Some businesses begin with a breakthrough idea. Royaloak began with resilience. Long before building one of India’s largest organised furniture retail brands, brothers Vijai and Mathan Subramaniam were testing opportunities; selling tea powder, candle stands and household products, learning to adapt at every step. For Chairman and Co-Founder Vijai Subramaniam, it started with a bold gamble: selling his scooter to raise ₹28,000, borrowing from friends, and investing in a small exhibition stall, where persistence proved more valuable than any perfect plan.
Joined by his younger brother Mathan, whose strengths lie in finance and strategy, the duo grew a modest venture into a nationwide brand with 200+ stores across 110+ cities. With clearly defined roles and shared intent, Royaloak now eyes nearly 400 stores and a ₹5,000-crore milestone, still grounded in resilience, clarity and trust.
1. Royaloak’s journey began long before it became a household name. How did the idea first take shape, and what made you decide to build it together as brothers?
Vijai: Royaloak wasn’t born from one defining idea; it was built through persistence. Before furniture, we experimented with several small businesses, from selling tea powder and plastic household products to candle stands. There were setbacks at every stage. I had even planned to move to Singapore, but when that didn’t happen, I found myself taking up different jobs just to stay afloat. The turning point came when I took a chance on a small government exhibition stall, raising money by pledging my scooter and borrowing from friends. That experience taught us that resilience and adaptability matter more than having the perfect business plan.
Mathan: Even during those early years, we knew we wanted to build something together. Being brothers meant we already had trust, honesty and a shared purpose. We challenged each other’s ideas, divided responsibilities naturally and kept learning from every setback. Royaloak is really the outcome of years of experimentation, hard work and standing by each other through every phase.
2. You have built one of India’s largest organised furniture retail brands together. How do your personalities and strengths complement each other?
Mathan: One of our biggest strengths is that we recognised early on that we didn’t need to do everything together. Clear ownership has been the foundation of our partnership. My focus has always been on finance, product strategy, sourcing and business planning, building systems that support sustainable, long-term growth.
Vijai: My strength lies in operations, sales and understanding the market firsthand. I enjoy interacting with customers, identifying opportunities and driving expansion. What has made our partnership successful is mutual respect. We don’t second-guess each other’s decisions. That clarity has helped us scale efficiently.
3. Can you share a moment that perfectly captures your partnership as brothers and entrepreneurs?
Vijai: One memorable example was when I noticed strong customer demand in smaller cities that couldn’t support large-format furniture stores. Customers wanted access to our products but didn’t necessarily need a massive showroom. That observation sparked a long discussion between us.
Mathan: My role was to determine whether the idea could work commercially. We analysed store economics, customer behaviour, logistics and demand patterns before arriving at a solution. The outcome was the Royaloak Value Store concept: a compact retail format that gives customers access to our complete catalogue through digital platforms while leveraging our central supply chain. It perfectly reflects how our partnership works: one of us identifies opportunities on the ground, while the other validates them through numbers before we scale.
4. Working with family isn’t always easy. How have you managed disagreements without affecting your relationship?
Vijai: We don’t really see disagreements as conflicts. They’re simply part of building a business. Since our responsibilities are clearly defined, we trust each other’s judgement and avoid unnecessary interference. That removes a lot of friction.
Mathan: We have always believed the business comes before individual opinions. We challenge each other’s thinking, sometimes quite intensely, but the objective is always to arrive at the best decision, not to prove who is right. Once a decision is made, we move forward together. That mindset has protected both our relationship and the company.
5. Looking back, what milestone makes you the proudest, and what lies ahead for Royaloak?
Mathan: While crossing business milestones is rewarding, our biggest achievement is that we’ve built Royaloak together without compromising the trust we’ve shared since day one. Growing from a small exhibition stall into a national brand with over 200 stores is something we’re incredibly proud of.
Vijai: Every new market represents the confidence customers have placed in us. Whether expanding into Rajasthan or strengthening our presence across southern and western India, each store reflects years of consistent effort. Our next goal is ambitious; we want to grow Royaloak into a ₹5,000-crore company while expanding our footprint to around 400 stores. More importantly, we want to continue building a brand that customers, employees and partners are proud to be associated with.
Q. This Raksha Bandhan, what’s one thing you’d like to thank your sibling for, as a co-founder and as family?
Vijai: As the elder brother, I’ve always felt a responsibility to lead, but I’ve never had to carry that responsibility alone. Building a successful business together is rewarding, but having a brother I can trust unconditionally is something I value even more.
Mathan: Trust has been one of the biggest reasons we’ve been able to work together for so many years without letting business come between us. Our greatest achievement isn’t just the company we’ve built; it’s that our relationship has remained just as strong throughout the journey.
“Every new market is a milestone. Looking ahead, we aim to grow Royaloak into a ₹5,000-crore business with around 400 stores across India.”
