KOLKATA: Shaankar Sen, the chairman of Kolkata-based Senco Gold and Diamonds, died of COVID-19 at a hospital here on Tuesday, sources at the medical facility said.
He was 63. Sen recently underwent knee replacement surgery, a family member said.
He is survived by his mother, wife, son, daughter and two grandchildren.
Sen, who was instrumental in putting the Senco Gold and Diamonds brand on the national map, was remembered by industry veterans as a shining example of Bengali entrepreneurship.
He inherited three jewellery stores in the early 1990s from his father and today the brand has over 100 outlets across the country, another family member said.
Senco Gold and Diamonds is at present the largest gold jeweller from eastern India with footprints across 14 states.
"A dynamic personality, a visionary in his own space and complete peoples person relentlessly innovative ideas to forge ahead. The void left by his demise today is irreparable," the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said, condoling his death.
Sen chaired the National Expert Committee on Jewellery and Lifestyle at the ICC for the past three years and led many successful endeavors in the sector.
He was also one of the founding members of the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC).
"The entire industry, Senco family and friends deeply mourn this tragic loss and pray to the almighty to give strength to the family, GJC chairman N Anantha Padmanaban said.