How Internet can value to you - Connect from Seth Godin

Seth's Blog: How to make money using the Internet

# Connect advertisers to people who want to be advertised to.
# Connect job hunters with jobs.
# Connect information seekers with information.
# Connect teams to each other.
# Connect those seeking similar.
# Connect to partners and those that can leverage your work.
# Connect people who are proximate geographically.
# Connect organizations spending money with ways to save money.
# Connect like-minded people into a movement.
# Connect people buying with people who are selling.

John Paulson on why he like sub prime

Excellent timing: Face to Face with John Paulson - Pensions & Investments

The beauty of shorting a bond is that the maximum you can lose is the spread over the benchmark; yet if the bond defaults, you can potentially make more. So it’s an asymmetrical risk-return tradeoff. In the case of subprime securities, we targeted the triple-B bonds, which are the lowest tranches in the subprime securitization.

In a typical securitization, you have 18 to 20 different tranches with the lowest … taking the first loss. The triple-B bond has about 5% subordination, meaning that if the loss is greater than 5%, the bond will be impaired. And if it’s more than 6%, the bond will be extinguished. The yield was only 1% over LIBOR (the London interbank offered rate) so by shorting this particular bond, if I was wrong, I could lose 1%, but if I was right, I could make 100%. The downside was very limited but it had very substantial upside, and we like those types of investments

Scientist prove you create your own luck ??

Improve Your Luck Scientifically | Family Fun | Reader's Digest

How to Get Lucky

How to recession proof yourself for 20 and 30 some things - Harvard Business Publishing

Recession-Proof Yourself: Four Tips For Twentysomethings - Marshall Goldsmith

Recession-Proof Yourself:

Hedge fund buy in to Indian firms for INR 630 million

Hedge fund buys into seven Indian firms on Friday | Deals | Reuters

Hedge fund buys into seven Indian firms on Friday

JPMorgan cuts India growth forecast, sees rate cuts

JPMorgan cuts India growth forecast, sees rate cuts | Business News | Reuters

JPMorgan cuts India growth forecast, sees rate cuts

China Business Etiquette and more

3 Ways to Kill a Deal in China - Entering the Chinese Market - Entrepreneur.com

General Behavior

1. Keep hand gestures at a minimum. These can be distracting because Chinese rarely use body gestures while speaking.
2. Keep personal contact at a minimum--including hugging, slapping shoulders, etc., especially between a man and a woman. Shaking hands is OK.
3. Dress conservatively. Women shouldn't wear ultra-high heels.
4. In conversation, steer away from politics. If pressed for an opinion on a political or controversial issue, express your personal opinion, but acknowledge that it's not the viewpoint of the entire company.

7 reasons for current financial crisis

Reason for current Financial crisis - Ref: Neel Kashkari - vijayvijay@gmail.com

I know many of you have been wondering what are the reasons for credit crunch,
These are the 7 major reasons

Reasons for Financial Crisis aka Credit Crunch
No 7 being the most important.

1) Decade of benign economic condition resulting in low inflation & Low interest rates
2) Financial innovation acceleration
3) Investors increase in confidence to diversify and distribute risks
4) Exceeded leverage on financial systems
5) Weakened underwriting mortgage standard
6) Little or no down payment and no documentation
7) Regulators, Investors and Home owners think home prices can only go up

Please pass your comments and is welcome to share

Reference:
Neel Kashkari - Interim Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability @ Wharton Financial Conference

Manhattan real estate recent price changes

» Where the Prices Are Dropping | BankersBall. Where Investment Bankers Come to Party. Investment Banking Compensation & Salary

DOWN
- Harlem and East Harlem down by nearly 20% (to $440,000).
- Midtown East and Turtle Bay down by 18.6% (to $1.197MM)
- Midtown West and Hell’s Kitchen dropped 8% (to $1.01MM)
- Lower East Side and the East Village, prices dropped 5.5%
- Carnegie Hill, prices down 7.2% (co-ops)
- Hamilton Heights and Morningside Heights down by 30%
- Washington Heights prices down 6.3%

UP
- Upper East Side (Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue from 59th to 96th Streets) prices up by 35%
- Rest of UES co-op prices up 2.3%; condos up 9.1%
- Lincoln Square co-op prices up by 18.6%; condo prices up by 25%
- Lenox Hill co-op prices up by 19%
- Chelsea, co-op & condo prices up by 6%
- Greenwich Village, co-op prices up by 3.9%
- Union Square & Gramercy co-op prices up by 3.3% and condo prices up by 2.6%
- Battery Park City prices up by 6.5%

The entrepreneur is the customer and the LP is the shareholder.

