Sharath Rice

Sharath Rice didn't find hospitality through a business school case study. He found it the way most great nightlife careers begin — at a club, through a conversation, through a connection that turned into a decade-long partnership. Together with Dawn Thomas and Safdhar Adoor, he co-founded VRO Hospitality — today one of India's fastest-growing multi-format F&B chains with over 25 outlets across Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, and Hyderabad.

VRO's portfolio reads like a map of Bangalore's nightlife evolution: Plan B, Nevermind, Badmaash, Mirage, Cafe Noir, Taki Taki, Hangover, One Night in Bangkok, Tycoons. They started as an events company — Rices Obliquity — before pivoting to restaurants, surviving a pandemic, raising Series A funding, and scaling aggressively across India.

In Episode 12 of Season 2, Sharath joins VIC for a conversation that covers the origin story, the chaos of building multiple brands simultaneously, what Bangalore's nightlife disruption actually looks like from the inside — and where VRO is going next.

The VIC Fix is hosted by DJ VIC — an international DJ and producer who performs at weddings, corporate events and festivals across India, staged as a signature audio-visual show.