Growing up in a family rooted in financial services, Manav V has been drawn to the world of capital and investment from an early age. He still remembers sitting around as a child, listening to family discussions about market movements, client decisions and investment strategies, conversations he didn't fully understand then, but that quietly shaped his curiosity about how money, markets and businesses work. At Shagun Capital Venture, he is now a Partner, actively involved in decision-making and working to bring greater structure, technology and strategic thinking to how the business operates.
The biggest shift PGPM-FBE has brought for Manav is the ability to look at a business holistically. Before the program, it was easy to approach a challenge from a single angle, typically financial. The program has taught him to consider strategy, operations, people and execution together, and to understand how each dimension affects the others. Exposure to peers from different industries and business backgrounds has been equally valuable, pushing him to question his own assumptions and see Shagun Capital Venture from perspectives he wouldn't have encountered on his own.
Over the next 5–10 years, Manav's goal is to build Shagun Capital Venture into a structured, scalable financial services enterprise, strengthening its existing investment operations, expanding into new capital markets opportunities, integrating technology and data into decision-making, and developing the internal systems and teams that allow the business to grow without depending on individual decision-makers. His ultimate ambition is a company that combines the trust and relationships of a family enterprise with the systems and scalability of a modern financial services firm.

"The next chapter of a family business should not just preserve the past; it should build on it and make it ready for the future."

For Thirupathi M, the aroma of Chettinad spices and the energy of a full restaurant have always been part of home. Kumar Mess Private Limited was born in 1978 as a humble food stall during Madurai's Chithirai Thiruvizha, started by his grandfather. By 1991, his father and brothers had grown it into a full-fledged restaurant, and today, the brand spans six branches across Tamil Nadu in Madurai, Chennai and Trichy. As a Director overseeing the head branch in Madurai, Thirupathi is now preparing to write the next chapter of this four-decade legacy.
One of Thirupathi's most formative experiences at PGPM-FBE has been understanding the realities of intergenerational transition. Mentors who shared their own lived experiences, including what went wrong and what they would do differently, gave him a perspective on second-generation succession that no textbook could. He also came to deeply appreciate the importance of constant innovation and identifying blue ocean opportunities rather than simply sustaining what already works. A field visit to a manufacturing facility, combined with candid conversations with directors, reinforced how much lies beyond theory in the day-to-day realities of running a business.
Thirupathi's 5–10 year vision is built on two pillars: expansion and diversification. On expansion, he aims to take Kumar Mess beyond its current Tamil Nadu markets into new cities and regions across India, and ultimately into international markets, carried forward by the brand's four decades of reputation. On diversification, he plans to move beyond food service into manufacturing, by developing and scaling an authentic line of Chettinad masalas. This would create a scalable revenue stream that extends the brand's reach far beyond physical outlets.

"I learned that the strength of a business isn't tested in good times. It's built in the decisions made during the hardest ones."

For Vishal Prakash Gupta, business is not just a career, it is the environment he grew up in. His grandfather built an FMCG manufacturing enterprise over five decades, and twenty years ago, his father expanded the family's footprint into jewellery retail and wholesale. Watching both of them work, in the factory, in the office, through the seasons, Vishal absorbed the discipline and resilience that have defined the family across generations. Now, with a B.Com background and a focus on technology and market strategy, he is working to integrate systems, automation and diversification into a legacy that is ready for its next phase.
PGPM-FBE has opened Vishal to a wider management perspective, across Organisational Management, Strategy Management and Financial Management, and each element of the program, whether a mentor session, field visit or peer conversation, has contributed to building a stronger foundation for leading complex, multi-segment businesses. What the program has reinforced most clearly is that in today's business environment, professional rigour and technological capability are no longer optional. They are what separates businesses that simply survive from those that scale.
Vishal's vision is to carry the family legacy forward while actively transforming what it looks like in practice. His priorities include automating business processes, strengthening the technology backbone of both the FMCG and jewellery operations, and diversifying into new business areas alongside expanding the current market base. The goal is to build something that does not just maintain what exists, but grows, adapts and stands the test of changing times.

"Change is the only constant in this world, and businesses need to change with time. The FBE program equips us to navigate that challenge successfully."

