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| Robin and Rickson, MCR, Erode, Tamil Nadu |
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In school they were called postboxes since their tattered trousers had patches at the back. Sons of a former mill owner, M.A.Chacko of Erode, they were reduced to that status as their father’s business failed and ultimately he had to find another role as seller or homemade snacks in the streets of the city.
But such things did not deter the brothers, Robin and Rickson. Resourceful and hardworking, they worked parttime in textile mills, bought used textbooks and gathered the spare pages of used notebooks to self-finance their studies. And their mother Eliamma made a lot of sacrifices to keep hunger and the knowledge of it away from the house. While other students spent their summer vacations in games and play, the brothers worked in textile mills to gather Rs. 40 to finance their studies next year.
After studies, Robin became a supplier of tea at a mill. As someone with a keen interest in textiles and mills, it was not long before the peon became a close to the mill owner and got posted as the head of marketing and production units.
Not contented with that, the brothers started a single room shop to sell ‘mundu’. As they searched for marketing techniques, they hit upon the idea of branded ‘mundu’. While their ‘Dalapathi’ mundu was a flop, their Mohanlal mundu, styled after the actor’s role in the movie ‘Narasimham’, was a massive hit. The clients from Kerala stood in queue before their single room shop at Erode and the crowd had to be controlled with issue of tokens.
Even as the business prospered, they refused to increase the price. When the actor came to know of 2 youngsters using his name to sell mundu, he called them. After hearing their story, he wished them good luck.
Later, the duo marketed Mammooty ‘mundu’ which too was a hit. By different marketing techniques like giving a clock free with ‘mundu’, giving choice of different shades of white ‘mundu’, and reducing the price by bargaining with the mills and passing on the benefit to the customers, MCR became a success story.
More than 3000 persons are directly or indirectly benefited from the brothers’ Rs.20 crore venture. MCR contributes to the study of many poor children.
As years roll by, these non-resident Malayalis are making more Keralites use their traditional ‘mundu’.
Courtesy: Unni K.Warriar, Malayala Manorama, August 22, 2004
Contributed by: Administrator
