DSK Group: Going strong

The DSK Group is growing at a blistering pace thanks to the vision of D. S. Kulkarni

THE DSK group of Pune is a multi-billion-rupee, multi-sector conglomerate, which has operations across sectors including real estate, construction, automobiles, education, energy, entertainment, travel and hospitality.
The group has operations in India (Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Bengaluru and Chennai) and the US. D. S. Kulkarni, a self-made entrepreneur, started off in a small way in Pune, but today heads a multi-billion-rupee empire.
Kulkarni, the Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of D. S. Kulkarni Developers, takes an active interest in the operations and is a hands-on executive.
DSK Dream City, his most ambitious project, takes much of his time. But Kulkarni also focuses on another prestigious project, the DSK Vishwa, a 130-acre township perched atop a plateau on the western side of Pune along Singhad road.
DSK Vishwa features several projects, including Vishwa villa, which comprises three BHK bungalows, each spread over 5,000 square feet plots.
The remaining projects are apartment complexes. Kulkarni says that of the 6,000 apartments in the complex, 5,000 have already been occupied.
The company is now promoting T-35, a clutch of nine 35-storey buildings atop the plateau. "These are the tallest buildings in western Pune," says Kulkarni. The project features more than 40 amenities including outdoor cafeteria and restaurant, a covered swimming pool, a 3,000 square foot gym, a unique communication lawn - to encourage residents to interact with one another - and other amenities.
The ring road being developed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority will also be touching the outskirts of DSK Vishwa.
The DSK group entered the real estate sector in Pune in 1980. Over the years, it has diversified to other cities including Mumbai, Nashik, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and even the US, where it has a project in New Jersey. The company is putting up a 42-storey building in Bengaluru - the tallest residential building in the city - in a joint venture.
The DSK group is the largest Toyota dealer in India and has been winning awards regularly for several years. It has one of the largest Toyota showrooms, spread over 260,000 square feet in Pune. It runs about a dozen Toyota showrooms and half a dozen workshops in Maharashtra.
The group set up DSK Motowheels in 2012, in association with KR Motors of South Korea, to assemble and sell Hyosung superbikes in India. DSK Hyosung bikes are available in three different segments - 250cc, 650cc and 700cc. DSK Motowheels is the official and sole manufacturer of Hyosung bikes in India with an international standard manufacturing plant located at Wai, near Pune.
The company also tied up with Benelli, the legendary Italian bike-maker, in 2014. It launched many Italian superbikes including the TNT 300, the TNT600 GT, the TNT 899 and the TNTR, with a 1,131 cc engine.
DSK Motowheels plays a pivotal role in assembling and selling Benelli bikes across the country and supporting them with a backup of service and spares.
It has a strong footprint across India with dealership setups in Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Goa.
DSK Entertainment, another venture of the group, has collaborated with Moonscoop, a worldwide brand management and entertainment company; and reputed Archie Comics to produce an animated series, 'Sabrina, Secrets of a Teenage Witch,' which won an Emmy award for outstanding achievement in main title and graphic design recently.
The animation series has been featured on television channels in the US, Europe and in India. DSK Entertainment co-produced this show. Its next major project is Top Cat!

• India