‘Work is Worship’- If this thought has to be embodied, then the extraordinary personality of Suryakant Singh, Managing Director of V-One Hotels and his journey to reach the pinnacle automatically comes to mind. Suryakant Singh, who worships his elder brother Dhanraj Singh ji like a god and makes his dream come true, does not need any recognition in the hospitality industry. The fearless thoughts and life of Suryakant, who considered struggle as his ornament and tireless hard work as his strength, is an example of moving forward continuously while fighting the storms.
Born in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Suryakant Singh started working as a teacher in a government school after graduation. But with the inspiration and guidance of elder brother Dhanraj, Suryakant resigned from his government job to make his mark in the hospitality industry. Although Suryakant, who belongs to a middle-class family, had to face a lot of criticism from relatives due to his decision, it was his unwavering faith in his elder brother, which was paving the way for Suryakant to move towards a new direction.
In an exclusive conversation with Rishabh Shukla, Managing Editor of ‘On the Dot’, Suryakant opens up about his memories and says, “I still remember my first job in the hospitality industry after graduating in commerce. I was assigned duty at the cash counter. I was a teenager….the understanding of worldliness was less…..I was enjoying the happiness of my new job. But after some time, the senior chef of that hotel, looking at me, in front of everyone made very tawdry remarks about my appearance. He looked at me and said, ‘Who made this thin wild man with a big moustache, sit here.’ As soon as such words came out of his mouth, I was shifted from the cash counter and given a place in the store room and offered a salary of Rs.1500 per month. With my firm determination, dedication and passion, I started presenting my abilities and exposed the rigging done by some hotel employees. After some time, I got a chance to represent my hotel in an event being held in Mumbai. Overwhelmed with enthusiasm, I shedded my blood, sweat and tears to make the event a success, but when the day approached, my enthusiasm and self-confidence were almost shattered by my senior chef again making derogatory comments on my appearance. I still can’t forget the suffocation of that day.”
“Finally, I made a resolution at that time that now I have to make an indelible mark in the hospitality industry. I started saving money from my modest salary, read various books on hotel management and understood the nuances of this industry… As my knowledge increased, opportunities also started coming….. As a result of my best result oriented work, I got promoted.”
Years passed and Suryakant kept gaining efficiency in his work. Along with this, he furthered his education and earned an MBA and Hotel Management degree. He started working in various fields like consultancy, event management, training etc. Days passed and one day he was invited to join a new hotel as Group General Manager.
Suryakant recalls, “When I asked for a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakhs, the owner of that new hotel was extremely surprised because of such a huge amount. I told him that Sir, some years back you had decided to offer me Rs.1500 after seeing my appearance… Today you are willing to appoint me to this post because of my ability to run your new hotel in a well planned manner…So, I have told you the price of my services only on the basis of my ability.”
“The owner of that new hotel was appalled and was too bewildered to do or say anything. He was the same chef who in the initial days of my career repeatedly gave more importance to my appearance than my abilities.”
“With this incident, a new chapter of my life started… I was honored by various organizations because of my contribution in the hospitality sector. My success story broadcasted on DD News and published in Incredible Magazine. As a result of my tireless hard work between 2012 to 2015, our event management company has become famous all over the country. Meanwhile, with the inspiration of my elder brother Dhanraj Singh, ‘Hope for Kids and Welfare Foundation’ was established. The foundation of V1 Hotels was laid in the year 2016 … Our hotel chains were established from Dehradun, Jaipur, Udaipur, Bangalore to Thailand in no time. During the lockdown, we provided as many services as possible to provide food to migrants, artificial limbs to disabled people through our NGO. We started organizing skill development programs for the upliftment of the marginalized people. We are committed to the betterment of the hospitality industry as well as the society.”
The wave of change in the society and as a strong change maker, Suryakant Singh has filled the lives of many people with positivity where there was not a single ray of hope visible.
He told that some time ago a woman called me and pleaded for euthanasia for her disabled son…. I consoled her and resolved to make that child stand on his own feet. Today he has undergone 12 surgeries.. There are some treatments left after which he will be completely cured… Today, seeing her son playing and laughing, when his mother tells me on the phone that Surya bhai, we have full faith in you, my heart fills with unending joy…… The faith of all such people is my strength.
There is no doubt that many people would consider you as their inspiration because of your excellent works, but who is that person whom you consider as your inspiration…. In response to this question, Suryakant Singh says, “My elder brother Dhanraj Singh Ji is my only inspiration. He is my God, father, brother, friend, everything…He is not among us today but I have preserved the legacy of his values and pledged to fulfill his every dream (establishment of Gurukul, making the underprivileged self-reliant..providing free education to children…) at any cost. I will not leave any stone unturned to convert the dreams of my elder brother into reality as soon as possible.”
What antidote is needed to negate the effect of poison that is growing inside the misguided youth of our country….. In answer to this question, Suryakant says, “I have often heard the youth saying that Unemployment is a lot higher in our country… There is no work. I reject the point because I believe that there is no dearth of work in the world but there is a dearth of people who do work….. The youth have to understand that no work is small or big. I often mention this while giving trainings that the owner who works in his organization as both a servant and a master and the employees who also work as a servant and a master in the organization, the success of that organization is sure. That means we should strive for efficiency in every work and not waste time in weighing whether a work is big or small. This thinking is enough for the youth to move forward on the right path.”
The recent heart-wrenching murder in which a young woman named Shraddha was killed by her partner Aftab and her body was cut into 35 pieces…..While sharing his views on the crime, Suryakant says, “Usually the name of a particular class of people comes to the fore behind such brutal murders…Instead of the blame game, there is a need to teach children about values. Parents have to explain to their children the difference between right and wrong. While behaving friendly with your children, you have to walk step by step with them. There is no such problem which does not have a solution. There is a need to give love, affection to the children so that they can understand the true meaning of self-reliance.”
Suryakant Singh while throwing light on the untouched aspects of his life, summed up the conversation with his message to the readers. He says, “we all have to imbibe positivity….with hard work you can achieve everything. We should adopt the principle of संतोषं परम् सुखम् (satisfaction with what You have given is the foremost pleasure) in life. Give your 100% effort in whatever you do, in any stage of life…Still, if you do not get success, then definitely evaluate your shortcomings, but be satisfied that there was no shortage in your hard work. Believe in yourself. Move forward in life without getting discouraged. Always Remember, a swimmer is not the one who swims with the waves of the sea … Rather, the real swimmer is the one who reaches his destination by ripping the waves of the sea.”