“Never start a business to make money, start a business to make a difference.”
Dedication
With folded hands and a heart full of devotion, this work is offered first to Shri Khatu Shyam Ji, whose boundless grace, protection, and blessings have guided every step and softened every trial. May this humble effort reflect gratitude for the strength, clarity, and courage received in every season.
To my beloved father, whose integrity, perseverance, and quiet wisdom became the compass of my life. Your example taught responsibility with dignity and service with humility. Your blessings continue to light the path ahead and steady every decision made in faith. To my devoted mother, the wellspring of patience and compassion. Your tenderness, prayers, and tireless care nurtured resilience and kindness. Every lesson you gave through love and example lives on in the purpose of these pages.
To my cherished wife Swati, partner in every hope and harbor in every storm. Your steadfast trust, calm counsel, and gentle courage transformed burdens into milestones. Every achievement here carries your strength and every chapter echoes your faith.
To my children Bhavy and Urjita, who fill life with joy, promise, and meaning. Your curiosity inspires better work, your dreams call for better effort, and your smiles renew resolve. May this dedication be a blessing for your journeys and a reminder to walk with grace.
To my brothers Kapil, Deepak and Yash and the entire family, whose unity, encouragement, and shared responsibility have been a pillar through change and challenge. Your faith has multiplied strength and your love has made each step lighter.
To my mentors Mr. Ashok Arora and teachers Mr. Rajkumar Agarwal, Mr. A.S. Shukla and Mr. J.P. Sharma, whose guidance illuminated the discipline of honest work and the dignity of sincere service. Your wisdom refined character, sharpened clarity, and turned intention into consistent practice. To colleagues, teammates, and volunteers, whose cooperation and dedication shaped ideas into action with patience and precision. Your reliability and goodwill made every endeavor more meaningful and more humane.
To community leaders, well wishers, dignitaries, and partners whose trust, counsel, and collaboration opened doors for service and growth. Your recognition brought responsibility, your respect brought resolve, and your support deepened impact.
To the countless individuals across towns and villages whose warmth, feedback, and faith gave purpose to every effort. Your trust is the true honor of this work and the reason to keep serving with humility and care.
Finally, to every soul whose path has met mine in learning, friendship, or service, thank you for the shared steps and the shared light. May these pages carry respect for your journeys and gratitude for your presence.
“Do what is the right thing even if it isn’t the easiest thing to do”
Phase 1: The Early Path
The story of Dr. Sunil Kathuria begins in the industrial town of Bhilai in Chhattisgarh where he was born in 1982. His earliest memories are grounded in a home that valued discipline honest work and a belief in purpose. In 1984 his family moved to Dalli Rajhara a mining and labor driven township where his father ran a transport business. The shift brought a change in pace and environment and it introduced him to the everyday realities of enterprise from a very young age. The hum of vehicles taught him the value of reliability and the meaning of responsibility even before he stepped into adulthood.
As he grew he observed the demands of the transport trade and the challenges that came with it. He respected the work his father put in and he appreciated the role it played in supporting the family yet he felt his path would be different. The early exposure to industry came through visits to the iron ore mine where the family’s trucks loaded material, an experience that sparked excitement for the possibility of working at the steel plant and shaped respect for precision, safety, and organized effort. Standing at the edge of operations revealed how large systems depend on small reliable actions, a lesson that later informed a careful approach to processes and people in every setting. The fascination born in those visits nurtured a lifelong appreciation for purposeful work that is both exact and humane. There was a quiet strength in his curiosity and a steady pulse in his desire to contribute through a different route. He was fascinated by the Bhilai steel plant and the precision of industrial service and dreamt of serving in that arena. The dream did not take shape the way he once imagined but it did not leave a void. It deepened his faith that when a door closes another opens. He formed a conviction that whatever happens happens for good. This belief became an anchor that helped him navigate choices difficulties and turning points.
“I don’t carry the burden of the past or the madness of the future”
Phase 2: Studies and Skills
He started his Bachelor of Commerce degree at Raipur but had to pause his studies due to increasing work responsibilities in the family business. The pressures and demands of managing work made it difficult to continue his education at that time. Later, in 2010, he resumed his academic journey and he undertook skill development in lens grinding and polishing at SISI during the period 2001 to 2002. The training demanded concentration accuracy and a steady hand. He practiced calibrations measurements and alignment with care. The work required understanding of materials surfaces focal behavior and comfort parameters. He learned to translate prescriptions into precise optical outcomes. This craftsmanship formed the practical backbone of his vocation where small errors could diminish comfort and where exactness could restore confidence in daily life.
