Shantanu Deshpande: Crafting the Future of Grooming
From McKinsey to building one of India’s most recognisable men’s grooming brands, Shantanu Deshpande’s journey is a story of ambition, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Explore his early life, career, Bombay Shaving Company, investments, family, podcast, controversies, and latest updates in 2026.
For generations, men's grooming has often been overshadowed by the spotlight cast upon women's beauty rituals. However, in recent times, there has been a notable shift in this narrative. Men's grooming has emerged from the shadows, taking a prominent place in the contemporary discourse surrounding personal care and self-presentation.
With an array of skincare products, hair styling tools, and grooming services gaining importance, men are exploring new avenues to enhance their appearance and boost their confidence.
Shantanu Deshpande is one among those who saw this opportunity and decided to bring a big overhaul to the Indian grooming industry for men. He decided to launch a company that is specifically directed towards men’s grooming.
In this article, explore more about the Bombay Shaving Company founder, Shantanu Deshpande, including his education, career, investments, podcast, and more.
Shantanu Deshpande Biography
| Name | Shantanu Deshpande |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Dallas, United States |
| Born | 1987 |
| Education | B.Tech, Computer Science (Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur) MBA (IIM, Lucknow) |
| Position | Founder and CEO, Bombay Shaving Company |
| Spouse | Sakshi Gudwani |
| Parents | Kiran Deshpande and Rajani Deshpande |
Shantanu Deshpande - Early Life
Shantanu Deshpande - Education
Shantanu Deshpande - Career
Shantanu Deshpande - Bombay Shaving Company
Shantanu Deshpande - Investments
Shantanu Deshpande - Podcast
Shantanu Deshpande - Controversy
Shantanu Deshpande - Awards and Recognitions
Shantanu Deshpande - Interesting Facts
Shantanu Deshpande - Quotes
Shantanu Deshpande - Early Life
Shantanu Deshpande comes from a Maharashtrian family based in Indore. He was born in Dallas, US, where his father, Kiran Deshpande, was working with TCS. Kiran Deshpande is a technology professional who later went on to become the former CEO of Tech Mahindra. Around 1997, the Deshpande family moved back to India, after which Shantanu continued his education here. Growing up, he was inspired by his father, who built and led large companies from the ground up.
Shantanu Deshpande - Education
After coming back from the US, Shantanu did his schooling at Vikhe Patil School in Pune. He decided to pursue engineering in higher studies and finished his B.Tech in Computer Science at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur.
During the final year of college, Shantanu didn’t want to settle for any ordinary path for further studies. So, he decided to appear for many competitive exams like CAT, and GMAT, leading him to join IIM Lucknow to pursue an MBA.
Sarika Anand
Shantanu Deshpande - Career
After his MBA at IIM Lucknow, Shantanu was successful in getting a placement at McKinsey & Company. He is seen praising McKinsey to a great extent in many interviews. He even calls it his ‘Maika’ (Mom’s house).
About his time in the organization, he says, “For me, McKinsey helped in character building in so many ways, and I think a lot of who I am today, and I attribute to my time at the firm.”
However, after five years at McKinsey, he came up with some great ideas and decided that it was time to start his own company. So in 2016, he stepped into his entrepreneurial journey by co-founding Bombay Shaving Company along with Deepu Panicker, Raunak Munot, and Rohit Jaiswal.
In 2021, Shantanu became an External Advisor at McKinsey, where he focuses on digital commerce and consumer topics.
He also advises Advent International on consumer investments, hosts The BarberShop with Shantanu (his podcast) to make entrepreneurship easier to understand, and works as an ambassador for Olympic Gold Quest, helping India’s top athletes.
Shantanu Deshpande - Bombay Shaving Company
Shantanu Deshpande continues to lead Bombay Shaving Company as its Founder and CEO, with the company entering a new phase of growth in 2026. The brand has expanded beyond its original focus on men's grooming and is building a broader personal-care portfolio while strengthening its presence across online and offline channels.
In November 2025, Bombay Shaving Company raised ₹136 crore in a funding round led by Sixth Sense Ventures. The round also saw participation from the company's founders, family offices, and high-net-worth investors. The funding is being used to support the company's omnichannel expansion, retail growth, and product innovation.
The company's growth accelerated significantly in FY26. According to a report based on company data and Tracxn, Bombay Shaving Company's parent company, Visage Lines Personal Care Pvt Ltd, reported operating revenue of ₹635 crore for the year ended March 2026, compared with ₹266 crore in FY25. This represented a 139% year-on-year increase. At the same time, its net loss narrowed by 84.5% to around ₹9 crore from ₹58 crore in the previous year.
This improvement marks an important phase in Shantanu Deshpande's entrepreneurial journey as Bombay Shaving Company moves closer to profitability while continuing to scale its consumer business.
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Shantanu Deshpande - Investments
According to reports, Deshpande has made 20 investments, with his latest listed investment being in Crest, which raised a $3.1 million pre-seed round on June 16, 2026. The round included several other investors such as 91ventures, BEENEXT, DeVC, and Sparrow Capital.
This is an increase from the 13 investments listed in the earlier version of this article, which recorded his latest investment at the time as Ginglani Distillers in March 2024.
Shantanu Deshpande Investment Portfolio: 2026 Update
| Year | Company | Funding Round | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Crest | Pre-Seed | $3.1 million |
| 2024 | Ginglani Distillers | Series A | ₹12.5 crore |
| 2024 | Relso | Pre-Seed | $840K |
| 2024 | Fiona Diamonds | Seed | ₹6 crore |
| 2023 | All Is Well | Seed | ₹2.07 crore |
| 2023 | Go Zero | Seed | $1 million |
| 2023 | Serigen Mediproducts | Seed | ₹5.8 crore |
| 2022 | Wishlink | Seed | $3 million |
| 2022 | Beco | Series A | $3 million |
| 2022 | Liquide | Pre-Seed | $2.2 million |
| 2022 | The Legal Capsule | Seed | Undisclosed |
| 2020 | Treebo | — | ₹10 crore |
The table combines the investment information already present in the article with the latest publicly listed investment identified in 2026. Investment databases may differ in the number of investments recorded.
