Chasing the sun

Why sky's the limit for business icon - Sundeep Aanand

- Namita Gupta and Vinitha Venkatesha

J SUNDEEP AANAND IS AN ENIGMA! WHEN HE FINISHED STUDYING IN THE US, HIS ONLY THOUGHT WAS TO LEAVE INDIA AND SETTLE ABROAD. TODAY, HE WANTS TO GO TO OUR SMALLEST VILLAGES AND IMPACT LIVES IN A WAY THAT NO POLITICIAN EVER HAS. BUT WHAT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT THIS TRANSFORMATION AND HOW MUCH HAS HIS LIFE IN BUSINESS HAD AN IMPACT ON THIS? PLENTY.

AT THE HELM OF THE ACCORD GROUP AND BHARATH GROUP OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, WHICH ARE NOW VALUED AT OVER A BILLION DOLLARS, AANAND HAS BUILT THESE BUSINESSES INTO THE CORPORATE BEHEMOTHS THAT THEY CURRENTLY ARE.

Started as a small enterprise in the late 70s, they have now transformed one of the leading business groups in South India with business verticals in hospitality, healthcare, education, beverages, media, pharmaceutical, defence and more. Under Aanand's watchful eye, major expansion plans are being chalked out every day in the emerging FinTech and eSports arenas.

Sundeep Aanand gets candid with Provoke Lifestyle about life, what he's running towards and why he believes he's only getting started.

Did you have a dream career when you were growing up?

Growing up, I was fascinated about space and astronomy. In fact, thought it might sound a little childish now, I wanted to be a space scientist at NASA.

Tell us a little about your education.