Later he enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts and completed the degree from Bastar University in 2012. The program widened his perspective on society culture and human behavior. It trained him to read attentively and think across contexts. He learned to connect individual experiences with larger social patterns. This connection would later help him understand the concerns of families who sought trustworthy care. The degree also improved his expression in simple and respectful language which became a hallmark of his interactions with people from diverse backgrounds.
Pursuing a Master of Arts in Political Science in 2014 he explored governance public institutions policy frameworks and the dynamics of collective decision making. This was not an abstract interest. It cultivated a civic awareness about how systems affect access to essential services. He studied ideas of rights duties representation and public welfare with focus and curiosity. The program sharpened his ability to analyze structures and processes. It built a patient approach to problem solving by identifying causes and consequences before acting. These abilities helped him later in planning programs and organizing efforts that required coordination empathy and fairness.
“Earn your success based on the service to others, not at the expense of others”
Phase 3: The Service Takes Shape
In 2001, the opening of his first shop, Shri Satlal opticals in Bhanupratappur became the doorway through which a clear idea of public service entered daily life. The town sat within a tribal belt where many families faced long journeys and uncertain costs for specialized care. Into this reality came a simple promise to make vision care reachable and respectful. The work began with careful fittings patient explanations and persistent follow up. The goal was not to impress. The goal was to serve with steadiness until trust could grow on its own. The name that marked the threshold carried a legacy of reverence and responsibility and it set the tone for how every interaction would unfold.
The earliest days demanded attention to small details that together defined reliability. Measurements were checked twice and comfort was tested with calm patience. When a frame needed a minute correction it was done then and there. When a lens required a different balance of clarity and ease a fresh pair was prepared without delay. Every step was designed to show that care could be both precise and kind. Word of mouth traveled across streets and markets and into neighboring villages. People came not for grand promises but for the quiet assurance that their concerns would be met with skill and sincerity.
Affordability stood at the center of each decision. At SHRI SATLAL OPTICALS, limited means were never a barrier to dignity. Prices were kept within reach and explanations were offered plainly so that families knew what they were paying for and why. At times cost was not taken at all because the situation called for humanity over arithmetic. This practice was not a gesture. It was a principle. It made people feel safe to ask questions and to return for adjustments without worry. Over time this feeling of safety became a foundation on which lasting relationships were built.
Note of Thanks
Writing the biography of Dr. Sunil Kumar Kathuria has been a deeply rewarding and uplifting experience. It has been a privilege to share the journey of a life devoted to service dignity and steady purpose carried with humility and grace. I am sincerely grateful to Dr. Sunil Kumar Kathuria for entrusting this story and for allowing a close view of the values discipline and compassion that guide his decisions and actions each day.
This work would be incomplete without heartfelt gratitude to his family whose strength encouragement and shared responsibility have been the foundation of his resilience. Their support through changing seasons nurtured a spirit of patience courage and clarity that continues to shape his path. The lessons received at home became daily practices that dignify both personal life and public service.
Warm thanks are due to mentors colleagues and companions who stood beside him with guidance and faith. Their counsel during demanding moments and their belief in honest effort helped transform intention into dependable outcomes. Their example strengthened the habits of punctuality transparency and respect that mark his leadership and service.
Gratitude is also extended to the countless individuals across towns and villages whose trust gave meaning to this work. Every visit every conversation and every shared challenge illuminated the quiet power of community. Their feedback questions and hopes refined methods improved outreach and affirmed that kindness precision and fairness can travel together.
Appreciation is due to community institutions associations and faith spaces that welcomed collaboration. Their openness to shared processes and clear communication made it possible to design efforts that are inclusive practical and enduring. The partnerships formed in these spaces demonstrate how collective purpose can lift everyday life with dignity and calm.
A special note of thanks to volunteers and young learners who embraced responsibility with sincerity. Their willingness to listen to organize and to follow through turned ideals into action. Their energy continues to carry forward a culture of service that values courtesy clarity and reliability in every task.
Finally to the reader may this story affirm the worth of steady effort and compassionate leadership. The life of Dr. Sunil Kumar Kathuria reminds us that true success is not only measured by expansion or acclaim but by the respect we show the access we create and the comfort we bring to others. May these pages encourage a commitment to clean intention patient practice and service that restores confidence and hope. May this light continue to travel outward guiding future work with wisdom kindness and unwavering integrity.
Thank You
– Dr. Sunil Kumar Kathuria