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{{short description|Indian businessman and columnist (born 1963)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = 
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|05|28}}<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/suhel-seth-the-man-who-collected-beautiful-people-and-almost-got-away-with-everything/140917|title=Suhel Seth: The man who collected beautiful people and almost got away with everything|website=[[ThePrint]] |date=27 October 2018}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Kolkata|Calcutta]], [[West Bengal]], India
| alma_mater = {{Unbulleted_list|[[St. Joseph's College, Nainital]]|[[Jadavpur University|Jadavpur University, Kolkata]]}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Businessman|columnist}}
| known_for = {{Unbulleted_list|Co-founder, Equus Redcell Advertising Co. Ltd|Managing partner, Counselage India<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=58439185&privcapId=13513573|title=Suhel Seth|website=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref>}}
| spouse = {{Unbulleted_list|{{Marriage|Sandhya Narain|1989|1993|end=divorced}}<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-suhel-sheth-marries-girlfriend-lakshmi-menon-in-a-private-cermony-amidst-me-too-allegations-2700991 | title=Suhel Sheth marries girlfriend Lakshmi Menon in a private ceremony amidst Me Too allegations | date=27 December 2018 | newspaper=DNA India | access-date=22 January 2019 }}</ref>
|{{Marriage|[[Lakshmi Menon (model)|Lakshmi Menon]]|2018}}<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/a-christmas-wedding-for-suhel-seth-and-lakshmi-menon/articleshow/67251633.cms | title=A Christmas wedding for Suhel Seth and Lakshmi Menon | date=26 December 2018 | newspaper=The Times of India | access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref>}}
| children = 1<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Lakshmi Menon on embracing ageing, her changing relationship with her body and why she feels more confident now than ever before | url=https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/lakshmi-menon-on-ageing-her-changing-relationship-with-her-body-and-why-she-feels-more-confident-forces-of-fashion#intcid=_vogue-in-bottom-recirc_b5299f1f-7b93-4545-8be3-23ad05a43004_similar2-3 | date=25 March 2022 | magazine= Vogue India}}</ref>
}}

'''Suhel Seth''' (born 28 May 1963) is an Indian businessman and columnist who is the founder and managing partner of the consultancy firm Counselage India.<ref name="auto3">{{ cite news | url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/litfest/delhi-litfest-2016/speakers/Suhel-Seth/articleshow/55050425.cms | title= Suhel Seth }}</ref> Seth is also a [[columnist]], actor, [[keynote]] speaker, and a TV [[Pundit]].<ref name="auto3"/>

He currently serves as the chairman, Marketing Committees of [[Confederation of Indian Industry]] (CII) and [[Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry]] ([[FICCI]]). He is also on the Experts Committee of Indian [[Railway Board]].<ref>{{ cite news | url =https://www.exchange4media.com/advertising-news/suhel-seth-inducted-as-member-of-expert-committee-on-railways-37149.html | title= Suhel Seth inducted as member of Expert Committee on Railways }}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Seth was born in [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] to [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] parents<ref name="auto2"/> and lived there with his parents till the age of 28. His father owned a chemical factory in Calcutta, which was closed down on account of the then prevailing political unrest, largely due to [[Naxalite]] activities, union conflicts, and strikes.<ref name="auto">{{ cite news | url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Suhel-Seth-I-have-never-ever-uttered-a-lie-in-my-life/articleshow/49074147.cms | title= Suhel Seth: I have never ever uttered a lie in my life }}</ref>

Seth was educated at [[La Martinière Calcutta]], where he was a member of the debating team,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johari |first1=Abhishek Dey & Aarefa |title=#MeToo: Why is Suhel Seth silent about the sexual harassment charges against him? |url=https://scroll.in/article/899763/metoo-why-is-suhel-seth-silent-about-the-sexual-harassment-charges-against-him |website=Scroll.in |date=28 October 2018}}</ref> and at [[St. Joseph's College, Nainital]]. He then pursued his higher education from [[Jadavpur University]].

==Career==
In 1996, Seth and his brother founded the advertising agency Equus.<ref name="auto"/> He also founded Quadra Advisory with Shunu Sen.<ref name="auto2"/> He started Counselage India, a consultancy firm in 2002, of which he is still a managing partner.<ref name="auto2"/>