Jean Roderick A's connection to EA Facilities Services Pvt Ltd goes far deeper than a job title. His father, Mr. Aruldass S, founded the company in 1992 as a sole proprietor offering design services, and Jean grew up right alongside it, spending Sundays helping type out emails and accompanying his father on urgent breakdown jobs. Those everyday moments placed him at the centre of how the business actually ran: the urgency, the hands-on problem-solving, the trust built one project at a time. After completing his B.E. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and advancing from Engineering Trainee to Junior Engineer, working across CRM systems, immersion cooling, green energy R&D, data center design and ISO audits, Jean stepped into the PGPM-FBE program with a clear purpose: to build on what he had learned in the field with the management thinking needed to lead the company into its future.
The ERP & Industry 4.0 course with Mr. Lakshminarayan has been Jean's standout academic experience, deeply relevant to his own ground-level work with CRM systems, and one that gave him practical frameworks for challenges he had already encountered on the job. Beyond coursework, learning from peers across both the FBE and regular PGPM cohorts has been just as formative. He notes that being close to the PGPM cohort matters not just for learning but for perspective, these are the kind of professionals he will one day hire and build alongside, and understanding how they think and work is itself a valuable part of the program.
Jean's 5–10 year vision is to position EA Facilities Services as a value-driven infrastructure solutions provider, moving beyond project execution into advanced data center solutions, including underwater and next-generation infrastructure. He plans to build out a manufacturing arm for greater control across the value chain, a software and IT solutions division to complement the engineering core, and embed sustainability, through green energy and EV charging infrastructure, into the company's core identity. Ultimately, he envisions taking the company public through an IPO, marking the transformation of EA Facilities Services into a large-scale, diversified engineering enterprise.

"Engineering builds structures; leadership builds the future."

Dev Gupta grew up surrounded by the textures, threads and trade rhythms of Kanhiya Hosiery, his family's wholesale readymade clothing business in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Founded by his father, Mr. Neeraj Gupta, in 1990, the business has built its reputation on quality, reliability and long-standing relationships with garment retailers across the region's small towns and villages. Having spent his childhood learning the business alongside his uncle and father, watching how customers were handled, how staff was managed, and how profits were planned across the dinner table, Dev now brings his B.Com foundation and PGPM-FBE experience to the next chapter: professionalising operations, expanding markets and taking a family legacy towards national scale.
The most lasting lesson Dev has taken from PGPM-FBE is that stepping into a family business is not about inheriting a position, it is about earning the credibility to lead it. Sessions with industry practitioners, particularly Mr. Krishna V. Subramanian, reinforced the importance of understanding every function of the business, building genuine relationships and creating systems that are not dependent on any single individual. The program has also fundamentally shifted how Dev sees Kanhiya Hosiery, no longer just as a well-run family wholesale business, but as an enterprise with real potential to be professionally managed, scaled and made investor-ready.
Dev's 5–10 year vision is to transform Kanhiya Hosiery from a strong regional business into a nationally recognised wholesale readymade garments enterprise. He plans to strengthen systems and technology, streamline inventory and operations, deepen manufacturer relationships and expand the retailer network beyond Uttar Pradesh into states across India. Stronger financial and governance systems sit at the centre of this plan, building a business that can scale without losing the relationships and trust on which it was originally built.

"Respect the legacy, learn the business, and build the future."

For Abhishek Kumaran S B, coconuts, farms and godowns are not just familiar landscapes, they are the backdrop of an entire childhood. His family has been in the coconut business for over 40 years, building a presence that spans procurement, processing, wholesale and retail of coconut and copra. Growing up watching the business run around him, Abhishek always had an intuitive sense of how it worked. Now, through PGPM-FBE, he is developing the structured thinking needed to take a traditional, relationship-driven enterprise and build it into something larger, more organised and ready for new markets.
PGPM-FBE has helped Abhishek begin looking at the family business through a more analytical, strategic lens. Courses in finance, operations, marketing and strategy have given him frameworks to understand the business not just as a practitioner, but as someone who can assess its potential for growth and transformation. Mentoring sessions and peer interactions have exposed him to diverse business realities, and through those conversations, he has started identifying what ARAS Traders could look like with stronger systems, wider market reach and a clearer long-term direction.
Abhishek's vision is to make ARAS Traders more organised, expand its reach, and gradually move into value-added coconut products. In the near term, he wants to strengthen the existing coconut and copra operations and explore expansion into North Indian and international markets. Over the longer term, his interest lies in building a product portfolio that includes coconut water, healthy coconut-based snacks and sweets, products that create a scalable, branded revenue stream beyond the traditional trading business. He is committed to studying each opportunity carefully, building on four decades of family expertise.

"I don't want to just continue what my family has built. I want to understand it, improve it and take it forward."

