Brief Profile of Mr. Sahil Malik
With a passion for all fine things and the zeal to be where he is today, Sahil Malik, Managing Director, Da Milano profoundly believes in enduring what you love and rest all falls in place. After his degree in Fashion design from NIFT, New Delhi, He went to London School of Economics to study Marketing Management. He ventured into the business when it was a two-retail store business in the capital city of Delhi.
In 2010, he founded brand Rosso Brunello which is now a leading footwear brand in India and overseas providing fashionable footwear that was tailored to fashion conscious men and women. It is a ground-breaking endeavour that has positioned itself in the bridge-to-luxury segment.
While pampering the affluent customers, who are in the realm of competitive international tastes, Da Milano and Rosso Brunello have now become aspiring brands. His aim was not only to cater to the affluent, but also to create a sense of brands among the growing bourgeoisie then, and the elite now! His vision, as seen with the growth of the brand pan India and internationally to about eighty stores now, encapsulates the growth of retail structure; with presence in every distinguished mall of the country now, his is the grassroot contribution to the evolving concept of branding in India.
He also forayed into a home accessory brand called Da Milano Homes, which is set to be your one stop destination for all home leather accessories, furniture etc.
In addition to running Da Milano & Rosso Brunello, Malik is a highly sought-after retail expert, who regularly speaks at leading conferences and events, awarded with various entrepreneurial awards & accolades, and was a part of Champions for Change initiative organised by the Government of India.
Passionate in Marketing caught up with Mr. Sahil Malik to discuss about Da Milano and its future prospects
· The year your business was founded?
Mr. Sahil Malik, the creator of Da Milano, stepped into his father’s business in 2000
and that is when Da Milano came to life.
· Headquarters?
The headquarters of Da Milano are situated in the heart of India, New Delhi
· Who are the founders?
Sahil Mailk is the founder of Da Milano
· What is the business?
Da Milano as a business is a manufacturing and a retailing firm.
· Background and age of the founders?
Sahil Malik, a 39yr old fashion designer is running the business.
· History of the group?
Mr. Sahil Malik is the 3 rd generation in the family who’s working on the same lines as his father and grandfather. His grandfather was the one who initiated the leather business while his father exported leather clothing and other goods. Sahil Malik himself initiated the brand marketing and helped the brand gain luxury and aesthetics.
· How was it started and where are the manufacturing units?
Sahil Malik’s father used to export leather articles from across the country but as Sahil
entered into the business he could see a gap in the domestic brand market. As soon as he
realized that the retail market was at boom at that point of time he decided to step in and
create the brand as what it is known like today.
Da Milano has state of the art manufacturing units in Himachal Pradesh & Kolkata having the latest and most advanced machinery and highly skilled workforce operating under the guidance of Italian technicians.
· How did the company diversify into so many categories?
As a result of the market research conducted by Da Milano’s team, they saw an increase
in the demand of leather bags, accessories, wallets, suitcases etc. which helped them diversify in the long run.
Later they entered into travel retail segment which is all about airport marketing. Now they stand with around 15 stores across many airports.
· How are you using digital in your business journey?
From last few years, digital is booming and that is what attracted Sahil to enter into the
digital world which as a result gave them a boost in online sales.
· What are the key milestones in your journey?
There have been quite a few key milestones for Da Milano as a brand.
Da Milano being the fastest growing leather goods company across the world with an
amazing presence at the airports. The opening of the Dubai Store and some awards like
entrepreneur Awards, 40 under 40, Champions of change, etc.
Da Milano’s luxurious fashion footwear brand, Rosso Brunello, is one of their main key
milestone.
· What is the market size of your sector and how are you differentiating from the
competition?
The market size of the company is undefined and the sector they fall in the unorganised
sector. They are differentiated from the competition as they are the leading retailers of affordableleather luxury goods.
· What has been the impact of your work on the customers and society?
They’ve always kept their customers as their top priority. Their focus on quality and
services has always given them an upper hand in the market. They also focus on the walk inexperience of their customers which is always an additive.
· Your challenges in terms of sustaining and growing the business?
As every other business, Da Milano faces some daily basis challenges and as an Indian
brand entering into the market always comes with a challenge of a diversified demand.
· What is your advice to people who want to set up their business in the same sector?
Anybody who wants to enter a similar market has to be keen on understanding and
prioritising their customer’s needs with quality of the product. Choosing the right price for
the right quality is what is needed.
· How do you manage critical areas such as supplier management, cash flow
management, and capital management?
Da Milano believes in monitoring their management on a day to day basis with a god
team of experts to lead.
· From where do you procure raw materials?
Raw materials are procured from across the globe but mainly from Italy and Hong Kong.
· What are your future prospects?
Da Milano as a company aims at expanding across all international main cities in order
to make a mark in the global market as well.