Shantanu Deshpande - Podcast
"The BarberShop with Shantanu" is the video podcast launched by Shantanu Deshpande.
While the first season of the show involves deep discussions with entrepreneurs, the second and third seasons bring together founders, CEOs, and business leaders. The show is quite popular and has crores of viewers. It also launched Razorpreneur 2.0, a content creation challenge where participants can win rewards, including a one-year contract with Bombay Shaving Company.
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Shantanu Deshpande - Controversy
In this digital world, almost every famous person makes headlines for being caught in some controversy or the other. Shantanu Deshpande is not an exception. Almost similar to Narayana Murthy of Infosys, Shantanu too was caught in a controversy over his social media post about the work culture among youngsters.
This was in 2022 when Shantanu was caught in a controversy related to his social media post advising freshers and young people to work 18 hours a day in the formative years of their careers. He was criticized by the netizens who said he was promoting a “toxic work culture”.
Following this criticism, he wrote, “Yikes, so much hate for 18-hour days. It's a proxy for 'giving your all and then some'.”
He also said, "I did not mean to put in 18 hours every day. My exaggeration to make a point was taken out of context. I just meant to give it my all,".
More recently, in December 2024, Shantanu Deshpande raised concerns about India's quick food delivery market in a LinkedIn post. He criticised the unhealthy, processed food and short cooking times involved in quick deliveries. Deshpande urged platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto to offer healthier options and encouraged people to cook at home.
His comments sparked a debate online, with some agreeing with his concerns about food quality. Others, such as Jaikishan Bhatia manager at Cipla, called for regulatory measures, suggesting that a separate "preparation time" should be considered to avoid compromising food quality in the pursuit of speed.
Shantanu Deshpande - Awards and Recognitions
Shantanu Deshpande was enlisted under the best 40 under 40 of Fortune India, 2022.
Shantanu Deshpande - Interesting Facts
- Shantanu Deshpande was a member of the college football team and was the sports secretary of the college.
- He also loves music and used to play Tabla in his college band.
- He serves as an ambassador for the Olympic Gold Quest.
Shantanu Deshpande - Quotes
Shantanu Deshpande's Recent Public Profile
Beyond Bombay Shaving Company and his investments, Shantanu Deshpande remains active as a startup commentator and public voice on entrepreneurship, consumer businesses, work culture, and the Indian startup ecosystem.
His public posts continue to generate discussion, reflecting his outspoken approach to business and social topics. In 2025, for example, he sparked debate after commenting on the impact of large corporate acquisitions on startup brands.
In June 2026, Deshpande also responded publicly after a Bengaluru entrepreneur complained about receiving frequent promotional messages from Bombay Shaving Company's official WhatsApp accounts. Deshpande acknowledged the issue and apologised for the experience.
These developments show that Deshpande's public profile in 2026 extends beyond his role as a consumer-brand founder. His views on business, marketing, workplace culture, and startups continue to attract attention across social media and business circles.
What Is Shantanu Deshpande Doing in 2026?
As of 2026, Shantanu Deshpande's professional activities include:
- Leading Bombay Shaving Company as its Founder and CEO
- Expanding the company's consumer and personal-care business
- Supporting the company's omnichannel and retail growth
- Investing in early-stage startups
- Participating in the Indian startup ecosystem
- Hosting and creating entrepreneurship-focused content
- Sharing views on business, consumer brands, and workplace culture
His journey has therefore evolved from management consulting at McKinsey to building a consumer brand and becoming an active angel investor and startup-content creator.
FAQs
Who is Shantanu Deshpande?
Shantanu Deshpande is the Co-founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company.
When was Bombay Shaving Company founded?
Bombay Shaving Company was founded by Shantanu Deshpande, Raunak Munot, Deepu Panicker, and Rohit Jaiswal in 2015.
Who is Bombay Shaving Company owner?
Bombay Shaving Company is owned by Visage Lines Personal Care Pvt. Ltd., the parent company behind the brand. Shantanu Deshpande is the Founder and CEO of Visage Lines and Bombay Shaving Company. The company was launched in 2016 and has received investments from several institutional and angel investors.
What is the product category of Bombay Shaving Company?
Bombay Shaving Company offers a wide range of men's grooming products which includes shaving, beard grooming, haircare, skincare, and bath care. They also offer women grooming products for skincare and body care.
What is Shantanu Deshpande education?
Shantanu Deshpande completed his B.Tech in Computer Science at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur, and went on to earn an MBA from IIM Lucknow.
Who are in Shantanu Deshpande family?
Shantanu Deshpande comes from a Maharashtrian family. His father, Kiran Deshpande, is a technology professional and former CEO of Tech Mahindra, while his mother, Rajani Deshpande, is a yoga instructor and classical musician. He also has a brother, Yash Deshpande, who is an engineer and researcher.
Shantanu is married to Sakshi Gudwani, who has worked as a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The couple has a son named Arjun.
Who is Shantanu Deshpande father?
Shantanu Deshpande's father is a technology professional and former CEO of Tech Mahindra.
Is Shantanu Deshpande married?
Yes, Shantanu Despande is married. The Bombay Shaving Company Founder and CEO's, wife, Sakshi Gudwani, is a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
What is Shantanu Deshpande age?
Shantanu Deshpande wa sborn in 1987. His age is 39 years.