For Shivashruthi, leadership in the family business isn’t just about stepping in, it’s about stepping up with clarity. At Thermopack, a leading name in automotive and industrial packaging, she’s been closely observing operations and is now preparing to take on a more strategic role.
Through PGPM-FBE, she’s developed a more structured mindset, shifting from a reactive problem-solver to someone who plans with foresight. Mentorship deepened her understanding of internal dynamics in family businesses and the need for well-defined roles and systems. Exposure to industry practices during field visits inspired her to think bigger about process innovation and growth.
Her focus now is to professionalise Thermopack’s systems, explore expansion opportunities, and ensure that the values that built the company continue to guide its next chapter.

From sourcing raw materials directly from producing states to delivering premium spice blends across India, Richie Spices has built a reputation for quality over generations. Pratiyush Jaiswal is now shaping its next chapter. He focuses on scaling the B2B business, reinforcing institutional partnerships, and creating a premium retail brand.
The PGPM-FBE program provided him with a structured approach to strategy and decision-making. I've learned to balance risk with long-term value creation, he says. Operations frameworks helped him improve procurement and distribution. Mentorship highlighted the importance of standing out in a competitive market. Interacting with peers from various industries broadened his outlook and sparked new ideas for customer engagement and growth.
Pratiyush envisions taking Richie Spices global over the next decade. He plans to leverage the rising demand for authentic Indian flavors. His goal is to position the company as a trusted premium brand worldwide, one that carries forward the family’s passion while embracing innovation.

From a small kirana shop to a ?200-crore business, Sahu Brothers has grown into steel, cement, paints, FMCG, and healthcare. At the crossroads of technology and tradition, Akash Kumar Sahu brings five years of experience as a software engineer to his role as a process consultant for the family business. He focuses on improving operations and boosting sales.
The PGPM-FBE program taught him to balance his instincts with data-driven decision-making. This changed how he approaches leadership. Weekly mentorship sessions with industry leaders expanded his thinking about unique growth strategies. Interacting with peers from different sectors also improved his ability to apply ideas from one industry to another.
Akash's vision for the next decade is ambitious. He plans to professionalize operations, enter manufacturing, and expand into hospitality while aiming for Sahu Brothers to reach a ?500-crore milestone. “I want to build a business that creates opportunities not just for my family but for everyone connected to it,” he says

For Garv Jangid, the story of Vishwakarma Healthcare is one of change. Founded in 2010 with a focus on healthcare, the business shifted to FMCG packaging and now provides gravure-printed packaging for snacks, incense sticks, tobacco, and more. Garv's mission is to prepare the company for its next growth phase by improving systems and expanding operations.
The PGPM-FBE program helped him move from instinct-driven decisions to structured, data-supported frameworks. Learning about contribution margins and profitability changed his approach to product strategies. Mentorship emphasized the need to separate family roles from business roles. Introducing governance and reporting systems has been a big step forward,he notes.
Looking ahead, Garv plans to change Vishwakarma Healthcare into a modern, scalable organization. He wants to expand its client base, adopt new technologies, and build strong professional systems to drive growth.

Turning instinct into strategy, Garv is reshaping Vishwakarma Healthcare into a modern FMCG packaging player with stronger systems and ambitious growth plans.
Modernising a 30-year legacy, Shreya is driving financial discipline, adopting smarter construction technologies, and building people-first systems for sustained growth.

 

For Shreya, construction has always been a conversation at home, from planning layouts to finishing timelines. At Purnaya Developers, a Coimbatore-based real estate firm with over 30 years of legacy, she now plays an active role in managing finances, driving HR decisions, and shaping how the business grows from within.
Her PGPM-FBE experience helped her move beyond instinct and start thinking structurally, especially when navigating complex decisions that balance family, compliance, and customer expectations. Strategic management courses and mentorship have guided her toward long-term planning, diversification, and people-first systems. Inspired by a field visit to Thirumalai Chemicals, she's also exploring how to bring safety protocols and modern processes into her own construction sites.
Shreya's vision for the next decade is clear: to expand the company with sharper financial systems, smarter construction technologies like precast methods, and stronger internal governance, while building with the same trust her family has earned over decades.

 
Reimagining sanitation with waterless, odour-free solutions and now expanding into sustainable home care to compete with global players
Blending heritage and modern design, Adarsh is shaping VIP Collection into a premium women's wear brand with timeless appeal and wider reach.
From execution to strategy, Ajay is modernising Stag Foods with bold branding and a clear vision to scale across India's competitive food market
With structure and foresight, Shivashruthi is preparing Thermopack for its next growth phase while professionalising systems and driving long-term innovation.
Expanding Richie Spices from retail shelves to global markets, Pratiyush is building a premium brand that carries India’s authentic flavours worldwide.
Leveraging tech experience and bold vision, Akash is professionalising operations and diversifying ventures to transform a ?200-crore legacy into ?500 crore..