New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- Among the many lessons Darshan Dudhoria picked up at boarding school was the importance of being resilient. He realised that bad days were all about dealing with the consequences and returning stronger. It laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial drive at a later stage in life.

"You wake up hopeful, go to bed wiser - at times, bruised - and return the next day. Motivation comes and goes, but discipline stays. In the 1990s, boarding school wasn't about comfort, it was about character," says Kolkata-based Dudhoria, 40, CEO, Indian Silk House Agencies.

Though he studied and practiced law initially, Dudhoria joined the family textile business in 2013 when he saw an opportunity to expand it further.

"Ethnic wear was...