Seth was inducted to the global Advisory Board of the San Francisco-based blogging platform [[LiveJournal]] Inc. in 2008.<ref>{{ cite news | url= https://www.exchange4media.com/people-movement-news/livejournal.com-welcomes-suhel-seth-on-global-advisory-board-33158.html | title= LiveJournal.com welcomes Suhel Seth on global Advisory Board }}</ref><ref>{{ cite news | url= https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=58439185&privcapId=13513573 | title= Company Overview of LiveJournal Inc. }}</ref> After working with the [[Tata Group]] during the management crisis to reconstruct their brand image in 2016, Seth was hired by the [[Adani Group]] as a brand consultant in 2018.<ref>{{ cite news | url= https://www.exchange4media.com/pr-watch-news/adani-group-hires-suhel-seth-as-brand-consultant-88735.html | title= Adani Group Hires Suhel Seth as brand consultant }}</ref><ref>{{ cite news | url= https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/adani-group-looks-for-image-makeover-hires-suhel-seth-as-brand-consultant-118030400679_1.html | title= Adani Group looks for image makeover; hires Suhel Seth as brand consultant }}</ref><ref>{{ cite news | url= https://trendlyne.com/posts/1395511/adani-group-looks-for-image-makeover-hires-suhel-seth-as-brand-consultant | title= Adani Group looks for image makeover; hires Suhel Seth as brand consultant }}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}} Seth is an established speaker on social and commercial trends for the Indian consumer base at business, advertising, and marketing events including several [[Indian Institute of Management]] (IIM) colleges.<ref>{{ cite news | url =https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=58439185&privcapId=13513573 | title= Company Overview of LiveJournal Inc. }}</ref><ref>{{ cite news | url= http://www.navhindtimes.in/a-state-with-great-potential-but-poor-implementation-says-suhel-seth-about-goa/ | title= A state with great potential but poor implementation, says Suhel Seth, about Goa }}</ref><ref>{{ cite news | url= http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/brands/brands-need-to-stay-relevant-contemporary-experts-161219 | title= Brands need to stay relevant, contemporary: Experts }}</ref> He is a regular columnist for the [[Financial Times]], [[Hindustan Times]], [[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]], and the [[Indian Express]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penguin.co.in/author/suhel-seth/|title=Suhel Seth |work=Penguin India }}</ref>

Seth is also a theatre enthusiast and has performed in over 135 English plays, and 6 films.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Suhel-Seth/articleshow/13082255.cms|title = Suhel Seth - Times of India|website = [[The Times of India]]| date=10 May 2012 }}</ref>

==Books==
Seth has four books to his credit. His first book, ''In Your Face'', is a compilation of interviews and columns by him published in different national dailies and magazines.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.simplylifeindia.com/suhel-seth.html|title=Suhel Seth Speaker|website=Simply Life India Speakers Bureau}}</ref> He has co-authored the book ''Kalighat to Calcutta'', with [[Khushwant Singh]] and [[R. K. Laxman]].<ref name="auto1"/> His last individually authored book ''Get to the Top'', published in 2011, acts as a perfect guide for the aspirational Indian. It tells readers how to get ahead in life by connecting with the rich and famous.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-careers-suhel-seth-book-launch/20111115.htm|title=Suhel Seth tells you how to befriend the rich and famous}}</ref> He has also co-authored ''The Target'' with Shantanu Guha Ray. It talks about the downfall of business tycoon Jignesh Shah's global empire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroompost.com/about-us|title=About Us |date=20 March 2021 }}</ref>

==Filmography==
Seth has acted in several English plays as well as a few [[Bollywood]] films. He sits on the international board of [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts]] (RADA).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-10-27|title=Suhel Seth: The man who collected beautiful people and almost got away with everything|url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/suhel-seth-the-man-who-collected-beautiful-people-and-almost-got-away-with-everything/140917/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref>

His first role, in the movie ''[[Rog]]'', was one that he took up on the request of a friend. He did a very small role in critically acclaimed movie ''[[Ek Din Achanak]]'' in 1989. He was then seen in the much-acclaimed multi-starrer ''[[Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara]]'', where he played the father of one of the female leads. Seth was also a part of the critically acclaimed film ''[[Guzaarish (film)|Guzaarish]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Suhel-Seth/movies|title=Suhel Seth Movies: Latest and Upcoming Films of Suhel Seth | eTimes|newspaper=The Times of India}}</ref> He was last seen in the 2015 film ''[[Calendar Girls (2015 film)|Calendar Girls]]'', playing a character based on liquor baron [[Vijay Mallya]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-calendar-girls-is-another-madhur-bhandarkar-dud/20150925.htm|title=Review: Calendar Girls is another Madhur Bhandarkar dud}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
Seth also sits on the board of the Max Foundation that works to provide access to cancer treatment for people across the globe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/archive/jlfspeakers/suhel-seth-2/|title=SUHEL SETH|date=17 September 2013}}</ref> Seth is a donor at the [[Partition Museum]] established in [[Amritsar]] in 2017. He made a donation of {{currency|50|INR}} [[lakh]]s towards a gallery in the [[museum]] which is dedicated to his parents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/uk-museum-ad-guru-donates-rs-50-lakhs-to-indias-partition-museum/512377/|title=Suhel Seth donates Rs 50 lakhs to India's Partition Museum to be set up at Amritsar|date=18 January 2017 }}</ref> He has a seat on the [[advisory board]] of the Indian Head Injury Foundation (IHIF).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianheadinjuryfoundation.org/advisory-board/|title=Advisory board | Indian Head Injury Foundation|website=indianheadinjuryfoundation.org}}</ref> The foundation works towards building brain trauma care systems in [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icfn.in/ADHM-2014/Indian-Head-Injury-Foundation/|title=Home - India Cares Foundation|website=www.icfn.in}}</ref>

