The platform made space for informal interaction, where hierarchies dissolved and conversations extended beyond the showroom floor
Jabalpur: Kothari Jewellers leveraged its recent participation in the Sarafa Premier League (SPL) 2026 to strengthen relationships within Jabalpur’s jewellery trade while fostering internal team cohesion. Organized by the Jabalpur Sarafa Association at the Ranital Velodrome Stadium, the week-long cricket tournament saw the retailer participate as both event partner and competing team.
Unlike conventional sporting events, the SPL is meant exclusively for members of the jewellery fraternity, bringing together jewellers, employees, karigars, proprietors and their families. For Kothari Jewellers, this created a rare platform for informal interaction, where hierarchies dissolved and conversations extended beyond the showroom floor.
The tournament featured 18 teams, with matches played nightly over seven days. Strong on-ground energy, amplified by social media promotions and local outreach, drew enthusiastic crowds and added to the league’s community appeal.
Reflecting on the initiative, Ashish Kothari, Founder, Kothari Jewellers, said the intent was to back a platform that builds camaraderie within the trade while giving employees an opportunity to go beyond their professional roles. “We wanted to support an initiative that brought the jewellery fraternity together while giving our own team members a chance to interact outside the workplace. With the management and employees playing side by side, professional roles were relegated to the background. This encouraged team spirit, spontaneity, collaboration and mutual respect,” Kothari said.
For the brand, the real value lay beyond match results. Employees who typically represent the brand in-store stepped onto the field as a team, supporting one another, building confidence and strengthening workplace bonds. At the same time, the setting enabled meaningful interaction between industry peers, something rarely possible in day-to-day business environments.
Kothari emphasized that such initiatives help create a more collaborative trade ecosystem. “Competition is a natural part of our industry, but it should never become a barrier between people. When jewellers spend time together through activities like this, they get to know one another better and develop mutual respect. Those relationships make for a stronger and more positive trade community,” he said.
Audience engagement added another dimension to the event, particularly through the ‘Catch of the Match’ challenge, where spectators could win a gold coin for a clean catch, turning passive viewership into active participation.
By leveraging sport as a unifying platform, Kothari Jewellers demonstrated how community-led initiatives can simultaneously strengthen internal culture and build stronger, more positive relationships across the wider jewellery trade.
Founded in 2001 with a single store in Jabalpur, Kothari Jewellers continues to build its presence through community-focused initiatives.
Written by Aparna Bhowmick
Retail Jeweller India Exclusive
