Ran away from home at 13, washed dirty utensils to survive, earned Rs 18 per month, now has net worth of Rs 3000000000; he is..., business is...

India.com

09-07-2025

Ran away from home at 13, washed dirty utensils to survive, earned Rs 18 per month, now has net worth of Rs 3000000000; he is..., business is...
We've all heard amazing rags-to-riches stories but this boy's journey stands out as exceptional. As a young boy, he ran away from home at 13 to escape the atrocious treatment of his father. As a teenager, he was washing dirty dishes for Rs 18 a day to survive. Yet, he never gave up on his dreams. That boy is now the proud owner of a South Indian food empire worth over Rs 300 crore. He is famously known as the 'Dosa King.' He is… What made this school dropout the 'Dosa King' of India?
Jayaram Banan is the proud owner of Sagar Ratna, a South Indian food franchise worth Rs 300 crore. His journey was not a bed of roses. At 13, he ran away from home, fearing his father's punishment after he performed poorly in a school exam. Jayaram, the son of a driver, used to get beaten by his father whenever he failed his school exams. He finally left everything behind and found his way to Mumbai, which begins the remarkable rags-to-riches success story. When did his journey from dishwasher to millionaire begin?
Jayaram took a train from Udupi to Mumbai in 1967, where he started working in a hotel. Since he knew no other work, the restaurant owner gave him the duties of washing dishes and cleaning tables and paid him a fixed sum of Rs 18. After working there for six years, Jayaram's salary went from Rs 18 to Rs 200. Later, he got promoted from a waiter to a manager. At that time, there were South Indian restaurants opening in Mumbai, but Jayaram planned to relocate to Delhi to start his South Indian restaurant.
Jayaram's older brother had worked at a Udupi restaurant in Delhi. Inspired by the tales of his brother, Jayaram left Mumbai in 1974 and moved to Delhi. He was awarded a tender to run the canteen at Central Electronics. He worked there for almost 12 years, saving every penny he could from the canteen's net profits. Jayaram opened his first restaurant called 'Sagar'
Jayaram had a dream to open a restaurant. In 1986, Jayaram opened his first restaurant called 'Sagar' in Defense Colony, Delhi, where he paid an outrageous rent of Rs 3,250 per week. The restaurant had 40 seats. On his first day, Jayaram's idli, dosa, and sambar captured the taste buds of Delhites, and he was able to make Rs 408 on day one.
Before Jayaram Banan started his restaurant, Woodland and Dasaprakash were the top South Indian food places in Delhi. A year later, Jayaram got lucky to take over the Woodland restaurant in Lodhi Market and renamed it Sagar Ratna. This began the Sagar Ratna restaurant chain which today has more than 100 outlets. Jayaram Banan's dosas and sambar were so popular that people would queue for several kilometers to eat there. He was henceforth known as 'The Dosa King of North.'
Today, the Jayaram Banan brands, Sagar Ratna and Swagat, together have over 100 outlets not just in India but in places like Singapore, Canada, and Bangkok with an estimated total annual net worth of Rs 300 crore.