How a 90-Year-Old Family Business Still Stays Ahead | Ashwin Gandhi | Kohinoor

What helps a family business thrive across four generations? In this episode of The Inheritor's Club, host Tushar Rele speaks with Ashwin Gandhi, fourth-generation entrepreneur at Kohinoor, one of Ahmednagar's most respected retail brands. Ashwin shares what it was like joining the family business, navigating early friction, and earning his place within an established organization. Together, they explore how Kohinoor has grown by staying rooted in values while continuously embracing change. The conversation goes beyond business growth to discuss culture, trust, technology, leadership, and the responsibility of carrying a family legacy forward. In this episode: • Joining a fourth-generation family business • Building trust across generations • Why values matter more than short-term growth • Creating a culture where everyone can contribute ideas • Adopting technology long before it became the norm • Leading through change while protecting the family name • Delegation, leadership, and long-term thinking Whether you're part of a family business, leading a team, or simply curious about what it takes to sustain a business across generations, this conversation offers thoughtful insights shaped by experience. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more conversations with second and next-generation entrepreneurs. Follow The Inheritor's Club: Instagram: @inheritorsclub YouTube: @InheritorsClub 00:00 - Introduction 03:15 - The 1960s Vision: Building a Retail Powerhouse 09:40 - Ground-Level Roots: Carrying Textile Bales as a Child 15:22 - From Red Lines in School to an London MBA 22:10 - Navigating Tragedy: Loss of Grandfather & Father 28:45 - Brand Over Ego: Protecting the Company Identity 36:12 - The Succession Rule: Why Heirs Must Earn Their Place 49:24 - The On-Ground Internal Training Blueprint 53:38 - Managing Friction with 30-Year Veteran Managers 56:15 - The "Hearolic" Leader: Listening Over Reacting 57:44 - Breaking Hierarchy: "Coffee with the MD" Initiative 59:40 - Managing Early Family Friction: "Different vs. Wrong" 1:03:05 - The 3-to-5-Year Written Roadmap Rule for Next-Gen 1:05:18 - The Google Maps Goal Framework for Gen-Z 1:17:25 - High Point 1: The Legendary Diwali Shopping Festival 1:20:04 - High Point 2: The Record-Breaking ₹3.5 Crore Sale 1:22:46 - Post-COVID Realities: Eliminating Dead Stock 1:23:51 - Modern Employee Recognition & 5-Star Trips 1:28:13 - Shifting to PPTs: Empowering Long-Term Staff 1:30:48 - The Grand Grandfather: Learning the Value of Time (MVT) 1:35:45 - The Core Value: Why "Selling Ice to an Eskimo" is Stupid 1:36:40 - The Introverted Ambivert: What Drives Ashwin? 1:41:21 - Signal vs. Noise: Pitying the Social Validation Trap 1:44:30 - Family Legacy of Anonymous Care & Charity 1:45:01 - A Spiritual Lesson: Treat Every Meeting as Your Last 1:46:08 - The Ultimate Digital Detox: Deleting WhatsApp & Facebook 1:51:30 - Can You Live Without a Smartphone? Ashwin's System 1:54:14 - The Lightning Rapid Fire Round 1:57:39 - Outro #TheInheritorsClub #FamilyBusiness #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Retail #Succession #BusinessPodcast #LegacyReinvented