The VC's Customer

The VC's Customer. The entrepreneur is the customer and the LP is the shareholder.
by Fred Wilson.

Underwater Car Loan BailOut ?

I met few millionaires and none of them I know had brought new cars. People dont get rich just by making money, but also spending it carefully than they earn.

Underwater Car Loan BailOut ? « blog maverick

You all do realize that anyone who buys a new car is UNDERWATER the minute you sign the papers and drive off the lot ? That you get further and further underwater every single day ? Maybe thats why so few are buying new cars ? We havent instituted a bailout for their underwater car loans.

Hedge Fund and leverage

Paul Kedrosky: Hedge Fund Leverage, Then and Now

Hedge Fund Leverage, Then and Now

A nice chart (from MIT’s Andrew Lo) of the growth of assets and hedge fund leverage over the last 20 years. You can plainly see the expanding leverage in the 2001-2005 period.

hedge-fund-assets

12 Killer Ways to Make Extra Income On the Web

SitePoint » 12 Killer Ways to Make Extra Income On the Web

12 Killer Ways to Make Extra Income On the Web

End of Wall Street by Michael Lewis

The End of Wall Street's Boom - National Business News - Portfolio.com

The era that defined Wall Street is finally, officially over. Michael Lewis, who chronicled its excess in Liar’s Poker, returns to his old haunt to figure out what went wrong.
Fallen bull statue in Wall Street.

C Corporation vs S Corporation vs LLC

C Corporation vs S Corporation vs LLC

Sole Proprietorship vs. C Corporation vs. S Corporation vs. LLC.

Amazing business chasing story

“Single?” Lawn Signs Conquer the American Landscape « The Metric System

Single?” Lawn Signs Conquer the American Landscape

Steve jobs pitching a start up - Next

Venture Hacks — How Steve Jobs pitches a startup

How Steve Jobs pitches a startup

Small business to save money ..

78 Ways for Your Small Business to Save Money in this Economy - Inside CRM

78 Ways for Your Small Business to Save Money in this Economy

Using 120 minutes of day effectively

Fred Wilson Dot VC

2. Spend the 120 minutes doing this instead:
* Exercise for thirty minutes.
* Read relevant non-fiction (trade magazines, journals, business books, blogs, etc.)
* Send three thank you notes.
* Learn new digital techniques (spreadsheet macros, Firefox shortcuts, productivity tools, graphic design, html coding)
* Volunteer.
* Blog for five minutes about something you learned.
* Give a speech once a month about something you don’t currently know a lot about.

Mark Cuban - I adore this guy

Loving what you doing and >> Blog maverick

Investing your time in yourself and becoming knowledgeable about the business of something you really love to do. It doesn’t matter what it is. Whatever your hobbies, interests, passions are. Find the one you love the best and GET A JOB in the business that supports it.

It could be as a clerk, a salesperson, whatever you can find. You have to start learning the business somewhere. Instead of paying to go to school somewhere, you are getting paid to learn. It may not be the perfect job, but there is no perfect path to getting rich.

Before or after work and on weekends, every single day, read everything there is to read about the business. Go to trade shows, read the trade magazines, spend a lot of time talking to the people you do business with about their business and the people they buy from.

This is not a short term project. We aren’t talking days. We aren’t talking months. We are talking years. Lots of years and maybe decades. I didn’t say this was a get rich quick scheme. This is a get rich path

Now you wait for times of uncertainty and change in your business. The time will come. It may come quickly, it may take years and years. But it will come. The nature of our country’s business infrastructure is that it is destined to be boom and bust. Booms are when the smart people sell. Busts are when rich people started on their path to wealth.

You will know when that time is here for you because you will know your business inside and out. You will be ready because you will have been saving up for this moment in time

With all the change and uncertainty in the financial markets, there are people right now making more money than they ever dreamed of. They are the ones who have been living the real estate market and the financing behind it and understanding what actually what was going on. They re the one who understood the complexities of the credit markets. When everyone was following the crowd, they kept on saving their money and avoiding the temptation of groupthink.

Boom and busts happen to every industry. The question is whether you have the discipline to be ready when it happens for you ?

