer through the raffle. Since then, Joyalukkas has conducted several such draws, successfully strengthening the brand’s presence.

Although we do not have images of the exact car, the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph was powered by a 5.4-litre V12 engine paired with an automatic transmission. It was the flagship model from Rolls-Royce at the time.

Since that first purchase, Joy Alukkas has gone on to add several luxury cars to his garage, including the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series I and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, among others.