´It´s now or never.´
Brotin Banerjee Managing Director & CEO
With a successful business model, the strategy is to not own land but primarily rely on the public-private partnership (PPP) model. This is how Tata Housing accesses large tracts of land with clear title deeds to create townships and affordable housing projects. The company initiates projects after conducting in-depth research on the needs and requirements of consumers. This has helped sell the majority of its projects in a short period of time. A man with multiple leadership traits, Brotin Banerjee, Managing Director & CEO, Tata Housing Development Company, has been balancing various roles and knows precisely when and how to shift from team player to leader. A follower of Nelson Mandela´s axiom, ôLead from the back, and let others believe they are in front,ö Banerjee firmly believes in empowering people. He shares more on the company´s innovative moves.
Game changers
Our philosophy of creating projects through in-depth research on the needs and requirements of consumers has helped sell a majority of units in a short span of time. Also, our understanding of consumer insights and innovative marketing techniques has resulted in the company emerging as a clear leader on the national level, according to a Brand Equity Index audit conducted by independent research firm AC Nielson as per their winning brands module. Additionally, with the use of innovative building technologies, especially prefabricated buildings (PFB), we have been able to achieve timely completion of projects and our dependence on labour has been reduced to a certain extent.
Brand salience
Tata Housing is asset-light. Our successful business model has helped bridge the widening gap between demand and supply, further encouraging private investment. Also, despite the sluggish growth in the real estate market and decline or low absorption in sales seen across markets, the company has been successfully selling its projects across India. As for the luxury or premium homes, we have received great response to many projects including Gurgaon Gateway, which was oversubscribed by more than 10 times, Further, we successfully sold Amantra´s Phase-1 within six months of the launch; successfully sold Shubh Griha and New Haven in Ahmedabad; recently sold Phase- 2 of its premium luxury housing project Primanti in Gurgaon within two days of the launch; and introduced our Senior Living concept by launching Riva Residencies in Bengaluru.
Dream project
We are closely working with our R&D team for a project that will be self-sustainable with zero impact on the environment. The project should be carbon and water-positive.
Summing up
With our de-risked business model of being present across the consumer pyramid, we do not see too many challenges on the business front. That said, every real estate builder should adopt innovative strategies because a consumer invests his entire lifetime to buy his dream home and he deserves to stay in an abode that is future-ready, flexible and sustainable.
Inno-Vision Zone
Township
Shubh Griha & New Haven, Mumbai
Size: 50 acre
Date of completion: December 2013
Unique features: Innovative technologies such as prefabricated buildings (PFB) have been adopted to set up the foundation of the building off site and transport it on site, thereby reducing dependence on labour to an extent and ensuring timely completion. Under the guidance of the Indian Green Building Council, the project has been designed to reduce the impact on the environment. It follows the æsustainable integrated township´ approach with provisions to increase self-sufficiency when it comes to water. It also has provision for rainwater harvesting, vermiculture, medicinal plantation and pits that make intelligent use of waste.
Impact on the end-user: These features result in a low operating cost for the end-user. Also, there is ample supply of water through rainwater harvesting and minimal use of electricity during the day - a result of intelligent planning.
Residential
MYST, Himachal Pradesh
Size: 20 acre
Date of completion: December 2016
Unique features: On completion, this will be India´s first project with a Biophilic approach to master planning. It will involve capturing and expressing rainwater, utilising the site topography, making the site a repository of more unusual native and culturally important species, and making environmental ´edutainment´ a core aim of its scheme. Further, local materials like slate have been used for cladding. Also, wooden cladding is being used to give a loft-like look to the uppermost floor, which is indigenous to the area. A sloping roof opens towards the direction of the Sun to bring in light. The landscape design helps save water, clean drainage flow and replenish groundwater, all while creating habitat and beauty. Through a building technique called ´Bio-Swale´, rainwater will be dispersed through gently sloping stone and gravel swales planted with beautiful native plants. Also, Dhoop grass, which is native to Kasauli and has good drought-tolerant properties, will be planted. And, a solar water heating system will be installed to meet the hot water requirement for domestic purposes.
Impact on the end-user: The features listed above will certainly lead to clean living and considerable cost reduction for the user.
5-Step Approach for an Innovative Project
Consumer insights generation
Need gap analysis
R&D
Conceptualisation
Product development