30 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know How to Do

The Cheap Revolution: 30 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know How to Do

30 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know How to Do

New York bribe

IPocketful of Dough - Tips on Tipping: 2000s Archive : gourmet.com

Tips on Tipping

1. Go. You’d be surprised what you can get just by showing up.
2. Dress appropriately. Your chances improve considerably if you look like you belong.
3. Don’t feel ashamed. They don’t. You shouldn’t.
4. Have the money ready. Prefolded, in thirds or fourths, with the amount showing.
5. Identify the person who’s in charge, even if you have to ask.
6. Isolate the person in charge. Ask to speak with that person, if necessary.
7. Look the person in the eye when you slip him the money. Don’t look at the money.
8. Be specific about what you want. “Do you have a better table?” “Can you speed up my wait?” A good fallback: “This is a really important night for me.”
9. Tip the maître d’ on the way out if he turned down the money but still gave you a table.
10. Ask for the maître d’s card as you’re leaving. You are now one of his best customers

What does traders do- from Bon fire of vanities amazing piece

How We Value the Super-Rich - Wall Street vs. Silicon Valley - NYTimes.com

In Tom Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities,” the investment banker Sherman McCoy attempts to explain his Wall Street job to his daughter. His wife chimes in:

“Darling,” said Judy, “Daddy doesn’t build roads or hospitals, and he doesn’t help people build them, but he does handle the bonds for the people who raise the money.”

“Bonds?”

“Yes. Just imagine that a bond is a slice of cake, and you didn’t bake the cake, but every time you hand somebody a slice of the cake a tiny little bit comes off, like a little crumb, and you can keep that.”

Being different is important than being First.

Forget Being First… Just Be Different : Brad Maier

Forget Being First… Just Be Different

Bloomberg Vanity Fair Interview

Proust Questionnaire: Michael Bloomberg: Entertainment & Culture: vanityfair.com

What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty. Loyalty. And, of course, sincerity. (If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.)

Buffet on saving sex for old age and keeping money

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

``It's nice to have a lot of money, but you know, you don't want to keep it around forever,'' Buffett said. ``I prefer buying things. Otherwise, it's a little like saving sex for your old age.''

Five biggest mistakes of Entrepreneurs - Stanford University Jerry Kaplan

Stanford's Entrepreneurship Corner: Jerry Kaplan, Winster - Five Biggest Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make

Jerry Kaplan, serial entrepreneur, executive, technical innovator, and author, elaborates on the five biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make:
1) Having unclear goals and an unclear mission
2) Trying to prove that they are smart
3) Greed - doing it for money.
4) Hiring people that they like rather than people that they need.
5) Not knowing when to let go.

Dont Blab..by P. T. Barnum

ART OF MONEY GETTING

Say nothing about your profits, your hopes, your expectations, your intentions. And this should apply to letters as well as to conversation

Why did the Treasury and Fed let Lehman fail but rescue Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and A.I.G.? IG

I have been asked this questions so many times during the past week. This is the closest
I can find for an answer if any. Please read the interview and it definitely touch upon
many interesting areas. 

Diamond and Kashyap on the Recent Financial Upheavals - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog

3) Why did the Treasury and Fed let Lehman fail but rescue Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and A.I.G.?

Hedge Fund Manager interview - Paradigm shift.

Interview With a Hedge Fund Manager | n+1

Future of Investment Banking.

Is there a future for investment banking?

Investment banking
Is there a future?

Seth Godin and startups

Hacker News

8 Startup Insights Inspired By The Mega Mind of Seth Godin (onstartups.com)
27 points by adityakothadiya 21 hours ago | 8 comments

Not every ones fav: I like this Guy Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban: “When I die, I want to come back as me”

Mark Cuban: “When I die, I want to come back as me”

Read his interview. JC and MC have an amazing chemistry between them.

I met JC couple of times, waiting to meet Mark Cuban. It wont take much time.

25 inspiring quotes

25 Inspiring Quotes For Business & Life | Nerd Business Blog

Time is like money, the less we have of it to spare the further we make it go.

Interesting, Never raise monet if you dont need it

7 Teeth-Gnashing Mistakes I Made as an Entrepreneur

7 Teeth-Gnashing Mistakes I Made as an Entrepreneur

How to get start up PR

Jason Calacanis On How To Get PR For Your Startup: Fire Your PR Company

How To Get PR For Your Startup: Fire Your PR Company

Anil Ambani speech at ISB

Dreams: Speach of Anil Ambani

Speach of Anil Ambani

This is Anil Ambani's speech at this year's
convocation at ISB. Quite thought provoking and
peppered with humor.

