Billionaire Joy Alukkas was insulted, turned away from a Rolls-Royce dealership in Dubai. What he did next

Joy Alukkas is the Chairman and MD of Joyalukkas Group.

When Joy Alukkas, now recognised as one of India’s wealthiest individuals, walked into a Rolls-Royce dealership in Dubai in 2000, he faced an unexpected slight that would later become a pivotal moment in his career.

Alukkas, the 67-year-old billionaire behind the Joyalukkas Group, India’s largest jewellery brand, recounted the incident in a recent interview with CNBC-TV18. “I said I want to see the car, a Rolls-Royce,” Alukkas recalled. But instead of being greeted with the customary hospitality afforded to potential buyers of such luxury, the salesperson dismissed him, saying, “No, no, no. If you want to buy a car, you go to the Mitsubishi showroom, you will get a car there.”

In the early 2000s, owning a Rolls-Royce in India was a rarity and owned by a handful few wealthy individuals.

This moment of disrespect could have discouraged many, but not Alukkas. The billionaire, whose real-time net worth is estimated at $4.4 billion according to Forbes, was determined to turn this experience into something positive. “I felt ashamed of this type of behaviour,” he admitted. But instead of walking away, he made an impulsive decision: “I decided to buy the car… the same car. I purchased it.”

Despite the necessary reservations for purchasing a Rolls-Royce, Alukkas managed to persuade the dealership to sell him the vehicle. However, in a twist of fate, the luxury car he had been so eager to acquire became an unnecessary extravagance.

Rather than letting the car gather dust, Alukkas chose to use it as a promotional tool for his rapidly expanding jewellery business in the UAE. He announced that the Rolls-Royce would be given away in a raffle to the first customer who spent 500 AED on gold at his store—a marketing move that caused a sensation in the region.

The raffle drew unprecedented attention to Joyalukkas Jewellery, helping the company establish itself as one of West Asia’s leading gold retailers. Today, the Joyalukkas Group operates over 100 stores in India and 60 abroad.

In March of this year, the jewellery mogul added another luxurious vehicle to his collection—a Rs 6 crore Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a long way from his first encounter with the car.