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www.punegoesyoung.com
PUNE • WEDNESDAY January �, ����
Goes
Two’s company
At the helm
SACHIN KULKARNI n 40 years
NITIN KULKARNI n 38 years
n Entry Point: 1999
TAKE
5
Success is...
Sachin: Destiny Nitin: Hard work
I am Puneri because...
Sachin: I value every rupee I get Nitin: I am ‘Praamaanik’
What drives me
Sachin: ‘Homes for All’ Nitin: Commitment to deliver
Charity is...
Sachin: being good to everyone Nitin: taking responsibility
Sakal to Pune is....
Sachin: its culture Nitin: what Oxygen is to Human Beings
VASTUSHODH PROJECTS Vastushodh shot into the limelight with the projects Anandgram, a unique concept of a micro township which o�ers projects within Rs 5-15 lakh, and UrbanGram for projects worth Rs 15-30 lakh. Driven by passion and armed with sound technical knowledge, the company forges ahead with a vision ‘to develop a series of micro housing satellite townships in all directions of India so as to provide economical spaces to the masses with no-compromise in quality and lifestyle.’ The highlight of all Anandgram micro townships is its highly a�ordable price range along with a list of lifestyle-enhancing amenities and facilities. In fact, Avenue Venture Partners Real Estate Fund has invested RS 20 crore in an upcoming Anandgram project, the first time a real estate fund has done so in an a�ordable housing project. It’s planning to further invest another Rs 20 crore with the group. To know more about the upcoming and ongoing projects from Vastushodh, visit their website www.vastushodh.co.in.
Two peas in a pod or two sides of the same coin? The brother duo of Vastushodh Projects, Sachin and Nitin Kulkarni are as di�erent as chalk and cheese. Yet, united they stand in their commitment to providing ‘a home for all’. In a candid tete-a-tete with Shumita Mahajan, the siblings go back in time to trace out the journey leading up to their dream
“O
ne should face failure at least once in their lifetime to taste success,” says Sachin Kulkarni, the older of the two young, strapping leaders of Vastushodh. Today, helming the organisation that created a first of sorts with their ‘homes for all’ concept of Anandgram, his success story makes for a Bollywood blockbuster, as does his persona. The flamboyant, gregarious character has no qualms about accepting that he is an academic failure, not having cleared his engineering diploma exams, rendering him just SSC pass. And yet today, he leads Vastushodh which is soon going to spread over 75 lakh sq ft in and around the city, creating ‘dream homes’ for one and all. The path has been his mentor, he admits. “ I changed 13 jobs in 9 years and sandwiched at least one business attempt between each change,” he laughs. Needless to say, all failed. Yet from each failed attempt, he rose like the proverbial phoenix to imbibe greater learning and thus his life lesson bag kept getting richer. Until, ‘the dots connected, and Lady Luck smiled upon him.’ In 2005, this middle class boy from Daund, 13 jobs and many failed ventures later, bought his first Mercedes and sent a message to Pune’s real estate fraternity that he had arrived! In contrast, young-
er brother Nitin, the obedient parents’ child, class topper and most-sought-after employee gave up a comfortable MNC job to join his brother in the business at a time when much uncertainty surrounded their future. And yet, aided with his operational acumen, Vastushodh today stands poised for higher leaps towards triumph. “Sachin works on his instincts as he follows his heart, while I am more practical. That is what makes our partnership complementary,” he says. Making a beginning as a marketing company for real estate clients, Sachin set up shop in a friend’s office and launched Vastushodh Property Marketing Services in 1999 to design campaigns for selling projects. Vastushodh Property exhibition became the first brand that brought the middle class segment to property exhibitions. “Until then, all property exhibitions were held in five star hotels and were definitely targeted at premium classes. We booked an exhibition hall for three days and showcased the mid to premium segment complexes, thereby breaking the elitist notion of property exhibitions,” says Sachin. After tasting sweet success in this venture, the same continued for five years and the next logical step was to enter the main area of development, which happened soon, thereafter. While both brothers may be diametrically opposite in their nature, they are unanimous about certain principles. “We hail from a middle class family and have kept alive in us those values,” says Sachin. “Today, the cars and outer trappings may have changed but our thoughts and attitudes still lean on the lessons learnt in the growing up years.” Sachin understands the value of money for he recalls the difficulty he had in his working years to make ends meet at month-end time. He remembers the eagerness with which he awaited his salary. “Till this day, we ensure all payments are made by the 30th of the month to employees. In all our years as a business house, we have never grudged our work partners their hard-earned money,” says Sachin. Poised at touching around 1800 crores as total worth in the next 3 years, Vastushodh stands proud as a debt-free company. That itself speaks volumes about the commitment the two brothers bring to their work.