==Controversies==
In 2011, tobacco major [[ITC Limited|ITC]] filed two separate suits against Suhel, claiming his tweets and newspaper articles against its chairman, [[Yogesh Chander Deveshwar|Y. C. Deveshawar]], as defamatory. ITC officials alleged that Seth had been making such comments since 2007, when the company terminated its contract with his firm, Equus. Suhel responded through a tweet claiming that his account was constantly hacked into and that he was taking steps.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/suhel-seth-sued-by-itc-for-rs-200-crore-over-tweets/articleshow/10622246.cms|title = Suhel Seth sued by ITC for Rs 200 crore over Tweets|newspaper = The Economic Times}}</ref>

In 2014, during a panel discussion on sports conducted as part of the [[The Times of India|Times]] [[Literature Festival]] in [[Mumbai]], Seth failed to recognise [[Viren Rasquinha]], the former captain of India's national [[field hockey]] team, and questioned the latter's involvement in the event. Seth was subsequently forced to apologise after a public outcry.<ref>{{cite web |author=FP Staff |url=http://www.firstpost.com/sports/suhel-seth-vs-viren-rasquinha-twitter-war-god-cant-be-an-expert-in-every-field-so-he-created-suhel-seth-1839231.html |title=Suhel Seth vs Viren Rasquinha Twitter war: 'God can't be an expert in every field, so he created Suhel Seth.' |publisher=[[Firstpost]] |date=8 December 2014 |accessdate=23 September 2016}}</ref>

In 2018, Seth was accused of sexual harassment by over 20 women that included model [[Diandra Soares]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/celebrity/story/suhel-seth-shoved-his-tongue-down-my-mouth-i-bit-him-diandra-soares-1369967-2018-10-17|title=Suhel Seth shoved his tongue down my mouth. I bit him: Diandra Soares|date=October 18, 2018 |magazine=India Today}}</ref> filmmaker Natashja Rathore, and writer [[Ira Trivedi]], in a social media backlash referred to as India's [[Me Too movement (India)|MeToo movement]]. This led to [[Tata Sons]], the holding company of the [[Tata Group]], terminating Seth as its brand consultant.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/suhel-seth-fired-tata-group-metoo-1377556-2018-10-29|title=Tata Group fires Suhel Seth after #MeToo allegations|author=Sahil Joshi |date=October 29, 2018 |magazine=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/tata-group-terminates-suhel-seth-contract|title = Tata Group Terminates Suhel Seth's Contract over MeToo Allegations|date = 29 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tata-sons-ends-contract-with-suhel-seth-accused-of-metoo-1939066|title=Tata Sons Ends Contract With Suhel Seth Over #MeToo Allegations|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

This followed beverage maker [[Coca-Cola]]'s public release that its long-standing association with Seth and his company, Counselage, stands dissolved. "He is not a consultant for the board or company presently", the statement said, adding that it took this step in the wake of ongoing allegations against Suhel in the #[[Me Too movement (India)|MeToo movement]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/advertising/metoo-impact-suhel-seth-not-a-consultant-presently-says-coca-cola/articleshow/66428113.cms|title=#MeToo impact: Suhel Seth not a consultant presently, says Coca-Cola|first=Ratna|last=Bhushan|newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref>

Post [[Coca-Cola]], [[Adani Group]] too reportedly terminated Suhel's contract as branding consultant. The group stated the contract that had ended in September 2018 shall not be renewed. "Mr Suhel Seth was consulted for a short-term project which expired in September 2018. He is no longer associated with the [[Adani Group]].", it said on [[Twitter]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/before-tata-sons-suhel-seth-had-lost-adani-group-contract/142439/|title=Before Tata Sons, Suhel Seth had lost Adani Group contract|website=[[ThePrint]] |date=30 October 2018}}</ref> Two other Indian [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerates]], [[Mahindra Group]] and [[JSW Group]], followed suit claiming not to be associated with Seth on any project.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/politics/before-2024-general-elections-anti-bjp-forces-including-congress-should-unite-to-provide-an-alternative-to-the-people-nawab-malik/840321/|title=Before 2024 General elections, anti-BJP forces including Congress should unite to provide an alternative to the people: Nawab Malik|website=[[ThePrint]] |date=21 February 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|1833473}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seth, Suhel}}
[[Category:Male actors from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Indian columnists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:La Martiniere Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Jadavpur University alumni]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Indian consultants]]
[[Category:Indian atheists]]

Suhel Seth - Revision history

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