Scratch from worry lost - Controversial but true almost

Findings - 10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List - NYTimes.com

10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List

Pretty interesting learning for every entrepreneur

How To Take Criticism Like Donald Trump - Stepcase Lifehack

How To Take Criticism Like Donald Trump

The 10 Skills

10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything - Stepcase Lifehack

10 Skills You Need to Succeed at Almost Anything

Chinese Mutual Fund Manager and Subprime

Bloomberg.com: Exclusive

Emerging Market Shift

The four BRIC nations increased their combined gross domestic product to $6.95 trillion in 2007 from $2.56 trillion in 2000, and their 2.8 billion people account for 42 percent of the global population, according to the International Monetary Fund. ``What we are seeing is a short-term turbulence as the power shifts to China and India from the U.S.,'' Park says.

Start up ideas.

Y Combinator: Startup Ideas We'd Like to Fund

Startup Ideas We'd Like to Fund

The interesting point is that almost all of these area are big business bread and butter. I am wondering they are looking at huge market and growth potential.

Four reason for start up

Four Reasons Most Startups Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed) - Bill Taylor

Four Reasons Most Startups Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed)

Four reason for start up

Four Reasons Most Startups Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed) - Bill Taylor

Four Reasons Most Startups Fail (And How Yours Can Succeed)

Firefox 3 features you probably dont know » Feel Firefox

<cite>Firefox 3 features you probably dont know » Feel Firefox</cite>: "

Firefox 3 features you probably dont know

"

Michael Jordan's 10 Secrets To Reaching the Top

Michael Jordan's 10 Secrets To Reaching the Top

Michael Jordan's 10 Success Secrets

Reid Hoffman, Missed him till date

Silicon Valley's biggest social networker - Los Angeles Times

Reid Hoffman's vision of the Web as a means to connect people, not just computers, has shaped his role in some of its most successful ventures.

What Google Did.

Christine: Susan Wojcicki on the Secrets of Google's Success

# Build a great product that users love
# Think big
# Solve an important problem
# Rally the company around a vision, and be focused on doing one thing well (and this is easier for small companies)
# Hire the best people you can
# Question accepted practices, and invent the right ones for you; try new things quickly and learn from the results
# Base decisions on data, and wait for the information you need to do the right thing
# Make decisions for the long term

Zakariah from from Wilson - Post American World

A VC: The Post American World

1) The next 10-20 years will witness the rise of much of the rest of the world, specifically China, India, Brazil, Russia and smaller but important developing countries like Turkey and South Africa. By 2025, China will be the second most important country in the world and India may well be third.

2) Western and Eastern cultures will be combined in many ways. China will be westernized and modernized, but in its own Chinese way. Same with India and every other important eastern culture. And modernization is not westernization, although they are related developments.

3) Many developing countries will not move immediately from totalitarian regimes to democracies, in fact most will move to a middle ground, much like what exists in China today. There are benefits to centrally planned economies. When China wants to knock down a town and build a city, it does it. There is a lot of power in China's model and many will emulate it given its success.

4) Eventually, developing countries and the developed world will move to democracy, but it won't happen quickly and it won't always happen easily. This includes China.

5) America is likely to remain the biggest economy and the most powerful country in the world for some time to come, but it will continue to lose power on a relative basis. And it will need to adopt new tactics and strategies to ensure it's economy and national security remain intact. It cannot continue to go it alone. That strategy, the Bush doctrine, has failed badly and given America's weakening hand, it should be put to rest for good.

6) America is still supreme in three important, possibly the most important, areas; higher education, diversity and demographics, and creativity and ideas. These three pillars are interrelated and depend entirely on each other. Lose one and you'll eventually lose them all.

MSFT and Bill Gates four Golden Rules

Bill Gates' 4 golden rules at Microsoft - Jun. 20, 2008

Gates' 4 golden rules

Kochi real estate the Hot spot. Why

Kochi

Jan. 4--KOCHI -- The queen of the Arabian Sea is now a hot destination for real estate giants. What is unique to Kochi is, the city has attracted almost every domestic property developer worth its salt, and a slew of foreign companies, mostly from the Middle East.

