For This Family, the Shoe Store Was Home but Now They’ve Built a Brand That Walks With India

This article is sponsored by Sreeleathers

“My father dreamed that the common man of India would wear affordable shoes.”

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When Mr Sekhar Dey speaks, the past feels alive. His family’s legacy was forged through courage and aclear idea of freedom, one that includes economic dignity for all. 

They built a business based on the belief that every Indian, no matter where they come from, deserves the chance to walk with their head held high.

The late Suresh Chandra Dey, an Indian freedom fighter, understood that true emancipation required more than resisting colonial rule. It demanded the building of an Indian enterprise that is self-reliant, proud, and rooted in service to the nation. 

Humble in manner yet visionary in purpose, he brought this belief to fruition in 1952, when the first Sreeleathers store opened in Jamshedpur. What began as an aspiration became the foundation of a legacy that continues across four generations.

The India of the 1950s was a nation rebuilding itself slowly, seeking to reclaim its voice and purpose after centuries of subjugation.

His determination was inseparable from his revolutionary past. A close associate of Masterda Surya Sen, he had risked his life time and again in the fight for freedom. In Jalalabad, in 1930, during a fierce encounter with British forces, he was shot and narrowly escaped death. That moment could have silenced many, but for him, it deepened his resolve. “Even after surviving such a close brush with death, he became even more determined to build a Swadeshi product for the common man,” Sekhar, who is Suresh Dey's son, recalls, reflecting the unwavering spirit that would define both the man and the brand he built.

Quality, dignity, and affordability should be the birthright of every Indian

Thus, Sreeleathers was born. A Swadeshi enterprise forged in a moment when India was still learning to breathe as a free nation. 

Picture Jamshedpur in the early 1950s: smokestacks rising against a fresh dawn, streets humming with the quiet optimism of a country rebuilding itself. In a modest workshop tucked between the clang of steelmaking and the rustle of verdant trees, the first Sreeleathers shoes were crafted not by machines, but by hands that believed in the dignity of Indian craftsmanship.

Check out their family journey:

Sreeleathers started its journey from Jamshedpur in 1952. "The first store was a manufacturing shop where we made our shoes with our own hands, and it took us about two weeks to make this particular shoe, and the cost of the shoe was only Rs 12,” recounts Sushanto Dey, Sekhar's son, and the third generation carrying the business forward.

When Sekhar Dey speaks of the journey of Sreeleathers, there is a steadiness in his voice, the kind that belongs to a person who has watched an idea grow into an institution.

“True leadership is measured by the legacy you leave behind, and this includes developing the next generation of leaders. My father passed the baton to me. I passed the baton to my son, Sushanto. Sushanto will pass the baton to my grandson, Swayam Dey. Sreeleathers' legacy will continue,” he says.

As India advanced, Sreeleathers evolved with it. The 1990's opened new roads, new markets, and unleashed a new energy in the country’s entrepreneurial landscape. “Fast forward several years, and I would say the real expansion of Sreeleathers's franchise business began in 1992. Our first franchise store opened in Cuttack, and that opened the doorway to expansion that has led to us becoming a leading name in our category across the eastern Indian market,” Sushanto shares.

The juggernaut of growth that began in the 1990's is underpinned by the unwavering trust of the discerning Indian consumer, and the Dey family is well aware of what draws generation upon generation of customers to seek out their products.

Whether it is sourcing local raw materials from Kolkata to refined European leathers for belts and accessories, the brand’s palette expanded, while its heartbeat remained unmistakably Indian.

What sets Sreeleathers apart is a philosophy that feels almost like an oath. “We follow this rule religiously to date, as per my grandfather's legacy, to make good shoes, allied products and leather accessories accessible for various socio-economic groups,” Sushanto says.

The commitment is visible in every store, rows of shoes arranged with care, families choosing pairs together, generations returning year after year. And through it all, one belief remains unchanged, steady like a motto carved in stone. “Our motto has been the same since 1952, ‘World Class, Right Price’. What we mean is world-class quality at the right price,” Sekhar says with pride.

Today, Sreeleathers stands as a narrative of tenacity and craftsmanship, of Swadeshi spirit brought to life through leather and legacy. From a single workshop to a name recognised across India, it carries forward a vision stitched into every product: that quality, dignity, and affordability should be the birthright of every Indian.

“My father is the biggest feminist I know”

Women have played a central role in the Dey family’s business philosophy. Rijuta Dey, Sekhar Dey's daughter, affirms, “Our family has always prioritised women in the sense that my father never distinguished between my brother and me.” She adds, “My father is the biggest feminist I know, and he has been a feminist before I knew what that word meant. He is the biggest influence and support in my life, and I can only hope that we all can take forward the values that he has inculcated in us.”

In the Dey household, female members participate fully in the business. Mr Sekhar states, “In our business, every family member plays an equal role, and that includes the women, whose contributions are as important as anyone else’s.” 

Pujarini Dey, Sushanto’s wife, recalls her early introduction to the family business. “I got married at a young age, and the very next day after my wedding, my father-in-law encouraged me to step into the business and understand its workings. It was in the Sreeleathers store that I realised just how passionately every member of the family is involved.”

