The Discipline of Legacy: Dr. Abhishek Gilara’s Journey of Transforming Tradition into Global Relevance

In the timeless world of Indian jewellery, where heritage is measured in centuries and craftsmanship carries the weight of generations, certain leaders rise with a vision that extends beyond profit. They are guardians of tradition, yet architects of modernity. Among these rare individuals stands Dr. Abhishek Gilara, Director of Rambhajos, a 105-year-old jewellery house from Jaipur. His story is not just about business progression; it is about discipline, service, and the courage to upend comfort for the sake of legacy.

For Dr. Gilara, leadership has been governed by one unwavering principle: discipline as the foundation of growth. His philosophy, reflected in his oft-shared phrase “discipline is knowing where to sweat,” offers clarity not only for entrepreneurship but also for life itself. Success, in his eyes, is not the consequence of scattered effort but of directed energy, applied in the right moment, to the right pursuit. It is a principle that brought Rambhajos from its origins as a traditional trading family into one of the most influential jewellery brands of the modern age.

The Farmer’s Mindset for Leadership

Dr. Gilara often uses the metaphor of a farmer to describe his leadership. For him, organizations cannot be run on impulse or hasty ambition. They require soil preparation in the form of robust systems, visionary planning, and the right people. Once the land is ready, seeds can be sown in the form of new projects, nurtured with training, culture, and consistency until they are ready for harvest. As in agriculture, the work never ends with a single cycle. Leaders must preserve the soil and ready it for the next season.

This mindset also shaped him personally. In his early years, impatience pushed him to expect instant results, often leading to projects being rushed or discarded too soon. A turning point came through the guidance of his fitness coach, who instilled patience by demanding mastery over every step. Later, with the mentorship of business coach Rahul Jain, he embraced patience as a strength, realizing that true growth comes from allowing teams and innovations the space to mature.

Redefining Comfort: Shifting From Wholesale to Retail

One of the most daring decisions in his career was the choice to shut down stable trading practices that had been the core of his family legacy. For decades, wholesale trading had ensured financial stability. But Dr. Gilara realized that if Rambhajos was to endure another century or more, the business needed to transform into a consumer-facing brand. This meant stepping away from the comfort of consistent profits and diving into the uncertainties of high-end retail.

The transition required building luxurious showrooms, creating extensive inventories, and retraining staff to embody the brand ethos. It was a precarious undertaking that tested the family’s comfort with risk. Yet the choice proved transformative. Today, Rambhajos’ retail identity is not just strong; it embodies the modern face of Jadau jewellery on the global stage. It is a brand that speaks equally to heritage and contemporary luxury, giving Dr. Gilara the strategic confidence to expand into new ventures, including real estate and other brand-building initiatives.

Measuring Success in Three Currencies

When asked how he measures success, Dr. Gilara does not begin with revenue or international expansion. Instead, he defines it through three currencies: impact, discipline, and peace.

• Impact is the reach of his leadership on people’s lives—safeguarding traditional artisanship, creating employment, and mentoring new entrepreneurs.
• Discipline is his mirror of accountability, reflected in rising before dawn, maintaining peak fitness, writing, and consistently guiding his team.
• Peace is the inward measure of alignment—resting without clutter, having given one’s best to what is controllable, and letting go of what is not.

Financial results, he notes, are like fertilizer to the journey. But the true harvest is the fulfillment of these three currencies in balanced measure.

Preserving Tradition, Innovating for the World

Among his proudest achievements is the transformation of Jadau jewellery from a niche art to a global bridal statement. Rare and painstaking, Jadau had long been underestimated as impractical in the modern marketplace. Through design innovation, streamlined production processes, and global collaborations, Dr. Gilara turned what was once seen as old-fashioned into a symbol of cultural elegance and status across continents.

Today, brides spanning five continents wear Jadau, bringing Rajasthan’s centuries-old art into weddings across cultures and geographies. This achievement is not only about market presence but also about preservation—ensuring livelihoods for artisans while amplifying India’s cultural heritage on the world stage.

Continuous Updating as a Strategy for Relevance

In a region where rapid change defines economies, Dr. Gilara insists that complacency is a silent killer. To counter stagnation, he applies a disciplined framework of continuous updating across every operational sphere.

He often shares an anecdote: a performer can be flawless on stage, yet a single neglected detail—like a poorly maintained shoe—can sabotage the entire performance. Businesses, he believes, face the same reality. If technology, service standards, product design, or team spirit are left unattended, the results can be disproportionately damaging.

At Rambhajos, systematic audits are embedded in the culture. Product designs are reviewed for freshness, processes for efficiency, people for skill growth, and clients for feedback integration. The aim is not to react after obsolescence sets in but to anticipate it before it becomes visible. This discipline of updating preserves agility even for a company built on legacy.

The Role of Partnerships in Leadership

For many leaders, business partnerships are transactional. For Dr. Gilara, they are transformative. One of the most impactful affiliations for him has been his involvement with TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs). As a charter member at TiE Jaipur, he was introduced to a network that reinforced his philosophy of learning and giving back.

Through TiE, Dr. Gilara has been able to mentor young entrepreneurs, many of whom remind him of his early impatience but inspire him with their ideas. The exchange of wisdom and curiosity within this network keeps him balanced: grounded in humility yet energized by the endless potential of entrepreneurship.

Guiding the Next Generation

When asked for his advice to emerging leaders and entrepreneurs, Dr. Gilara’s insights form a coherent philosophy:

1. Discipline must precede ambition. Without structure, ambition collapses under its own weight.
2. Mentorship should be demanding rather than indulgent. True growth springs from correction, not flattery.
3. True wealth cannot be measured in profit alone. Peace of mind is the ultimate achievement.

These principles, though simple, carry the potential to nurture not only profitable leaders but balanced individuals who drive social value.

A Legacy Written in Discipline

Leadership stories in fast-changing economies are often painted with power and ambition. Dr. Gilara offers a counter-narrative—one that emphasizes discipline, endurance, and cycles of growth. His journey demonstrates that preservation of heritage and innovation for the future need not be at odds; in fact, they can be partners in creating longevity.

From transforming Jadau into a global icon to embedding continuous updating into organizational DNA, his every decision reflects the belief that true leadership is service. For Rambhajos, this philosophy has not only preserved a generational history but also secured a place on the global stage. And for Dr. Abhishek Gilara, it has created a life measured not by wealth accumulated, but by the peace sustained, the impact delivered, and the discipline upheld.

Quotes:

“Discipline is knowing where to sweat.”

“True leadership is not the pursuit of comfort, but the courage to preserve legacy while embracing change.”

“Peace is not the absence of struggle, but the clarity of having given your best to what is controllable.”

“Businesses must follow the rhythm of farming—prepare, plant, nurture, harvest, and preserve.”