Leading real estate developers like DLF, Sobha Developers, Ansals, Purvankara, Confident Group, Oceanus, Unitech, Nitesh Estates, Housing Development and Infrastructure (HDIL), Prestige Group, Emaar MGF and Parsvanath Developers have all descended upon Kochi, the financial and industrial capital of Kerala, during the last 6-8 months with a cumulative investment of over $2.5 billion. Prominent among the Middle East-based business groups that have forayed into Kochi are KGA Group of Kuwait, EMKE Group of Abu Dhabi and Indroyal. Some of them are also investing in the hospitality sector to set up luxury hotels chains.

Property prices in the city have appreciated by around 60 percent in 2007. During the past six months, half-a-dozen developers have announced their plans to enter Kochi; many have already acquired huge parcels of land. "Property development and real estate activities have overshadowed the state's booming tourism sector. This boom witnessed the emergence of many developers and projects," an industry observer and a former builder said.

Recently, HDIL purchased a 70-acre plot from the government-owned HMT and announced its plans to set up an IT park at Kalamassery, near Kochi. HDIL is also setting up a Cybercity in the HMT land, which will have IT space, hospitality, retail and entertainment projects. The total investment in the project is estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore.

According to Kerala Builders Forum chairman George E George: "Till a decade ago, real estate activity of each city was driven by local builders." The bigger players acquired the financial muscle to launch multi-city operations after they raised resources through public issue route. "Even then, many of them missed the bus in Bangalore and Chennai as the rates peaked before their entry," he said. "I think they have spotted the opportunity in Kochi and are moving in early," he added.

Sobha Developers is setting up the largest township in Maradu, Kochi, called the Sobha Hitech City. Maradu is a high-potential suburb of Kochi with commercial projects, 5-star hotels, shopping malls and IT projects. The total investment in the project is estimated at around Rs 5,000 crore. Nitesh Shetty,CMD of Bangalore-based real estate firm Nitesh Estates, said the Kochi skyline has changed dramatically over the last few years and today it is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. "The city offers grand investment opportunities for real estate mainly due to reasons such as large NRI population who want to buy homes in Kochi and increasing IT jobs in the city," he said. His company recently acquired around 5 acres of land in Kakkanad near Kochi.

Similarly, in 2006, India's real estate giant DLF purchased 3.78 acres in Kochi from the state government for Rs 78 crore. The DLF Group is planning to build a shopping mall, a multiplex and a 250-room deluxe hotel in Kochi. "Cochin is poised for a quantum leap. The commissioning of Vallarpadom international container terminal and numerous IT parks will make Kochi the preferred destination for highly-paid executives," a senior HDIL official said.

Though builders have been focusing on Kochi, the supply is still grossly inadequate when compared to the potential demand, according to builders. For example, in Kakkanad, the city's IT destination, the Infopark alone will create close to 30,000 to 40,000 jobs in the next 3 years. But the supply by all builders put together would be just 10,000 to 12,000 apartments by 2010. Apart from this, the Smart City Project is expected to provide nearly 90,000 IT jobs in the next one decade. Several private developers are also developing IT parks in Kakkanad and nearby areas.

By Rajesh Unnikrishnan and S Sanandakumar

Like attrackts like

The secret of Bill Gates's success

I'd like to smoke what he was smoking."

How to Ask for order and Ask. Fred wilson and Red eye VC

Redeye VC: How to "Ask for the Order"

I just read Fred Wilson's blog post about the need to ask for the order. I completely agree -- if you don't ask, you don't get.

10 Disruptive companies

Ten Years, 10 Disruptors - Forbes.com

Ten Years, 10 Disruptors

Apples Ipod
Skype
Youtube
Wii
Google
Netflix
Blackberry

Stupidiest Business decision in Histroy, Beatles, Hersheys and others

The Stupidest Business Decisions in History

The Stupidest Business Decisions in History.

Beatles, Hershey and others read here

Money makers 2007 - Hedge Funds

Kiing of business models

I happened to look at lot of business model during my work at early stage vc firm and in the course of working with many entrepreneurs. I couldn't stress more enough that the best business model is below. However I don't hear many people talking about the same. I liked what he said and re blogging here. Go and give a quick read you wont be disappointed.

Technical Revenue

I have plenty of opinions about business models, but to me, the best business model is one that makes your customer money.

