Fortune tailor-made for this Indian

Dressmaker Has 2M Global Customers

New Delhi
His label may not be as well-known as Versace or Paul Smith, but with over two million customers across the world, Narinder Singh alias Narry has lots of reasons to smile. From Thai PMs to Norwegian parliamentarians, Sri Lankan cabinet ministers to Russian astronauts, star golfers to top bankers, this Bangkok-based tailor has quite an assorted clientele.

This ‘pravasi’ Indian’s competitive prices and prompt delivery make him one of the most sought-after tailors. He has offices in Milan, London, Zurich, Oslo, New York, et al. He takes orders online and delivers them within 12 to 24 hours, no matter where. Interestingly, he also offers free transportation from the hotel to his shop, Narry’s Boutique, to anyone interested in looking up his shop, and they don’t even have to buy anything.

But the journey from the streets of Karol Bagh to Sukhemvit Road in Bangkok wasn’t easy.Twenty years ago, he was just another auto-spare parts dealer in Delhi. And like many other Sikhs, he too nurtured a dream of settling abroad. “I was born in Bangkok. But my father who worked in Laos had to return to India in the ‘70s after the Communists took over the country,’’ he says. Here, he joined Khalsa College and later started his own business. But he did not give up his dream of returning to Thailand and in 1984, Narry packed his bags and returned to Bangkok, this time for good. Soon, he hit upon the idea of opening a tailoring shop. “I saw a huge demand for good suits among the expat and tourist population who were not getting their sizes in Bangkok. Also, American GIs in Bangkok were unable to communicate with local tailors about their specifications and style,’’ says Narry.

With a staff of five, including his wife and a few tailors, Narry rented a space on Sukhemvit Road, close to the American embassy. “It took us two years to earn enough to buy our own place.’’ Although he now claims to communicate in 10 languages, initially language was a major problem. Among his celeb clients are Russian cosmonaut Georgy Grechko who holds the record for the longest stay in orbit, former Thai PM Chatchai Choonhavan and golfers Jeev Milkha Singh and Seve Ballesteros.