Interviewtimes 
While love and happy residents make a house a home, one of the most crucial factors to a good-looking house is fabulous interiors. Therefore, finding the right furnishings, colors and patterns is integral to give a neat and royal look to your abode. Haryana Handlooms, the foremost home decor store of the state has been happily serving the customers for over 50 years now. Widely known for its sublime products and impeccable customer service, Haryana Handlooms still continues to rule the home decor segment in the state. Started in 1970 by Lajpat Chawla, Haryana Handlooms has constantly evolved over the years and put the state in the national home decor map. From bed, bath and kitchen linens, rugs, carpets, door mats, bed runners to curtains, blinds, upholstery, wallpapers, flooring and vertical gardens, Haryana Handlooms has something for everyone in the home decor segment. After the overwhelming success of its two stores at Janpath and Rajmahal, the third store named Opulent Decor was thrown open to public under the tutelage of Gaurav Chawla, the young scion of the Chawla family who has steered the brand to dizzying heights in the state.
Gaurav followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the business after completing his graduation. Unlike his friends who opted for conventional career options, Gaurav was keen on taking the father’s business to new heights in the state. He used to assist his father at work as a teenager but it was in the year 2002 when Gaurav joined the operations and since then he has never looked back. He infused new energy and vigour to the team. Not only did he diversify his business’s portfolio but also expanded the workforce and increased its turnover within a short span of time.
After the two flagship stores at Janpath Road (Ashok Nagar) and Rajmahal Square, Gaurav took the leap of faith and opened up Opulent Decor, the largest home furnishing store in eastern India in 2019 at Laxmi Vihar, Nandankanan Road, Patia. Spread across four large floors, the store houses exquisite Home Décor products sourced from across the globe. Over 20 international brands and 1000+ varieties of products fill up the retail space. The store exhibits a confluence of colours, prints and patterns and is designed to meet the ever-increasing demands of customers.
While the deadly coronavirus had a devastating impact on all businesses across the world, Gaurav and his team bravely faced the lockdown period and diversified the business into manufacturing facemasks, IR thermometers and other essential items to meet the rising demand for such products in the country. Besides, Haryana Handlooms took the lead in providing bedsheets, pillows, mattresses, etc. to different COVID hospitals and railway isolation coaches thereby supporting the government to contain the spread of COVID-19. Also, Gaurav donated over 50,000 masks, sanitizers and dry ration to the needy families with the help of few non-profits during the testing times. Interestingly, Gaurav says that Haryana Handlooms were among the first ones in the state to have registered pre-Covid sales after the unlock phase last year.
Apart from his inspiring entrepreneurial journey, Gaurav is also known for spearheading several path-breaking philanthropic activities across the state which has fetched him awards and recognition at the state and national level both. He is closely associated with various non-profit and youth-driven organizations of the state like Young Indians (YI), Bhubaneswar Round Table, etc. From mentoring start-ups, organizing youth sensitization programs, awareness programs on child sexual abuse, etc. Gaurav has always been at the forefront and inspired the younger lot to give back to society.
While the home decor segment has seen an upward trend in the state over the years, Gaurav has a piece of advice for the aspiring entrepreneurs. He says, “There is no substitute for hard work and sheer dedication in life. Always be focused on your work and have an appetite to learn from others. Stay abreast with the changing trends in the market and upgrade yourself accordingly to sustain in the market for the longest of time. And most importantly, always treat your customers as an asset.”
Though work and philanthropic activities keeps Gaurav busy round-the-clock, he finds pleasure in playing golf, swimming, horse-riding and spending quality time with his family. Currently, Gaurav is mulling to branch out to other cities like Sambalpur, Rourkela and Angul among others. Plans are afoot to start the interior design services for the customers soon.