People who make it are people who sit tight

A VC: Paul Graham Tackles Two Issues In One Post

Google's founders were willing to sell early on.
They just wanted more than acquirers were willing to pay.

It was the same with Facebook. They would have sold, but Yahoo blew it
by offering too little.

Tip for acquirers: when a startup turns you down, consider raising
your offer, because there's a good chance the outrageous price they
want will later seem a bargain.

``We're going to continue to grow very fast overseas. We'll grow less fast'' in the U.S" Larry Fink

Blackrock: Larry Fink Exclusive from Bloomberg

``We're going to continue to grow very fast overseas. We'll grow less fast'' in the U.S., he said.

State Street profit rises 69% - sleeping bull

State Street's net income climbs 69% on record revenue - MarketWatch

State Street's profit rises 69%, beats expectations
MarketWatch
Last update: 8:56 a.m. EDT April 15, 2008

State Street Corp. reported on Tuesday that first-quarter net income rose 69% and that amid the turmoil in the markets, it expects to hit the middle of the ranges of its earnings estimates for the full year.

Trader balls and what not

Paul Kedrosky: Traders, Balls and Testosterone

Traders, Balls and Testosterone

It's true: Traders with bigger balls do better, at least as evidenced by this study of testosterone levels in London traders:

Little is known about the role of the endocrine system in financial risk taking. Here, we report the findings of a study in which we sampled, under real working conditions, endogenous steroids from a group of male traders in the City of London. We found that a trader's morning testosterone level predicts his day's profitability. We also found that a trader's cortisol rises with both the variance of his trading results and the volatility of the market. Our results suggest that higher testosterone may contribute to economic return, whereas cortisol is increased by risk. Our results point to a further possibility: testosterone and cortisol are known to have cognitive and behavioral effects, so if the acutely elevated steroids we observed were to persist or increase as volatility rises, they may shift risk preferences and even affect a trader's ability to engage in rational choice.

You mean like they might go nuts and tear up the joint? Fine, but as long it's after quarter end, but before bonuses are paid.

Private Equity or Venture Capital

I like what he said in this one. I am sure this is not the most accurate definition and there is no empirical evidence. But common sense tells me that this makes much more sense.

Columbia University

There is also conventional wisdom that says if a company is not yet successful but the promoter is very confident, it is a venture capital investment, but if the reverse is true — if a company is successful but the promoter is not that confident and wants to either restructure using LBO or wants to exit — it is for sure a private equity investment.

Ready to borrow

IPO for Apollo Management - WSJ.com

IPO for Apollo Management

Goldmans Aura

Its no wonder that every one in the street thinks that anything about Goldman has an Aura. I dont know how the PR does this stunt. While from the beginning of the subprime debacle. I dont think GS has done anything significantly different than street buddies.

These guys moves as a flock any way. Let us see where is it going and the GS retains its Aura deal with sub prime stink.

Goldman's Illiquid Assets Increase - WSJ.com

Goldman's Illiquid Assets Increase.

Legendary Tiger Woods

Bloomberg.com: North American

``If he doesn't win, it's viewed as a bad week,'' said Jim Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion. ``For the rest of us, if we win two or three times in a year, we've had a great year.''

Interesting points for startup equity negotiation

Startup Equity For Employees - Payne.org Wiki

Startup Equity For Employees.

Grave dancers theory; Sam Zell and Equity office properties from k@Wharton

Real Estate Developer and 'Grave Dancer' Sam Zell: 'It's All about Supply and Demand' - Knowledge@Wharton

Zell, however, also pointed out that the last sentence of the article reads: "He who dances closest to the graves, always has to be careful he doesn't fall in."

Indian companies going shopping abroad.

Indian companies acquiring global brands for bargain.

Tata Motors Buys Land Rover, Jaguar For $2.3 Billion

Tata
Motors has finally lapped up Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co.,
the world’s third- largest automaker, for $2.3 billion, which is less
than half what Ford paid for the two brands. Ford will contribute about
$600 million at closing to the Jaguar Land Rover pension funds.

Ford is exiting these brands, as the luxury vehicle market slumps and
it suffered a $15.3 billion loss in 2006 and 2007. Ford acquired Jaguar
in 1989 for $2.5 billion and Land Rover in 2000 for $2.73 billion as
part of a European-luxury strategy it began by buying Aston Martin in
1987. It sold Aston last year. The Jaguar-Land Rover sale should be
completed at the end of the second quarter, pending regulatory
approvals, Ford and Tata said.

