DID they see the future? If that answer is in the affirmative, it surely explains why a lot of Indians have found their way back to India. With the sub-prime crisis and its aftermath hitting the US like never before, getting back to India seems like a pretty good idea. And, if their counterparts in the US say things like, "You are lucky to be in India", the decision to come back is merely reinforced. Sectors such as real estate and financial services have seen a number of people coming back home. Here are three such individuals who took the decision and are sounding happy.
When Jinesh Sonawala moved to Stanford University from Mumbai, he knew he was getting into the zone of multitude of opportunities. Three degrees from Stanford and Berkeley landed him prime opportunities in Silicon Valley in the 1990's, the heyday of technology. He put together product marketing strategies at Apple Computer that enabled his team to build the first double sided colour laser printer and also the first digital camera. That was in 1992. He then worked for a small company incubated by Sequoia Capital, called C-Cube, where he handled inter-national partnerships travelling widely in Europe, Japan, and China. C-Cube was sold six years later for $2.1 billion. Today, Sonawala is the chief marketing officer at the Mumbaibased Akruti City. He has been in India for two years and he sold his house in the US before calling it a day there. At Akruti, Sonawala is leading teams that are bringing to market India's first robotic car park, the largest biotech park in India, and townships with an American flair.
Ajoy Veer Kapoor, the founder of Saffron Asset Advisors, came back to India towards the end of 2005. Earlier that year, in February 2005, the Indian government allowed the flow of FDI in the real estate sector. That was the trigger for Ajoy who saw a huge opportunity in the business. He knew it was the time to be in India. Prior to getting back, his last assignment was Global Head-Strategy & Implementation (Corporate Real Estate) at HSBC, UK. The responsibility involved strategic management and project implementation of 75 million square feet across 79 countries. "I take a long view of 30 years on the real estate industry," says Ajoy.
Finally, there is Sourav Goswami, managing director of Walton Street Capital a real estate focused private equity fund. His frequent trips to India, on account of family and business reasons, instilled a desire to return someday. Sourav, who studied at Harvard University and Columbia Business School, wrote his thesis on investment flows in India. He had the opportunity of working with Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs in their real estate groups. The perspectives and experiences of looking at global real estate markets for the last 14 years have come in handy during his current stint in India. Says Sourav, "India is a very high touch relationship driven market. With the right diligence and analysis one can do well in India." Though his accent is clearly American, he has gone all out and made lasting local friendships within and outside the country. So, what do these people bring to the table? "The skill sets of the hired expats or the NRIs are particularly useful when it comes to specialised areas like luxury apartments" says Vishal Chibber HR Head Kelly Services.
prashant.mahesh@timesgroup.com
When Jinesh Sonawala moved to Stanford University from Mumbai, he knew he was getting into the zone of multitude of opportunities. Three degrees from Stanford and Berkeley landed him prime opportunities in Silicon Valley in the 1990's, the heyday of technology. He put together product marketing strategies at Apple Computer that enabled his team to build the first double sided colour laser printer and also the first digital camera. That was in 1992. He then worked for a small company incubated by Sequoia Capital, called C-Cube, where he handled inter-national partnerships travelling widely in Europe, Japan, and China. C-Cube was sold six years later for $2.1 billion. Today, Sonawala is the chief marketing officer at the Mumbaibased Akruti City. He has been in India for two years and he sold his house in the US before calling it a day there. At Akruti, Sonawala is leading teams that are bringing to market India's first robotic car park, the largest biotech park in India, and townships with an American flair.
Ajoy Veer Kapoor, the founder of Saffron Asset Advisors, came back to India towards the end of 2005. Earlier that year, in February 2005, the Indian government allowed the flow of FDI in the real estate sector. That was the trigger for Ajoy who saw a huge opportunity in the business. He knew it was the time to be in India. Prior to getting back, his last assignment was Global Head-Strategy & Implementation (Corporate Real Estate) at HSBC, UK. The responsibility involved strategic management and project implementation of 75 million square feet across 79 countries. "I take a long view of 30 years on the real estate industry," says Ajoy.
Finally, there is Sourav Goswami, managing director of Walton Street Capital a real estate focused private equity fund. His frequent trips to India, on account of family and business reasons, instilled a desire to return someday. Sourav, who studied at Harvard University and Columbia Business School, wrote his thesis on investment flows in India. He had the opportunity of working with Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs in their real estate groups. The perspectives and experiences of looking at global real estate markets for the last 14 years have come in handy during his current stint in India. Says Sourav, "India is a very high touch relationship driven market. With the right diligence and analysis one can do well in India." Though his accent is clearly American, he has gone all out and made lasting local friendships within and outside the country. So, what do these people bring to the table? "The skill sets of the hired expats or the NRIs are particularly useful when it comes to specialised areas like luxury apartments" says Vishal Chibber HR Head Kelly Services.
prashant.mahesh@timesgroup.com
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