Building Structure in India’s Most Fragmented Industry
Dr Prasenjit Bakshi
CEO
Act Infraport Ltd.
Building Structure in India’s Most Fragmented Industry
Dr Prasenjit Bakshi
CEO
Act Infraport Ltd.
For decades, India’s furniture industry has remained on the fringes of global trade, overshadowed by manufacturing powerhouses like China and Vietnam and design leaders like Germany. Despite strong engineering and design capabilities, the sector continues to struggle with fragmented supply chains and a largely unorganised market. Limited digital adoption and weak brand consolidation have further constrained its global competitiveness.
Dr Prasenjit Bakshi is working to change that narrative. As CEO of Sujan Carnival Furniture, an ACT Group company, he is building a business that directly addresses these systemic gaps. With over 29 years of experience spanning interior design, customer service, international marketing, and exports, he brings a result-driven and execution-focused leadership style to a sector in need of structure and scale.
Recognising the dual challenge of competing with global export leaders and formalising a fragmented domestic market, Dr Prasenjit is driving a strategy anchored in design innovation, manufacturing discipline, and digital integration. He is particularly focused on leveraging India’s vast engineering and creative talent pool to build a strong design and manufacturing brand while tapping into the immense potential of e-commerce and digital tools that remain underutilised across the industry.
An adept negotiator and goal-orientated leader, Dr Prasenjit combines strong analytical thinking with a hands-on approach to execution, ensuring both margin delivery and operational efficiency. His vision is to establish Sujan Carnival Furniture as a trusted, profitable market leader while positioning India as a credible and competitive force in the global furniture export landscape. How? Dr Prasenjit shares this and more with TradeFlock in this exclusive interview.
What key learning has shaped how you build organisations and lead today?
This industry remains largely unstructured, and one of my biggest learnings has come from dealing with that reality on large-scale projects like five-star resorts. Teams often work in their own ways, bypassing processes, which creates serious challenges in continuity, especially when key individuals exit. It made me realise that relying on people over systems is not scalable. Strong SOPs are critical to ensure consistency, visibility, and control.
At Sujan Carnival Furniture, I have focused on building and enforcing these processes, supported by digital tools. It also shaped my leadership approach, driving process-led growth and creating clear accountability across teams rather than centralised decision-making.
Where do you see opportunities to improve speed, decision-making, execution, or innovation, and what steps are you taking to address them?
I have always prioritised R&D and innovation while growing scale in a sustainable and profitable manner. As we expand, the focus remains on improving speed, decision-making, and execution depth without compromising quality or efficiency.
To achieve this, I have introduced robotics and assembly line processes to handle repetitive tasks, improving precision and reducing skill dependency. Technologies like 3D printing, parametric design, and CNC integration enable customised yet scalable production. On the operational side, ERP systems and customised dashboards provide real-time visibility into production and help identify bottlenecks. We are also actively digitising project management and decentralising decision-making, empowering teams to respond faster and execute more effectively.
How do you handle shifting government priorities while protecting timelines and capital?
When government priorities shift mid-project, the key is to remain both structured and flexible. Traditionally, projects in this industry were rigid, making them vulnerable to such changes. At Sujan Carnival Furniture, we have adopted an agile-inspired approach, breaking projects into modular phases so execution can continue or pause without locking excessive capital.
This ensures adaptability while maintaining control. We also follow milestone-based investments to protect cash flow and avoid overexposure. Supported by digital tools for real-time visibility, this approach allows faster course correction, minimises risk, and keeps both timelines and capital safeguarded even in uncertain and evolving environments.
What advice would you give to emerging professionals aspiring to build and lead in this sector?
Building and leading in a sector as complex and evolving as infrastructure and manufacturing demands more than technical expertise. It requires character, curiosity, and clarity of thought. For emerging professionals, the foundation must begin with ethics, honesty, and transparency. Developing a strong moral compass early in one’s career not only builds trust but also creates an environment where collaboration and long-term success can thrive. Professionals who take ownership of their actions and communicate openly will always stand apart.
Equally important is a deep commitment to creativity, R&D, and innovation. The industry is ripe for transformation, and young leaders must cultivate curiosity and discipline to explore new materials, technologies, and processes. Bringing fresh, out-of-the-box thinking into design, execution, and customer experience will be key to staying relevant and competitive.
At the same time, fearlessness, backed by wisdom, is critical. I encourage professionals to step outside their comfort zones and take calculated risks. Decisions should not be driven by emotion or bias but by data and insight. This approach not only reduces failure but also builds resilience and accountability over time.