Video craze

Go guys. Its pretty amazing read and real story from an entrepreneur. I watched how Wallstrip pretty much moved from double digits to much more and how it got acquired by CBS.

Even though the charming Lindsay is not with them any more. Just to put money where the mouth is he went ahead and created another few firms. Good luck.

How to Make Millions From Online Video Craze - Silicon Alley Insider

How to Make Millions From Online Video Craze.

Indian Realty Sector Expected to Grow 45% in 2008

Indian Realty Sector Expected to Grow 45% in 2008 - Seeking Alpha

Indian Realty Sector Expected to Grow 45% in 2008

key points to note from the report are:

1. Growth in the Indian realty sector is here to stay for next few years.
2. Most of the growth will still happen in big cities. The tier 2
   cities are getting increasingly prominent in the press but it will still be
   awhile before they compete with tier 1 cities for the FDI investments.
3. FDI in the Indian real estate sector will continue to grow because
   it provides an attractive investment opportunity for foreign investors
   who have hardly anything cheerful/comparable in the real estate sector
   in western markets.

Sequoias investing Mantra

These guys at Sequoia are awesome. I always wonder how they are so successful and helped change so many peoples life. May be one day I want to work with these guys making world a better place.

Sequoias investing Mantra

Elements of
Sustainable Companies

Clarity of Purpose

Summarize the company's business on the back of a business card.

Large Markets

Address
existing markets poised for rapid growth or change. A market on the
path to a $1B potential allows for error and time for real margins to
develop.

Rich Customers

Target customers who will move fast and pay a premium for a unique offering.

Focus

Customers will only buy a simple product with a singular value proposition.

Pain Killers

Pick the one thing that is of burning importance to the customer then delight them with a compelling solution.

Think Differently

Constantly challenge conventional wisdom. Take the contrarian route. Create novel solutions. Outwit the competition.

Team DNA

A
company’s DNA is set in the first 90 days. All team members are the
smartest or most clever in their domain. "A" level founders attract an
"A" level team.

Agility

Stealth and speed will usually help beat-out large companies.

Frugality

Focus spending on what's critical. Spend only on the priorities and maximize profitability.

Inferno

Start
with only a little money. It forces discipline and focus. A huge market
with customers yearning for a product developed by great engineers
requires very little firepower.

Fed rate cuts

Fed Cuts by Three-Quarter Point, Suggests More Reductions Likely - WSJ.com

Fed Cuts by Three-Quarter Point,
Suggests More Reductions Likely

Kochin real estate

e-Realty Update March 2008

Kochi - the new Hot Real Estate Destination

Kochi, the shore town of Kerala is now a hot destination for real estate giants. What is unique in Kochi is, the city has attracted almost every domestic property developer worth its salt, and a slew of foreign companies, mostly from the Middle East. Leading real estate developers like DLF, Sobha Developers, Ansals, Purvankara, Confident Group, Oceanus, Unitech, Nitesh Estates, Housing Development and Infrastructure (HDIL), Prestige Group, Emaar MGF and Parsvanath Developers have all descended upon Kochi, the financial and industrial capital of Kerala, during the last 6-8 months with a cumulative investment of over $2.5 billion. Prominent among the Middle East-based business groups that have forayed into Kochi are KGA Group of Kuwait, EMKE Group of Abu Dhabi and Indroyal. Some of them are also investing in the hospitality sector to set up luxury hotels chains.

Property prices in the city have appreciated by around 60% in 2007. During the past six months, half-a-dozen developers have announced their plans to enter Kochi; many have already acquired huge parcels of land. Property development and real estate activities have overshadowed the state's booming tourism sector. This boom witnessed the emergence of many developers and projects

Recently, HDIL purchased a 70-acre plot from the government-owned HMT and announced its plans to set up an IT park at Kalamassery, near Kochi. HDIL is also setting up a Cybercity in the HMT land, which will have IT space, hospitality, retail and entertainment projects. The total investment in the project is estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore.

According to Kerala Builders Forum Chairman George E George: "Till a decade ago, real estate activity of each city was driven by local builders." The bigger players acquired the financial muscle to launch multi-city operations after they raised resources through public issue route. "Even then, many of them missed the bus in Bangalore and Chennai as the rates peaked before their entry," he said. "I think they have spotted the opportunity in Kochi and are moving in early," he added.

