Many successful businessmen started their companies after quitting high-paying jobs. Some went to abroad for study and even worked for a while. They then decided to come back to start their companies. One such person is Rajeev Samant, who is also known as India's wine king. He founded Sula Vineyards, a leading wine company in India.
He is also the promoter, MD and CEO of the company. Sula has grown to be India’s largest and most awarded wine brand. Samant established Sula Vineyards in 1999, Nashik’s first winery. The name 'Sula' was derived from his mother's name Sulabha. The company now has a market capitalization of Rs 3,949 crore as of November 1. The share price of the company was Rs 469.45 on Wednesday.
Samant was born in Mumbai and did his schooling in the city. He then headed to California's Stanford University for an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management. After his study, he worked for Oracle Corp. in Silicon Valley (US) before heading back to India in 1993.
Six year later, he established Sula Vineyards in 1999. This historic move transformed Nashik into India’s Wine Capital. Today, the company is globally recognized as India’s most important wine producer.
Apart from being a businessman, Samant is a committed environmentalist. Everything at Sula is guided by sustainability and protecting the environment. Rajeev had innumerable firsts in India - revolutionizing wine tourism with the first winery tasting room in 2005, the first vineyard resort - Beyond in 2007, and the country’s first vineyard music festival - Sulafest, well known to music lovers across the country.
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