Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:21am on 21 Dec 2024,Saturday International
The Watumull family, originally from Sindh (now Pakistan), built a $4B empire in Hawaii, starting with a single store in 1915. Founded by Jhamandas Watumull and partner Dharamdas, the East India Store evolved into a retail giant, popularizing the iconic Aloha shirt. Overcoming challenges, including U.S. citizenship barriers, the family expanded into real estate and philanthropy, supporting Indian-Hawaiian exchange and independence movements. Gobindram Watumull's wife Ellen played a key role in U.S. law reforms. Today, the family’s focus is on real estate, with their last retail store closing in 2020, cementing their legacy in Hawaiian history.
