Kapil Hetamsaria founder of Velvetcase – a hybrid e-commerce platform started with the passion to deliver a complete customised and transparent fine jewellery buying experience to consumers in India and worldwide. The company has internationally acclaimed designers and manufacturing capabilities that currently cater to global retailers where each piece of jewellery promises a signature blend of refined sophistication and modernity.
Kapil’s love for jewellery started when he undertook a training course for diamond manufacturing and trading during his college days as an engineering student at VJTI, Mumbai. One thing led to another and he ran a retail diamond jewellery business for five years before heading out to the US for further education. Post completion of an MBA with Honors from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, he was hired by McKinsey & Company where he closely interacted with Fortune 500 corporations in the Internet, Technology and Retail industry segments. Through his work at McKinsey, Microsoft, Dell, British Telecom he became an expert on the digital commerce business model with a good understanding of the technology led retail industry in India. Once he returned to India, Kapil, decided to use the best of their knowledge to take the jewellery industry to the next stage by bridging the online-offline gap for customers. Velvetcase was conceptualised.
First Job: Software Engineer, Tech Mahindra
Enduring memory from early career days:
Be Yourself – many of us try too hard to be like someone else – and end up losing valuable time in not knowing ourselves.
Favourite Business Icon:
Bill Gates – for his passion towards adoption of his product/vision always keeping in mind the benefit of the end user
Favourite business philosophy:
Customer is King, everything else falls in line
The company you admire the most:
McKinsey & Co. – the #1 management consulting firm in the world where I spent a few more memorable years of my life.
Key learnings in your career
Consistency builds trust and brand
Discipline builds Consistency
Passion builds Discipline
Zodiac sign
Scorpion
What you like to do the most in your spare time:
Play racquet sports – Squash, Tennis – and spend time with my family
Favourite book:
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Favourite movie:
3 Idiots
Favourite songs:
Jagjit Singh ghazals
Favourite movie icon:
Al Pacino
Favourite fashion brands:
Montblanc
Tag Heuer
Favourite shopping destination
Online fashion sites
Favourite holiday destination
Hawaii
Favourite political icon since independence
NA
Favourite food
Bengali sweets
Favourite season
Winter
What do you like most in people
Honesty and belief in themselves
Top three things you want to do at some point in life
- Ring the NASDAQ opening bell
- A PhD in Micro Economics at The University of Chicago
- Visit the Himalayas
Your vision for the nation
Make In India – a great initiative that will uplift the image and capabilities of our country on the global stage
Your idea of a life well lived
No regrets
The thing you value most in life
The warmth I enjoy from family, friends and people close to me
What makes you smile
Goodness
What qualities of your makes you feel good about yourself
Positive thinking
Who inspires you the most
My mom
If you had to teach something, what would you teach
Find your passion and pursue it!
