SANJAY THAKKER

Acknowledged pioneers in India's luxury brand retailing ecosystem, the company has successfully marketed its first IPO.

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Sanjay Thakker, whose Landmark Group comprises of a chain of luxury auto dealerships recently made headlines when his company announced that it was floating an IPO. The listing appears to be unusual, given how few retail stores have made it to the bourses, at least in the Indian automotive space. Only one other retail dealership that went the IPO route many moons ago vanished without a trace, according to old timers Sanjay, the 56-year-old the chairman of Landmark Group, began his business in 1998, at the age of 32, when he opened a Honda dealership in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. His hard work, grit and determination has led to a string of successes in the automotive retail network and now the company operates 112 outlets in 32 cities. The portfolio includes 59 showrooms and 53 after-sales service and spare parts outlets. However, the journey wasn't very smooth, especially during the Gujarat riots where one of his showrooms was completely gutted in 2002 by rioters. Sanjay's resolve was something like this: The show must go on and despite difficulties and uncertainties, the company serviced customers from a temporary te