It is the tale of brewing beers by two childhood friends from Ranchi who are creating ripples in Bangalore!
We dream of making life as large as it gets with the company of our best friends. Meanwhile, Kumar Priyatosh aka Sanju and Sikki Sinha have already established a company of their dreams.
These two friends go way back to college in Ranchi, and haven’t left each other’s side since then. Through thick and thin, these two have made their own journey from Ranchi to Bangalore, and have established Asia’s largest micro-brewery. What did it take for them to be where they are today? This tale will be unfolded before you.
Sanju earned his education from St Aloysius High School, Ranchi. It was at Gossner College Ranchi that Sanju met his future business partner, Sikki. The two bonded instantly and were always in contact. After the two completed their intermediate studies, Sanju went on to study Computer Science in Ramaiah College in Bangalore and, Sikki opted for a Chemistry honours course in Yogoda College, Ranchi. What happened next was fated or just destined to be.
Imbibed with good family values, Sanju always wanted to help other people. No wonder when he got in to Ramaiah College in the year 1995, he wanted to help as many students get admission in colleges in Bangalore. Hence, he started helping people from across India to get admission in colleges situated in Bangalore under the bracket of Bangalore University. He became so popular amongst the students that he was voted the Bangalore University president and handled around 67 colleges that were a part of it.
This was when the tables started turning on him where people started the rumor mills that he accepts commission in order to get students admitted in colleges. Sanju said, “When I started hearing this gossip about me, despite the fact my intention was to only help people and not gain profit out of it, I decided to ask for a fee. Even if I would be helping a relative out, I would take money from them as a token.’’
This was the turning point when Sanju decided to turn the coal of what was said against him into diamond. After finishing his course in the year 1999, he worked at the CBK Info-tech company in Bangalore as a programmer for a year. All this while, his friend Sikki was by his side whether it came to working together at the info-tech company, or running a computer training center that had up to seven branches in Bangalore.
The friends even though had to close their training centers due to the worldwide global recession of 2001, they didn’t give up hope. They weren’t satisfied with their 9 to 5 jobs and certainly wanted to create an empire of their own. Hence, in 2001, they quit their jobs and got fully involved into the education consultancy business. The duo got nearly about six thousand students from across India admitted to colleges in Bangalore. There was just one problem left to be tackled with, that the consultancy was a seasonal business of 6 months. So, when the best friends started settling with their own families in Bangalore and got married, they wanted to run a business that would provide them with consistent income.
Sanju says, “My friend and neighbor Ajay was in the brewery business for nearly over 14 years. It was he who gave me the idea to invest in the brewery business. Hence, I joined hands with him and others invested to establish the Byg Brewski.” And this is how both of these college pals became partners, co-owning Byg Brewski in Bangalore.
Sikki responded, “He’s not only my friend but my brother. We’ve been inseparable since our college days. Hence, I decided that it’s better to own a business with someone who you absolutely trust. It doubles the happiness.’
Byg Brewski that was inaugurated in Bangalore this year on the 1st of June is not only the largest brewery is Asia, acquiring a space of over 68,000 square feet, offering 16 types of craft beers with five bars in its arena, is also one of the highest earning grossers in Bangalore. Including other facilities like a live kitchen, sheltered space for private brewing wherein you can create your own beer, the brewery is a breath of fresh air for those who like their drinks and space personalized.
Apart from offering refresh cocktail services, Byg Brewski has a lot more to offer in terms of food. An experimental foodie would love to try their Josper grilled lamb and mallard, inspired by the Spanish Culture. Offering world class amenities with the new era touch is what sets Byg Brewski apart from other breweries in Bangalore or Asia as a matter of fact.
Do you think that the journey of being a business tycoon was easy for the Ranchiites?
The childhood pals faced their own hurdles along the way. Sanju recalls, “There came a time when I had to monetary support to complete my engineering in Bangalore because my father’s business had hit rock bottom. He was a government supplier, a very successful one but at one point of time his business suffered great losses.’’ It was during those days that Sanju had to pay his tuition fee from profits earned through his training centers and education consultancy. Both the friends were each other’s spine during those hard times and still continue to be so. Recalls Meera, Sikki’s wife who is also a professional singer (Sangeet Visarad),” Sanju and Sikki can never stay apart. Till today, both of them kick start their mornings by calling each other.”
Creating an epitome of friendship and inspiring everyone around them, Kumar Priyatosh popularly known among his friends as Sanju and Sikki plan to expand their business to metropolitan cities like that of Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Their love for Ranchi remains intact as they visit the city every year and would love to set their brewery up if government approves the license for it. Not only do the duo possesses great managerial skills, juggling between work, home and their kids but actively participate in the welfare of the society at large. Payal Harit, who is an interior designer and Sanju’s better half informs us about their benevolent donations to Children’s Home that her husband chairs and the relief funds that they actively provide for, like that of medical care, eye check-up camps, and helps leprosy patients etc.
The phrase friends that turn into family describes the two friends, who urge youngsters that money is never a factor when it comes to chasing one’s own dream. Sanju says, “My late father Sri Chandrashekar Dubey is my hero. He used to tell me that if I start a business, I’ll be feeding not one but so many stomachs. I credit him for what I am today.” The Ranchiites sign off by saying that they have always been rich in terms of the friends and family, and all that they are is because of each other.
Millennial population today would call it Friendship goals, wouldn’t they?
