New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- The 1970s were a turbulent era for industry in Bengal. Violent strikes and frequent bandhs drove many Kolkata-based companies to relocate. In this challenging environment, a young engineer made a bold and seemingly foolhardy decision-to start an audio products business in 1970.

Entrepreneurship in the city had all but dried up as left-wing politics gained ground. Yet, Ashoke Mukherjee, the son of an ICI (UK) employee, was determined to carve his own path. Raised in an upper-middle-class family, he pursued his early education in Kanpur before earning a degree in electronics and communications from Roorkee University (now IIT Roorkee). Named Best Student of the Year, a lucrative job seemed the obvious next step.

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