Today, the amount is chickenfeed. “My father once gave me two fresh Rs 2 notes,” recalls Sudip Dutta. “They had a strong, freshly-minted odour. I preserved them for a rainy day. That for me is the value of money.”

It’s not just the trivial sum involved (though money went a much longer way in those days). It is also who the statement is coming from. Dutta is today chairman & managing director of the Mumbai-based Dutta Group, which has a turnover of more than Rs 125 crore including Rs 20 crore from exports. He is expecting to touch Rs 300 crore in 2007-2008.

Such money wasn’t always his lot, of course. Dutta’s story is of the classic rags-to-riches variety. Born in the industrial township of Durgapur in West Bengal, he studied at the Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation (HFC) School and then Bidhan Chandra Junior College.

He wanted to be a professional. But destiny had something else in store for him. His father was a security guard at Hindustan Fertliser, Durgapur, and the family found it difficult to make ends meet. Thus, Dutta’s brother came to Mumbai to try and change their fortune.

It didn’t work out as planned. Dutta’s brother expired due to some medical complications while in Mumbai.

His father also expired due to this shock. That’s when Dutta had to give up his academic pursuits and come to Mumbai. He knew nobody and at times even worked as a daily wageworker in a factory.

“Having arrived in Mumbai, I resorted to taking temporary jobs wherever I could,” says Dutta. “They were mostly in the unorganised sectors and each day was a learning experience. Through all this, I never lost sight of my dreams. For me, every penny saved meant inching closer to my investment in my enterprise.”

Over the years, he managed. And he could choose his options too. Says Dutta: “Pharmaceutical companies save lives, a fact which touched a chord with me. I was motivated to venture into this sector.”

Not in mainline pharma, of course; that needs money and R&D. Flex Art, the flagship of the Dutta Group, is in the field of printing and packaging for the pharma sector.

Flex Art Foil (Vasai) was the first major unit of the group. Ess Dee Aluminium is a state-of-the-art plant in Kundaim, Goa. Ess Dee has also set up a plant at Daman.

There are other companies under the Ess Dee umbrella. The group’s clients include companies like Cipla, Pfizer, Wockhardt, Torrent, Lupin, Wyeth, Sun Pharmaceutical, IPCA, Zydus-Cadila, and Ranbaxy.

“I started by investing my savings in a pouching unit, making preformed pouches for pharmaceutical applications,” says Dutta. “The industry has been historically extremely stringent on norms for new vendor development. Therefore, getting direct access and business in the initial stages was difficult.”

There were other hurdles. “Funds were a problem and that retarded growth,” says Dutta.

“But I trudged on. Adversity always makes a man more determined and I was determined to succeed. So I kept working at it and the end results are there for all to see.”

Today, the group is all set to expand and modernise operations in different parts of India.

The facilities include a printing unit in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, a coating unit in Goa, another aluminium foil rolling mill in Daman, upgradation of all existing units in line with the CGMP (current good manufacturing practices) standard, a greenfield converting unit in Daman in line with the US Food and Drug Administration norms and a castor and aluminium sheet rolling unit.

The Dutta group has also tied up with GARMCO of Bahrain for procuring raw material for the aluminium foil rolling mill.

“Pharma companies taking advantage of tax sops have set up units across the country,” says Dutta, explaining the geographical spread. “We followed suit. I have now decided to enter the business of aluminium foil-based specialised solutions for the food and FMCG industry.”

Dutta believes that a man alone sets his limitations and, if he has to conquer new horizons, he needs a dedicated and capable team. “I can proudly lay claim to being supported in my journey by the most capable team in the industry,” says Dutta. “My colleagues are a part of my extended family and I stand by them through thick and thin.”

“I deliver on my promises,” concludes Dutta. In his business, he has to.

Based on a conversation with Shibani Chattopadhyay in Calcutta