The man who made Prestige a household name

IT WAS A tiny hole in the lid that saved the TTK Group, best known for its Prestige pressure cookers, from bankruptcy.

- VIVEAT SUSAN PINTO

In the 1970s, when flagship company TTK Prestige, based in Bengaluru, faced a product challenge with its pressure cookers exploding in kitchens, it was a simple insightdrilling a hole in the lid to release excess steam-that helped the company recoup flagging sales and restore brand trust.

The inventor of the gasket release system (GRS), a safety feature in pressure cookers, is no more. TT Jagannathan, chairman emeritus of the TTK Group, passed away on Thursday, TTK Prestige informed the stock exchanges on Friday. He was 77 and is survived by his wife, Latha Jagannathan, and sons TT Mukund, TT Venkatesh, and TT Lakshman.