AtulGoel Managing Director, Goel Ganga Group

My family shifted to Pune from Haryana in 1974 when I was about two years old. While growing up, I always saw my father working really hard and barely getting enough time to spend with the family. In 1982, he had started Goel Ganga Group, the real estate enterprise after having failed at six different businesses. His passion for work inspired me and instilled the value of hard work. I worked part time in the company along with my B.E Civil education from Pune University. Even, when I enrolled in MBA Finance, I used to spend three hours in morning and evening i.e. before and after college at work. It was in 1996, that I joined the company as a full time director. In 1990s, civil engineering was in the nascent stages and having a civil engineer at site for supervision was unheard of. We never had a civil engineer before at the construction sites, there was no concept of material store or quality check at sites and site supervision and systems were dependant on individuals. If they were absent or inefficient, it led to losses, pilferages and irregularities in quality. I took the challenge head-on and started making structural changes in the organization. Software development, ERP management systems and efficient processes were introduced. Construction sites were organized in a proper manner, quality checks and material stores were initiated and systems were put in place. In 1997, the company got ISO 9001 for quality management and by 2005 Goel Ganga was completely organized with new systems and technology. The benefit of the overhauling was that now we could spend more time on designs, product innovations, approvals and land acquisitions rather than solving operational issues.Those who got trained at that time continue to be with the company as the staff and workers are happy to be part of an organized structure and streamlined functioning. Goel Ganga has been in business for almost 35 years now andhas delivered more than 100 projects. I was fortunate to join the business at the right time. From being a mid-sized builder, in last 18-20 years, progress has been fast, locations have flourished, the operations have expanded well and the company has grown to become a top rated developer firm.Looking at the current deliveries and land bank, I can say, we have enough work for next 50 years. We are Goel Ganga parivar. My father is the head of the Parivar. His brothers are part of the business and my brother has also joined the business. We have cross holdings but management has been divided for smooth functioning.So we work like a family and have established our brand and trust among customers. I would love to have the next generation of the family also joining Goel Ganga. In fact, both my sons and my brother’s son are excited to join the business. It’s not about earning fast money or creating your own wealth but nation’s wealth. We are making structures that will remain for years to come. I believe that developers should carry a custodian mind-set rather than a sense of ownership. It’s a tough business, but the best part of this business is that one faces challenges every day.Real-estate is a developing sector, new laws and systems are constantly getting improvised, new regulations developments, changes happen everyday. So one has to keep pace with the new rules coming in and handle them in a systematic manner. We need to partner with the government rather than considering it an opponent. I am an entrepreneur and will always be one. Each project is like a new venture for me, whether it is a slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai, retail project in Nagpur,Built-to-suit hotel in Bangalore, affordable home or luxury residences all are new businesses started from scratch. Given the scale of professional activities around me, I unwind by spending time with family, friends and jogging, swimming, or playing badminton. New entrepreneurs in real-estate have to be meticulous and devoted. It is the right attitude towards the job that matters.