TTK Group’s TT Jagannathan, the man who made Prestige a household name, passes away
TT Jagannathan, Chairman Emeritus of TTK Group and the man behind Prestige’s rise, passed away in Bengaluru at 82. A Cornell PhD and IIT Madras alumnus, he transformed TTK Prestige from near-bankruptcy into a billion-dollar, debt-free brand through innovation like the gasket release cooker system.
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TT Jagannathan, Chairman Emeritus of the TTK Group and the driving force behind India’s kitchenware revolution, passed away in Bengaluru on Thursday at the age of 82. Widely credited for transforming TTK Prestige into one of India’s most trusted home appliance brands, Jagannathan’s legacy blends innovation, resilience and a deep understanding of consumer needs.
Armed with a PhD in Operations Research from Cornell University and an IIT Madras medal, Jagannathan brought academic precision to Indian manufacturing. Under his stewardship, Prestige became synonymous with reliability and innovation, most notably through the gasket release system in pressure cookers, a safety feature that set new standards across the industry.
His leadership was tested in the 1990s, when TTK Prestige faced near-bankruptcy due to overexpansion. Refusing to give up, Jagannathan restructured operations, narrowed focus to core kitchen appliances and prioritized consumer-driven design. The turnaround was remarkable as Prestige emerged debt-free and eventually grew into a billion-dollar brand.
Jagannathan chronicled this journey in his acclaimed book, Disrupt and Conquer: How TTK Prestige Became a Billion Dollar Company, offering rare insights into corporate transformation and strategic foresight.
Industry peers and colleagues remembered him as both a corporate visionary and a passionate cook, someone who personally tested products and understood what Indian families truly needed in their kitchens.
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