Suhel Seth

Seth was born in Calcutta[11] and lived there with his parents till the age of 28. His father owned a chemical factory in Calcutta, which was closed down on account of the then prevailing political unrest, largely due to Naxalite activities, union conflicts, and strikes.[12] He studied at La Martiniere Calcutta, and went to St Joseph's College, Nainital. Later, he pursued Bachelor of Arts (English Honors) and Master of Arts (International Relations) degrees from Jadavpur University.[13] He is an alumnus of Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School as well; and is also a member of the Harvard Business School Consultants Club. He founded the Debating Societies of Kolkata and Delhi. He is a Rotary International Scholar and the Founder of the Rotaract and Interact Clubs in Kolkata.[14]

In 1996, Seth and his brother founded the advertising agency Equus.[15] He also founded Quadra Advisory with Shunu Sen in 1999.[16] He started Counselage India, a consultancy firm in 2002, of which he is still a managing partner.[17] Seth was inducted to the global Advisory Board of the San Francisco-based blogging platform LiveJournal Inc. in 2008.[18][19] After working with the Tata Group during the management crisis to reconstruct their brand image in 2016, Seth was hired by the Adani Group as a brand consultant in 2018.[20][21][22] Seth is an established speaker on social and commercial trends for the Indian consumer base at business, advertising, and marketing events including several Indian Institute of Management (IIM) colleges.[23][24][25][26] He is a regular columnist for the Financial Times, Hindustan Times, The Telegraph, and the Indian Express.[27]

Seth is a theatre enthusiast and has performed in over 135 English plays, collecting accolades from numerous critics for his performances over the years. He finds an honorable mention in Truth, Love & a Little Malice,[28] the autobiography of prominent writer and satirist Khushwant Singh.[29]

Seth has four books to his credit. His first book, In Your Face, is a compilation of interviews and columns by him published in different national dailies and magazines.[30] He has co-authored the book Kalighat to Calcutta, with Khushwant Singh and R. K. Laxman.[31] His last individually authored book Get To The Top, published in 2011, acts as a perfect guide for the aspirational Indian. It tells readers how to get ahead in life by connecting with the rich and the famous.[32] He has also co-authored The Target with Shantanu Guha Ray. It talks about the downfall of business tycoon Jignesh Shah's global empire.[33]

Seth has acted in several English plays as well as a few Bollywood films. He sits on the international board of Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).[34] His first role, in the movie Rog, was one that he took up on the request of a friend. He did a very small role in critically acclaimed movie ‘Ek Din Achanak’ in 1989. He was then seen in the much-acclaimed multi-starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, where he played the father of one of the female leads. Seth was also a part of the critically acclaimed film Guzaarish.[35] He was last seen in the movie Calendar Girls, playing a character based on liquor baron Vijay Mallya.[36] Seth also acted in a Bengali film Senapati (film) in a prominent role.

Suhel is a social worker and supports many non-profit organisations through his company, Counselage as well as in his personal capacity. He is the Chairman of Ila Trust, a Delhi-based NGO that provides free health check-ups and medicines to the needy. He also sits on the board of the Max Foundation that works to provide access to cancer treatment for people across the globe.[37] Seth is a prominent individual donor at the Partition Museum established in Amritsar in 2007. He made a donation of 50 lakhs towards a gallery in the museum which is dedicated to his parents.[38] He has a seat on the advisory board of the Indian Head Injury Foundation (IHIF).[39] The foundation works towards building brain trauma care systems in India.[40]

Suhel Seth is a member of the Global Advisory Board of British Airways and the first Indian to be so.[41] In 2015, he was honoured by the non-profit organisation Giving Back Foundation (GBF) along with Hollywood actress Phylicia Rashad, for his active contribution in ushering social change in India.[42]

• Suhel Seth on IMDb
• Counselage
• Youthkiawaaz
• Businessworld