Shantanu Deshpande

Businessman, Motivational Speaker, Podcaster

Indian Dallas, United States

Quick Info

ProfessionBusinessman, Motivational Speaker, Podcaster
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth15/03/1987
Age39 years
BirthplaceDallas, United States

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Bio/Wiki

Famous ForFounder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, transforming India's D2C grooming sector

Physical Stats & More

Height176 cm
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBald

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolVikhe Patil School, Pune
College/University
  • Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur
  • Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
Degrees
  • B.Tech in Computer Science (2005-2009)
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)- Strategy (2009-2011)

Personal Life

ReligionHinduism
EthnicityMaharashtrian
Hobbies
  • Listening Music
  • Travelling
  • Writing
  • Listening to Music
TattooOn the right forearm: Tree with swing and flying birds

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Wife/SpouseSakshi Gudwani (Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
ChildrenArjun Deshpande

Family

FatherKiran Deshpande (Founder of Airtight Networks, ex-CEO of Tech Mahindra)
MotherRajani Deshpande (Yoga Instructor and Classical Musician)
SiblingsYash Deshpande (Engineer)

Career

OverviewShantanu started his professional journey at McKinsey & Company after completing his MBA at IIM Lucknow, where he spent approximately five years advising Fortune 500 clients on business strategy. In 2015-2016, he transitioned to entrepreneurship, founding Bombay Shaving Company with the vision of offering high-quality, thoughtfully designed grooming products tailored to Indian consumers. His McKinsey peers and seniors backed him with seed funding when he left the firm. Under his leadership, the company has expanded from premium razors and shaving kits into beard care, hair care, and women's grooming segments, attracting strategic investments from Colgate-Palmolive, Sixth Sense Ventures, and Reckitt. The brand scaled significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown and is now recognized as a leader in India's D2C grooming sector, with women customers growing from 27% to 50% of the customer base.
Awards
  • Recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 'Entrepreneurship' category (2018)
  • Business Today’s Young Achiever Award for contributions to the grooming industry (2020)
  • Startup India Award for excellence in brand building and innovation (2022)
  • Listed in Fortune India's best 40 under 40 (2022)

Favourites

Car Collection
  • Tesla Model 3
  • Mercedes-Benz GLC
Net Worth$20 million (as of 2024)

Style Quotient

Assets/Properties
  • Luxurious apartment in Mumbai
  • Vacation home in Lonavala

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Belongs to a Maharashtrian family from Indore and was raised in Dallas, USA.
2. His father played a significant role in establishing TCS in the USA before moving back to India in 1997.
3. Has a strong interest in business strategy thanks to insights gained during various seminars.
4. Left McKinsey to co-found the Bombay Shaving Company and brought innovative products to market.
5. Grew his company significantly during the pandemic, establishing it as a household brand.
6. Actively invests in startups and recently collaborated with numerous brands in the industry.
7. Advocates for sustainable business practices and aims to make his company carbon-neutral by 2030.
8. Regularly mentors budding entrepreneurs and speaks at prominent events like TEDx.
9. His father Kiran Deshpande played a significant role in establishing TCS offices in the USA before moving back to India in 1997, and later founded Airtight Networks, a Wi-Fi security company that grew to over 1000 employees globally before being sold to Arista Networks in 2019.
10. Witnessed his father build a company from their garage in Pune, which influenced his entrepreneurial mindset.
11. Left McKinsey to co-found Bombay Shaving Company and brought innovative products to market.
12. Actively invests in startups and collaborates with numerous brands in the industry.
13. Champions a philosophy of hiring well and helping talent succeed while embracing uncertainty with discipline.
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