Calcutta, Nov. 2: Sreeleathers was started by Ashish Dey’s father Suresh Chandra Dey in Jamshedpur in the early 1950s with the aim of making shoes affordable to the common man.

Suresh Chandra Dey is said to have been a close associate of legendary freedom-fighter Surya Sen, or “Masterda”, and worked for Bata before starting his own business.

Dey’s three sons —- Shekhar, Satyabrata and Ashish — later took over the reins of the group, whose business is today estimated at over Rs 100 crore. Sreeleathers only trades in shoes and leather products for men and women; it does not manufacture them.

Shekhar, the eldest brother, looks after the store in Bishtupur (also in Jamshedpur), while Ashish, the youngest, was in charge of the Sakchi store and also owned Hotel Smita in the steel city.

Satyabrata moved to Calcutta in 1985-86 to open a 700sqft store in Lindsay Street that has now grown to 35,000sqft. Another outlet, spread over 25,000sqft, has opened in Free School Street.

The group has a store in Connaught Place, New Delhi, managed by Satyabrata’s son Sumanto. Although all three brothers sell under the brand Sreeleathers, they own different companies.

Besides the company-owned stores, there are 30 dealer-owned outlets across the country under a separate company, Sreeleathers Pvt Ltd.

The group also owns Sumanto Sushanto Exports, which began exports from 1990. Sushanto is Shekhar’s son.

Shreeleathers exports shoes and leather products, after procuring them here, to countries such as the US and Britain. The brand is sold in Greece, Germany and Kuwait. The group now plans a joint venture with a Greek company.

Ashish diversified into the hotel business as he wanted to try out something different from what his family has been doing for decades.

“Ashish had just the right temperament to handle the hotel business,” Sekhar said today. “His business was built solely by him, we had no contribution.”

Shekhar said his brother was not afraid of criminals. “We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We will face the situation,” he said.

In January, Ashish had found a letter attached to a newspaper when he had returned with his family after a holiday in Puri. “The newspaper was found on the terrace of Ashish’s residence. The letter said a bomb was placed inside the paper. Ashish found a small container. Some wires and gun-powder were there, too,” Shekhar said.
Shekhar said his brother was not afraid of criminals. “We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We will face the situation,” he said.