Dr. Annurag Batra kick-started the conversation with his views on how pandemic has changed perspectives. “Few things that I have learned over the years and that got reinforced during the pandemic were that gratitude can change your luck. Gratitude makes life more abundant in terms of better health, better relationship and maybe also money as a by-product.”
Harshavardhan Neotia agreed, “Indeed, one of the greatest learnings of the Covid was a sense of gratitude. When you face adversity of the kind that we did both in terms of business and life during Covid, one feels a tremendous sense of gratefulness to the almighty for the financial and emotional support of the family, friends and co-workers & partners.”
THE CITY OF JOY
Talking about Kolkata, Dr. Annurag Batra shared his experience, “I have been visiting Kolkata often and it is a city that is close to my heart. In fact Kolkata used to be the centre of business many decades back and somewhere it lost its way. In the last decade or so I see it coming back slowly in terms of better roads, traffic and the cleanliness.”
Harshavardhan Neotia shared, “Kolkata is more than my workplace, it’s my birthplace and it’s also the city that I identify with. Kolkata has over the years developed better infrastructure. In the next two years we are going to have a very well-integrated metro corridor that will transform the city. We are also seeing a lot of emphasis on greening of the city.”
ART & CULTURE
Harshavardhan Neotia, a connoisseur of art spoke about the importance of cultural heritage. “Durga Puja is recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sort of an event that has positioned Kolkata on the international tourism map. This has spurred tourism segment and in turn the economy and infrastructure of the state. The most interesting thing about Kolkata is the way its heart beats. Cities are more than their physical infrastructure. The art, creativity and empathy, forms the soul of the city. City's culture adds a texture to human life which makes it so much more rich, vibrant and endearing.”
Dr. Annurag Batra shared his views, “There is research, after research that has shown that the cities that are centred on art and culture, also have higher real-estate prices. More than about real estate, it’s the vibe of the city and the pleasure of being part of that city that subtly adds quality of life.”
THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE
“The pandemic proved to be a rebirth of Indian real estate,” stated Harshavardhan Neotia, “The companies started relocating back in India, and a lot of NRIs came back to their hometowns. With huge increase in E-commerce, there was a scare for retail real estate. But it has come back with vengeance post covid. People realised importance of home and we have seen record home sales and upgrading from smaller to larger homes. The integrated townships with all facilities within walking distance have found much favour among the people. On the other end, the real estate sector saw a lot of consolidation with survival of only organized players which has improved its overall image.”
Dr. Annurag Batra was of the view that the pandemic also accelerated the growth of emerging real estate segments. “Logistics, industrial townships and warehousing have become important, Co-working and managed office spaces are seeing a boom. Co-living, senior living and student housing too have gained a lot of attraction from investors and buyers and are the promising segments of real estate.”
DO WHAT YOU DO WITH FULL PASSION AND INTEGRITY. WE MAKE SUCCESS A VERY MONETARY PHENOMENA. I THINK SUCCESS IS MANY THINGS AND CENTRAL TO IT IS OUR OWN HAPPINESS. MY ADVICE TO EVERYONE IS TO READ AT LEAST 2- 3 BOOKS IN A WEEK. DR. ANNURAG BATRA
HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR AND DON’T TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY. BE FAIR AND ETHICAL AND DO THE RIGHT THINGS. WHEN I HANG UP MY BOOTS OF RUNNING MY COMPANY, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TEACH. HARSHAVARDHAN NEOTIA
