CAPT. SANKET KUMAR SURI: THE JOURNEY FROM BATTLEFIELD TO BOARDROOM

Entrepreneurship is a different battlefield, but the principles remain the same– adaptability, decision making and ability to lead from the front’, shares Capt. Sanket Kumar Suri, the Managing Director at Me Casa Group while reminiscing his days in the army.

Capt. Sanket’s journey began with a childhood dream fueled by the sight of his father in the military uniform. Although he wanted to follow in those revered footsteps, achieving this dream required rigorous hard work, from cracking the UPSC to getting selected for SSB. Four demanding years of combined training at NDA, Khadakwasla, and IMA, Dehradun, tested his mettle. During his third term at NDA, he fractured his spine due to which he was advised to quit but his resolve to serve the nation could not be deterred. While he was serving in Siachen, the weight of leading men into battle, managing the logistics and handling the responsibility of all men in extreme weather conditions tested his abilities from all angles. Yet, it was through these rigorous management activities that he emerged stronger.

The year was 1998 when Capt. Sanket decided to quit the services. The winds of change were whispering a different tale. As he bid farewell to the life he had known, he carried with him a desire to create something extraordinary, something that would echo his passion. He went to Chandigarh where he ventured into the furnishings industry. He was associated with a prestigious brand and when they offered him an opportunity to oversee operations in Western India, he grabbed it with open arms and moved to Mumbai. However, a sudden shift left him without work. After five months of uncertainty, another opportunity knocked on his door and he finally got a break with Shopper’s Stop where he played a key role in establishing the first-ever large-format home store in Bangalore. Yet, he discovered a misfit in the corporate structure and returned to Mumbai after the store's launch.