Ramraj Cotton is not a business, but an institution: Chairman KR Nagarajan

Ramraj Cotton, a traditional ethnic wear brand, launched a new campaign featuring Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and players from the Chennaiyin FC football team last week. Targeting the North Indian market, the ad film presents the dhoti as an outfit that commands respect. The ad calls the humble outfit "desh ki pehchan”.

In the TVC, Bachchan arrives at a friend’s party wearing a Ramraj Cotton dhoti and shirt. Guests playfully tease him about his South Indian attire, linking it to his ownership of Chennaiyin FC.

Responding through a song, he explains that tradition transcends regions, serving as a unifying thread in India’s cultural diversity. He highlights how Chennaiyin FC’s players come from various cities, just as the dhoti reflects India’s collective heritage, with each state adding its unique touch to this garment.

“Paon samman bada, pehenke dhoti…” (Earn respect by wearing a dhoti) says the song’s lyrics. This theme of earning respect in the traditional attire is the 42-year-old brand’s all pervasive message and has been oft-repeated over the last two decades. 

It started with the ‘Salute Ramraj’ campaign in 2004. It featured film stars including Malayalam actor Jayaram, industrialists, and influential men stepping out of sleek cars at five-star hotels, banks, and other prominent locations—all dressed in dhotis. They were smartly saluted by security guards and receptionists. This was founder and chairman KR Nagarajan’s creative way of asserting that the dhoti commands respect and dignity. The inception of this campaign is based on his personal experience. 

Based in Tiruppur, he launched Ramraj Cotton in 1983. In the 1980s, Tiruppur had 300-400 companies manufacturing veshtis, but most shut down, including the one he worked for, as the popularity of the outfit declined. He took a chance on what was considered unsellable. 

“We introduced quality where none existed. Initially, we sold in small shops like Khadi Bhandars and textile outlets, gradually expanding to all types of stores. Year after year, sales grew by 30-40%,” he says.

However, he noticed that the veshti lacked the respect accorded to pant-shirt attire. Once, while attending a function at a five-star hotel, he was denied entry as he was dressed in a ‘veshti’, while others in pant-shirts were allowed. That humiliation made him realise that no matter how high the quality or price, the veshti would not gain mass appeal without societal respect. That led to the ‘Salute Ramraj’ campaign and since then, the brand has consistently used celebrities in all its campaigns.

“In old movies, respected stars wore Western clothes, while veshtis were associated with the working class, farmers, and villagers. This created a stereotype of traditional attire being outdated and inferior. My vision was to shatter this perception. Today, I’m proud to say that veshtis are respected and can be worn anywhere with pride. What began as a personal humiliation became a mission to elevate the status of this traditional outfit,” he says.

In line with its purpose to promote traditional Indian attire, the brand has expanded from veshtis to children and women’s garments. Over the last two to three years, it has promoted itself with the tagline “Culture of India” evolving beyond veshtis and white attire to represent all Indian traditions. This is reflected in the latest campaign as well.

In 2012, it launched the kids’ segment, Little Stars, catering to all age groups, including newborns. The idea came when his grandson wore a veshti for the first time at six months for his first meal ceremony. 

However, getting the youth to adopt veshtis was a challenge. During university guest lectures, students told him they avoided veshtis due to the lack of pockets and difficulty keeping them in place. This feedback led the brand to develop veshtis with velcro and pockets, which were quickly embraced. While white veshtis traditionally appeal to men over 35, youth and kids prefer vibrant, colorful designs. To meet this demand, it launched colorful ranges for the younger audience, ensuring veshtis resonate with every generation.

“Today, students greet me in veshtis during these visits, proving they were open to the idea when presented thoughtfully.” 

KR Nagarajan, founder and chairman, Ramraj Cotton

Apart from making the veshti a symbol of respect and recognition, the brand’s other objective is the welfare of the weavers. Nagarajan says he started this business to support them after seeing their dire plight, initially helping 50 families and now supporting 50,000 families. 

Today, as other brands, including Manyavar, enter the dhoti segment, Nagarajan says he does not see these other brands as competitors, but simply as followers, as nobody can match his price and quality. Over the years, the brand has become synonymous with dhotis and veshtis and holds an 80% market share in the category across South India. He says unlike these brands focused on profit and loss, his priority is the welfare of his weavers. 

“I’m not a commercial businessman; I’m a trustee of an institution. While profit isn’t wrong, my path is different. Ramraj Cotton is more than a business—it’s an institution dedicated to preserving tradition and supporting livelihoods.”

KR Nagarajan, founder and chairman, Ramraj Cotton

Nagarajan proudly declares that Ramraj didn’t enter the veshti business for profit. If that were the goal, he could have pursued the more lucrative export business from Tiruppur. His aim was to ensure people around him could afford three meals a day. 

This purpose is reflected in everything the brand does. During COVID, when weavers faced a lack of work and sari sales plummeted, they sought his help. While he couldn’t sell saris, his elder daughter stepped up, saying she would create a brand for saris to revive the culture of wearing them. That led to the birth of the women’s line Ramyyam. 

The latest 360° campaign is the brand’s first marketing effort to promote itself in the northern markets. Over the past two to three years, it has entered markets like Maharashtra, Odisha, MP, Gujarat, and UP. 

“We’ve established a strong presence across South India, from small villages to metro cities. In the North, however, we’ve focused only on metro cities and only recently began direct marketing efforts. Having studied the market during this time, we see it as moving from kindergarten to the first grade in our growth journey,” says Nagarajan.

Nagarajan says the brand chose Bachchan as its brand ambassador to market its products in North India for his alignment with its cultural and traditional ethos.

“Hailing from a traditional family, as the son of Amitabh Bachchan and grandson of renowned poet, Harivansh Bai Bachchan, he embodies cultural and ethical values,” he says.

The brand was in talks with him for over a year. Nagarajan says it wasn't just commercial discussions. The brand shared its mission and inspired by its purpose, he gladly accepted to represent the brand.

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Moreover, Bachchan is one of the owners of Chennayin FC. In August 2024, Ramraj partnered with the Indian Super League franchise as its presenting sponsor. 

In the South, it has collaborated with prominent stars as brand ambassadors: Jayaram for Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Daggubati Venkatesh for Andhra, and Rishab Shetty for Karnataka. 

“We’ve effectively utilised leading South Indian celebrities for these markets. With Abhishek Bachchan, however, we see an opportunity to go pan-India. His youthful appeal and versatile presence resonate with both North and South audiences. Moreover, dhotis are worn in various ways across India, and his personality uniquely complements the garment,” he adds.