He is his own brand: Brand Sardar

It’s a real rags to riches story. At 14 , Narendra Pal Singh ran away from home in Hyderabad to escape competitive exams and studies. He went to Nanded with ₹20 in hand, stayed in a Gurudwara for 15 days for free food and shelter. When he couldn’t live there any longer or get a job for himself, he took a train to Aurangabad where again he took shelter in a Gurudwara. “A job in a hotel was the best bet, as food and stay is free in it,” recalls Naren.

Long struggle

Anyone familiar with the clubbing scene in Hyderabad is sure to know Naren. Soon after he returned to Hyderabad in 2001, he worked at 10D, waiting tables. “I cleared tables, attended to customers, worked behind the bar. Nothing seemed below my dignity. When I was out on my own in strange cities, odd jobs helped me survive. That stint also helped me stay grounded,” says Naren who is now the founder of Brand Sardar, a sought after F&B and artiste consultancy firm from the city.

“No one was ready to give me a job when I was 14 years old. Eventually I got the job as a utility boy at a hotel called Parivar; that’s the first time I ever washed utensils. Some friends there suggested I cut my hair to for jobs. So I did. My fate didn’t change. After four months I left to Surat for better jobs,” recollects Naren, at the Fat Pigeon. .

Success didn’t come to him easy, not even after several years. He just didn’t give up hope. He can be compared to the stone that rolled and gathered the shine. “Before I came back to Hyderabad no matter where I was working I would go back to Aurangabad — it became my base and my second home. I had my friends there,” recollects Naren.

Recognition and faith

Brand it like him Naren says his work with his business partner Nikhil makes him happy   | Photo Credit: Sanjay Borra

He returned to Hyderabad at a time when the clubbing scene was booming. “At Liquids, my boss Vamsi, saw my work and encouraged me. He used to say I was manager material and eventually from someone who attended tables I was made the manager. After a few years, he let me run the place. Apart from the logistics of food, drinks, DJ and staff, I was also allowed to redesign the place. Nothing feels better than recollecting that trust. His faith in me was immense and I didn’t want to lose that any cost. Even now I work such that I don’t lose trust,” says Naren.

Their association continued as long as Vamsi was into the F&B business. “After that I was freelancing and networking. At that time a 24-year-old boy came up to me and expressed his dream of starting a new place that would be ‘different’. That’s how Free Flow bar opened. There was no looking back for Naren as a consultant.

Pointing to where a ‘huge’ new brewery and a few more eateries will open soon, Naren feels he must have done something right for businessmen to consult him when they begin a new restaurant, club or anything in F&B and entertainment. Incidentally, Fat Pigeon where we are conversing, is one of the many new age resto bars where Naren consults.

One of the challenges Naren faced in running a consultancy business was that he wasn’t good at the paperwork, due to his lack of formal education. “I’ve been fortunate to have friends who are experts in legal and financial matters. My friend Nikhil joined me from Mumbai and he helped set up the company called Brand Sardar.

Why start a brand when he is already well established? “Until Nikhil joined I was doing it all on my own. In a company I can delegate and focus on core stuff. I want to have brand recall,” says Naren. Kudos to that spirit!