Bringing something new to the table and setting up profitable businesses comes naturally to him. From hospitality to pharmaceuticals, he has dabbled in various sectors quite triumphantly. We are talking about British Indian businessman Sanjeev Nanda, who is known for his innovative ventures in the hospitality sector in India, London and the UAE.

The beginnings

Born in New Delhi to affluent parents, Sanjeev Nanda received education at prestigious institutions including Modern School, New Delhi, and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After completing his education, he returned to India and worked with several organizations of great repute, such as Barclays Capital and ANZ Grindlays Bank.

However, the entrepreneur inside him wasn’t quite satisfied with working a regular job. He dreamed of doing something bigger, and the first stepping stone towards realizing that dream was a website development business that he started along with a group of friends. While the company disbanded later, it did provide him some useful insights into entrepreneurship.

A prestigious name in the Indian hospitality sector, the Claridges Group of Hotels is run by Nanda’s family. In 2001, he decided to hop on the bandwagon and make his contributions towards the advancement of the family business. The same year, the group started a venture named C1 India where Sanjeev started working as the marketing manager. Soon he took over the venture’s sales division in Mumbai and Delhi, and secured large orders for it.

Later, he took a sabbatical to pursue MBA from INSEAD. By the time he earned his degree and returned to India, Sanjeev Nanda took charge in 2005 and led the family business towards a new era marked by expansions and innovation.

‘Iconic’ is his signature style

May it be his acquisition of Sea rock Hotel in Mumbai or the establishment of The ClaridgesSurajkund and Dhaba by Claridges, Sanjeev Nanda is known for his iconic projects. He continued to work in his signature style even after shifting his base to Dubai. He has been associated with some of the most notable restaurants across the globe, including some of the most innovative restaurant projects of all times like Toto’s in London and Miss Tess in Dubai.

In Dubai, Sanjeev Nanda has added many new feathers to his vividly decorated hat. He has been quite instrumental in setting up Taj Dubai by structuring a debt financing for the hotel. Moreover, he is also accredited for negotiating a deal with the ‘Billionaire’ brand and bringing it to Dubai by establishing ‘Billionaire Mansion’, one of the most luxurious restro-bars in Dubai.

Sanjeev Nanda is also serving as the Managing Director of Pharm Aid Ltd, a rapidly growing pharma venture based in Russia, and of Downtown Investment Management LLC, an investment company based in the UAE.

The ‘man’ behind the ‘businessman’

While Sanjeev Nanda has achieved great success as an entrepreneur and business owner, he has achieved an equally great success at being a good Samaritan. He actively participates in humanitarian causes, and believes in doing as much as in one’s capacity to give back to the society. 

One of the most well-known examples of the same can be seen in the support he extended to the residents of Banjani village, a small hamlet in Himachal Pradesh, India, where he aided the women to mobilize and establish a self-help group named ‘MahilaEkta Group’. In order to further the group’s enterprise of cloth and paper bags, he also offered logistics and material support to the group.

Source Link – INDIAN CEO