Latest news with #ShantanuDeshpande
Fashion Network
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Bombay Shaving Company eyes Rs 500 crore ARR in FY26, plans offline expansion
Personal care label Bombay Shaving Company is targeting an annual run rate of Rs 500 crore by the end of the 2026 financial year, with longer-term ambitions of reaching Rs 1,000 crore by 2030, fuelled by quick commerce and brick-and-mortar expansion. 'Quick commerce will continue to deepen its presence, expanding from 70 to 80 cities to over 100 and increasing pin code coverage over the next one to two years,' Bombay Shaving Company's chief executive Shantanu Deshpande told India Retailing in an interview. 'Once that's underway, we plan to scale our general trade presence from 25 to 100 cities over three to five years. In modern trade, we're already in 70% of key stores and aim to reach the remaining 30%.' The brand also plans to scale its exclusive brand outlet footprint from 14 to 100 stores over the next two to three years, while increasing its consumer base from 25 million to 100 million within three years. The business is also aiming to become ready for an initial public offering in the same timeframe. 'As a consumer brand built for India, and with our competitors already listed, we see a strong opportunity to create value for retail investors," said Deshpande. "Whether we actually go public remains to be seen, but becoming IPO-ready is definitely the goal." Bombay Shaving Company continues to invest between 25% and 35% of its revenue in marketing, including youth-focused initiatives like Razor IP and a co-branded travel kit with Mokobara. The brand also has a corporate gifting segment, according to its website.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Early deaths and stress'. CEO claims why IIM Kolkata preponed its recent 25 year alumni reunion to 15 years
Whether it's health crises , stress, or lifestyle choices, the reality is that life is unpredictable. A recent post by a well-known entrepreneur has sparked a serious conversation about this very truth. Shantanu Deshpande , CEO of Bombay Shaving Company , recently shared a poignant reflection on LinkedIn after speaking to a friend who had attended his 15-year reunion at IIM Calcutta . Traditionally, the grand reunion is held 25 years after graduation. However, the professors revealed that the milestone had been moved up by a decade for two sobering reasons. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" First, it helps address the emotional needs of alumni grappling with mid-life crises — a time when reconnecting with old friends can offer comfort and perspective. But the second reason was far more unsettling: a significant percentage of alumni were no longer alive by the time the 25-year mark arrived. Whether due to COVID-19, vaccines, lifestyle diseases, or other unknown factors, the increased mortality rate among graduates has become impossible to ignore. Shantanu concluded with an important reminder for everyone — prioritize your health, focus on consistent exercise, eat well, sleep adequately, and find happiness while you still have time. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Internet reacts While Shantanu Deshpande's post struck an emotional chord with many, it also sparked a wave of mixed reactions online. Some users felt the reasoning behind advancing the IIM Calcutta reunion from 25 to 15 years was a bit far-fetched, suggesting that instances of alumni deaths might be isolated rather than widespread. Others pointed out that today's life expectancy trends paint a more optimistic picture. They highlighted that at the time of India's independence, life expectancy was just 32 years, but today it has nearly doubled, reaching around 70 years. For individuals with access to good healthcare, nutrition, and lifestyle awareness, living into their 80s is increasingly common — aligning with global standards. Even the impact of COVID-19, with a fatality rate of around 1%, was seen as unlikely to drastically alter overall longevity. While some acknowledged the unpredictability of life and encouraged living it to the fullest, others advised caution against promoting fear-driven narratives. Several users expressed that inspiring leaders should ideally focus on positivity and evidence-based perspectives rather than triggering unnecessary anxiety.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
IIM Calcutta moves 25-year reunion to 15 years. CEO says ‘reason scared me to no end'
Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande has claimed that IIM Calcutta has brought its traditional 25-year reunion forward by a decade for a sobering reason. In a post shared on LinkedIn, Deshpande said he was speaking to a friend – a graduate of IIM Calcutta – who revealed that the top B-school was now holding reunions after 15 years instead of the conventional 25 years. Deshpande said there were two reasons for the shift, and one of these reasons scared him to no end. He claimed that IIM Calcutta realised that many of its graduates were not alive to attend the 25th year reunion, and hence moved it forward by a decade. 'A friend I was talking to had just gone to his 15 year reunion at IIM Calcutta. He (and a few more alums) asked the profs why the OG 25 year reunion had been advanced to 15 years," Deshpande, founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, wrote on LinkedIn. 'One reason was that at 15Y, people were at mid life crises so always good to get together. But, the other reason scared me to no end,' he said. The other reason for bringing the reunion forward by 10 years was that more and more alumni were dying by the 25-year mark. 'Increasingly, larger percentage of batches were expiring by the time 25Y passed. They were just no more,' Deshpande revealed. 'So they advanced it by a decade.' The Delhi-based CEO wondered whether lifestyle changes or Covid vaccines or some other factors entirely were responsible for the early deaths. His post has sparked a broader conversation on health concerns and high-stress jobs. has reached out to IIM Calcutta and IIM Calcutta alumni cell for a statement. The post has gone viral on LinkedIn and X, where many people were surprised to learn why IIM Calcutta had decided to hold reunions after 15 years instead of 25. 'Considering average age of MBA graduates between 25-30, it means lot of people dont even cross 55, that's too freaking soon,' wrote one X user. 'Stress leads to premature death. Corporate life at higher packages is full of stress,' another said. '25th reunion means they are in the age group of 55-60. Are they implying that a large % of the batch was dead in this age group ? How does it fit with avg life span of rich urban Indians?' an X user wondered.
