Rubi Arya Vice Chairperson, Milestone Capital Advisors Limited

When I took over the management of Milestone, I knew I had some very big shoes to fill in. Everyone was looking up to me for direction, continuity and growth of the company. Though I was not from a real estate background, I was well equipped with the softer yet critical aspects of dealing with various stakeholders which would prove to be a significant asset in my leadership role at Milestone. I was aware that real estate was a totally different ballgame and knew it was a long road ahead.  “Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit” – keeping this in mind I began my real estate journey. Conviction of my decisions and trusting owns instincts have always helped me in my career and life. Knowledge and insights being the key to hold on to one’s convictions, I immediately set out to learn and imbibe the maximum possible about real estate in a very limited time. The enormity of the task and my zeal to learn also helped me tide over the personal tragedy and I began to relate to Ved’s passion as I dwelled deeper into various aspects of the real estate fund business. I was extremely fortunate to receive valuable guidance and advice from various stalwarts of the industry. There was the other big challenge of real estate being a male dominated industry where not many women had made their mark. I realized that in such an industry, a woman can accomplish with sheer determination, self-belief and independent spirit which then leads her to trust her own judgment. A quote from Atlas Shrugged that I relate to “You don't have to see through the eyes of others, hold onto yours, stand on your own judgment, you know that what is, is–say it aloud, like the holiest of prayers, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise”.  This firm belief has helped me in navigating through various situations; however challenging it might seem at the outset. In the initial phase of taking over the reins of the already established Milestone Group, I realized that I cannot be perfect and I cannot expect my stake holders and employees to be perfect. I have grown to identify the potential of each individual and try to bring out their strengths to achieve the organizational goals. By learning to delegate and trust the management we can create centres of excellence. Following on the footsteps of Ved, I realized that to grow your own business and foster growth you can never stand still. You have to dream big and set ambitious goals. You have to learn to take calculated risks especially in a business where one is answerable to more than 15,000 investors to provide superior returns. This has helped in Milestone returning Rs. 3,800 crores back to our investors and we have been one of the few private equity players in real estate to demonstrate this consistently across our seven real estate funds.  Reflecting our pursuit of growth, we have launched various new products including two new AIF funds and two PMS series over the last two years. It has immensely helped that all the big decisions have been backed by study and diligence and instinct.Today, in a rapidly changing industry scenario, I look forwardto leveraging our established platform to accomplish more and take it to newer heights.   Conviction, perseverance and instinct are the success mantras that I tell my children