Mrs Jyotsna Dey, Sekhar Dey's wife, has been the steadying force who has supported her family through every trial and tribulation. “I raised my children and grandchildren and gave them wings to fly,” she says. Pujarini adds, “I realised how lucky I am to be a part of this family and this legacy business where women are given equal opportunity and equal freedom.” Rijuta reflects, “My father, brother, mother, and my brother’s wife, all four of them are in lockstep with each other, and it is this unity that drives the entire family and pushes the business forward.”

The commitment to inclusivity extends beyond gender. The brand has always prioritised affordability and accessibility. “We have tried very hard to keep the brand accessible to all demographics of people,” Sushanto says. “A person can walk in and get a belt for barely Rs 200. From premium products to Hawai chappals, we have everything for every pocket.

Being a B2C company, we have always been a customer-centric brand. By customer-centric, we mean we have served customers for the last three generations. Like Rome wasn’t built in a day, this trust wasn’t built overnight. It has taken us 75 years to reach where we are.”

Customers, too, have become part of the extended family. One reflects, “It is not just a brand; it has been a part of growing up.” Another customer recalls, “Every single year, we would look forward to that yearly round-trip to Sreeleathers to buy our school shoes and the Keds, which were part of our life.” A third customer states, “Nothing beats Sreeleathers, no matter what. Sreeleathers is indeed, ‘World-Class, Right Price.’”

For many, the company has been a lifetime’s work, and their commitment sustains the brand’s journey. Sushanto says, “The frontline workers of our team are like family members. I remember when I entered my family business, the guys working for my dad trained me, and now, the people working for me are training my son.”

From local heritage to digital horizons

The story of Sreeleathers has stretched far beyond the sleepy industrial town where it first took root. Sushanto carried the brand into South India, launching stores in Chennai and Visakhapatnam, and with each opening, its heritage travelled a little farther, touching new lives along the way. New cities meant new beginnings: the glow of fresh signboards, the hum of excited customers, and the pride of seeing a Swadeshi dream reach new geographies.

Franchising became the beating heart of this expansion, a philosophy grounded in trust and shared ambition. “Our franchises are our biggest customers. They buy, and then they sell in their own stores,” says Sushanto. In Vizag, a franchise partner echoes this sentiment, noting, “We chose Vizag because we wanted to increase our presence with the Sreeleathers family.”

Sushanto expands on this transformative chapter: “We began franchising back in 1992, at a time when the very concept was unfamiliar to most people. Of the 40 stores we oversee, we directly manage only three; the rest are all franchised. That, to me, captures the essence of what a customer-focused B2C company should be.

In a landscape where the retail sector was still finding its shape, Sreeleathers was quietly rewriting the playbook and building networks, empowering partners, and proving that a Swadeshi model could scale with integrity.

Pujarini matched Sushanto step for step as she ushered the company into the digital age. It was a new frontier for the decades-old business, but Pujarini was ready to embrace the opportunities that arose from COVID-19 disruptions.

Her words bring to life a moment of pivotal transition. “I had long wanted to launch our online business, but we were so content with our brick-and-mortar stores that it never happened. Then COVID-19 arrived, and we decided it was time to take the plunge. Today, our online business has grown exponentially, and we are only growing.”

Today, both realities coexist in harmony: the old-world charm of shelves laden with leather goods, and the glow of online order notifications at midnight, the hum of packing stations, and the thrill of customers discovering Sreeleathers from miles away.

Pujarini adds, “Our online team operates around the clock to make sure that customers receive their orders within seven days, and we offer an easy seven-day exchange policy. This is the ideal place for bulk orders.”

And now, the baton is already in the hands of the fourth generation.

Pujarini’s pride is palpable: “My son, Swayam, is my pride. He has helped me launch the online business and has already launched two stores. As a fourth-generation family member, I am very proud to say that he will take the Sreeleathers legacy forward.”

Swayam’s own words carry the spark of a new era: “In Sreeleathers, the area I find most appealing is the online business and its marketing. And that is where I see myself in the near future. I love sports. And my vision for the brand is to expand into sports and activewear.”

This is more than business; it is heritage in motion. The Dey family lives this brand the way others live a calling.

Sekhar Dey affirms, “Sreeleathers is my life and lifelong passion.”
Sushanto adds, “I was born into this legacy, and it has been the lifeline that shapes who I am every day.”

Pujarini speaks with a laugh that hides deep devotion: “I am married to this journey in every sense. I eat it, I sleep it, and I breathe it.”

Rijuta smiles, “Sreeleathers is at the heart of our family, the heritage we cherish and hope to pass on.”

And finally, Swayam, standing at the threshold of the future, says, “This is a part of me, my present, my future, and the legacy I will carry forward with pride.”
With each passing decade adding a new frame, the narrative unfolds like cinema:

A freedom fighter wounded in 1930, stitching dignity into shoes in 1952.
A family expanding across cities in the 1990s.

A brand leaping boldly into the digital world in the 2020s.
Four generations bound not just by leather footwear, but by purpose.

From the ordeal of India's freedom struggle to the limitless reach of the digital age, Sreeleathers stands as a celebration of courage, vision, and the enduring Swadeshi spirit.

It is not merely the story of a business; it is the story of India, carried forward step by step, generation by generation, with pride.

You can check out the Sreeleathers website for their latest collection.

All pictures courtesy Sreeleathers.