A relatively new player on the digital landscape, Sanguine is creating a dent in the industry within the two short years since it’s inception. Founder Raaj Sanghvi gained experience at Vanity Fair, LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), and Red Chillies Entertainment before setting sail with his own entrepreneurial project. Influenced by his parents, it was no surprise that the progeny of acclaimed journalists Vir Sanghvi and Malavika Sanghvi was inclined towards media, and thus Sanguine came to life in 2015. He has since worked with the top of the pop folks in the industry and restaurants such as Ministry of Crab And Nihonbashi, both being members of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards. As this boutique consultancy firm moves from strength to strength, we get set to unravel the makings of the gent behind this bespoke luxury advisory in this #DSSCExclusive.
Your instagram feed is drool-worthy with you around different corners of the globe. What’s that like?
I grew up between New Delhi and Mumbai, with stints in Montreal and New York. Work affords me opportunities for extensive travel, and it’s getting hard to differentiate between work and leisure. As sometimes fun is work and most times work is fun!
What led to working in diverse professional fields before Sanguine?
Post McGill University (Montreal), the idea was to seek out the best professional experiences, learn, and grow. My interests were in creative fields; specially lifestyle and media. What better media organisation to learn about how the media works than Vanity Fair in New York? What better company than the LVMH conglomerate to understand consumer behaviour and get an insight into the business of luxury? What better production house to work for than one owned by Shah Rukh Khan and get an insider’s perspective into India’s soft power?
How would you say have these experiences moulded you as an entrepreneur?
My professional experiences may seem glamorous on the outside but they were equally gritty on the inside. At the end of the day you learn the same thing; there is no substitute for hard work. Nothing comes easy and you need a lot of perseverance and a bit of luck to get to the top. Staying at the top is even harder!
What prompted you to launch your own venture? What’s the journey been like?
It was always the plan and quite frankly a simple decision: why work for someone else if you can work for yourself? You cannot prepare for entrepreneurship. Like any journey it has ups and downs, luckily so far it’s been more of the former for me. But you have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth. And you learn something new every single day.
You’ve also co-founded Caviar Noir. Could you throw light on both your enterprises?
Caviar Noir is a young, fun, audacious start-up that began in Montreal with my then roommate Rishabh Joshi (a music producer and serial entrepreneur) with the aim of challenging the status quo in the nightlife and lifestyle sectors through one of a kind experiences.
SANGUINE on the other hand is a boutique luxury consultancy firm, where everything is bespoke with the utmost attention to detail. We are very selective with the brands and individuals we work with. SANGUINE will branch out into various new sectors in the coming year and launch diversified initiatives. I’m most excited about our digital plans, this is only the beginning.
What’s your take on the relationship between businesses and digital media?
It’s a relationship of convenience. Both sides are as dependent on each other. Brands need digital platforms to reach their consumers and digital platforms need brands and big businesses to generate revenue. It’s a win-win. Trends show that brands today are starting to deploy more resources towards digital media. In today’s world, no brand can afford to ignore digital media.
You travel extensively and are an adventurous food lover. Based on your experience, what would you say are the striking differences between the Indian & international F&B industries?
It is difficult to generalise about such a large industry, but one obvious difference for me is the mindset. I’ve found the luxury F&B industry in India more willing to go the extra mile, to provide a personalised experience, to ensure the customer leaves satisfied with good memories. Perhaps this is true of Asia as a whole in relation to the West.
What can the two culinary geographies pick from each other?
We can learn discipline. The bigger, more successful establishments in the West work like clock-work. If I had to choose one thing from India that I would like to see implemented across the world it would be working with more heart!
You’ve said that the new generation is “More Aware, More Exposed and More Aspirational”. Can this prove to be a double-edged sword?
Sure, it can prove to be a double-edged sword, and perhaps even counter-productive. But what is the alternative – less aware, less exposed and less aspirational? We are lucky that most young people do not subscribe to regressive notions. It is the only way India will develop in the years to come.
As we finish our second round of espressos, we fire away the signature DSSC Rapid Fire before bidding adieu to this dapper gent.
Your top travel destination in the world?
The Maldives – it’s heaven on earth!
Your favourite bar in Delhi?
I recently became a member of ‘House A’ at the Hyatt Regency, Delhi which I love.
Most intriguing food experience till date?
Spending a day food tasting in the suburbs of Bangkok, stall after stall and street after street with Asia’s three time reigning No.1 Chef and my friend Gaggan Anand. A whole day’s worth of eating, cost us about $20 and what an experience it was!
One food trend you wish ended yesterday?
Truffle oil drizzled on every single thing!
We hear you’re a museum junkie – favourite museum to visit in the world?
MOMA in NYC, the Louvre in Paris, Van Gogh in Amsterdam, and Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence have been the most influential for me.
Last day on earth – which restaurant will you eat at?
The parathas at my late Grandmother’s legendary café Samovar in Mumbai, which shut last year after nearly a 50 year run!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this feature are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of DSSC & its affiliates.
Image Courtesy: Gaurav More
