Our CEO - A Brief History

Getting to know our CEO is key to understanding Kanak Marble’s goals and objectives.

Born in Saharanpur, a district of Uttar Pradesh, near the Ganges River, the holiest river in Hinduism, and worshiped by millions.

N K Kaliyar moved to New Delhi with his family.

After becoming a Mechanical Engineer, he chose to pursue entrepreneurship. His journey started 30 years ago. Moscow (Russia) was his first stop, where he spent nearly 10 years focusing on imports and exports.

Following a short stint in Guinea-Bissau and Angola, he chose to move to Portugal.

 

In the first 10 years, he invested in hospitality, creating successful businesses in Lisbon’s food scene. Settling in Bairro Alto, a very historic neighborhood in Lisbon known for its nightlife and bohemian vibe. From a seafood restaurant, to a beer house, an Italian restaurant and most importantly, the wine house called “Grapes & Bites,” which has two locations - one in Lisbon and another in Funchal (Madeira). After some changes to adapt to today’s economy, these locations remain part of his portfolio, managed individually by a team of skilled professionals.

 

In 2017, an agreement of cooperation was signed between India and the Portuguese government. The honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India played a key role in opening the doors for imports and exports. Recognizing this moment, he looked towards one of Portugal's most valuable products. Marble.

 

His initial steps involved purchasing blocks from quarries in Alentejo, particularly from Vila Viçosa (Pardais) and Estremoz, renowned worldwide for their unique marble. He concentrated on the Indian market due to his strong connections with the largest stone companies in India and the influence of Narendra Modi’s cooperation agreement.

 

Nine years later, he realized that it was not only a passion but the purest creation of nature and time. Seeing how marble moved him, he decided to invest in quarries. Finding the most unique quarry he could, he moved his operations to Pardais - Vila Viçosa in Alentejo, where the four quarries extract the finest natural stone the world has to offer.

 

Today, Kanak Marble is a growing business, establishing its presence in exporting these unique stones. Our next step is to expand into new markets, like the USA, Asia and the rest of Europe, where these Portuguese architectural and sculptural stones are a part of history.

 

Welcome to Kanak Marble. Our Stone speaks for itself.