Sobha Developers is setting up the largest township in Maradu, Kochi, called the Sobha Hitech City. Maradu is a high-potential suburb of Kochi with commercial projects, 5-star hotels, shopping malls and IT projects. The total investment in the project is estimated at around Rs 5,000 crore. Nitesh Shetty,CMD of Bangalore-based real estate firm Nitesh Estates, said the Kochi skyline has changed dramatically over the last few years and today it is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. "The city offers grand investment opportunities for real estate mainly due to reasons such as large NRI population who want to buy homes in Kochi and increasing IT jobs in the city," he said. His company recently acquired around 5 acres of land in Kakkanad near Kochi.

Similarly, in 2006, India's real estate giant DLF purchased 3.78 acres in Kochi from the state government for Rs 78 crore. The DLF Group is planning to build a shopping mall, a multiplex and a 250-room deluxe hotel in Kochi. "Cochin is poised for a quantum leap. The commissioning of Vallarpadom international container terminal and numerous IT parks will make Kochi the preferred destination for highly-paid executives," a senior HDIL official said.

Though builders have been focusing on Kochi, the supply is still grossly inadequate when compared to the potential demand, according to builders. For example, in Kakkanad, the city's IT destination, the Infopark alone will create close to 30,000 to 40,000 jobs in the next 3 years. But the supply by all builders put together would be just 10,000 to 12,000 apartments by 2010. Apart from this, the Smart City Project is expected to provide nearly 90,000 IT jobs in the next one decade. Several private developers are also developing IT parks in Kakkanad and nearby areas.

Conversation and successful business

This one is so funny. Yesterday I happened to meet with a wanna be real estate kid. He talked about sub prime and real estate markets at greater length.

I was at the listening mode. Basically I admire the conversational ability I could cut through what he says.

When you say about conversation. What is the limit where does we start and where do we end.

The Successful Business Owner... - John Battelle's Searchblog

The Successful Business Owner...

...is a great conversationalist.

I love Mark Cuban

Very interesting conversation about Start up rules. Start with Jason Calcanis and bloggers communicated their feelings. This piece is from Mark Cuban. Thanks Fred Wilson for the redirection.

A Couple of My Rules for Startups - Blog Maverick

12. Make the job fun for employees. Keep a pulse on the stress levels and accomplishments of your people and reward them. My first company, MicroSolutions, when we had a record sales month, or someone did something special, I would walk around handing out 100 dollar bills to salespeople. At Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions, we had a company shot. Kamikaze. We would take people to a bar every now and then and buy one or 10 for everyone. At MicroSolutions, more often than not we had vendors cover the tab. Vendors always love a good party :0

Tech billionaires

Tech Billionaires: Richer Than You, Richer Than Last Year - Silicon Alley Insider

Tech Billionaires: Richer Than You, Richer Than Last Year

Person



Company



2008 Rank Net Worth (Billions)vNet Worth Change

Bill Gates Microsoft (MSFT) 3 $56 + 3.6%

Larry Ellison Oracle (ORCL) 14 $25 + 16.3%

Sergey Brin Google (GOOG) 32 $18.7 + 12.7%

Larry Page Google 33 $18.6 + 12.0%

Michael Dell Dell (DELL) 40 $16.4 + 3.8%

Steve Ballmer Microsoft 43 $15 0%

Jeff Bezos Amazon (AMZN) 110 $8.2 + 86.4%

Eric Schmidt Google 142 $6.6 + 6.5%

Steve Jobs Apple (AAPL) 189 $5.4 - 5.3%

David Filo Yahoo! (YHOO) 462 $2.5 0%

Jerry Yang Yahoo! 524 $2.3 + 4.5%

Mark Zuckerberg Facebook 785 $1.5 n/a

Mark Benioff

Asia is on a ride from real estate and infrastructire

AFP: Asia's booming billionaires

"A lot of the fortunes in China and Asia in general are in real estate and infrastructure development as the booming economies basically build up to handle all of the growth," she said.

Richest getting younger

World's richest getting younger

World's richest getting younger

The
world's top billionaires are getting younger and hail increasingly from
emerging markets in India, says Forbes' annual rich list, revealed
yesterday.

America’s 50 Richest Paydays: Who, What, and How Much

Politics & Power: vanityfair.com

America’s 50 Richest Paydays:

Who, What, and How Much
You won’t find Oprah Winfrey on the list. Nor will you find the legion of hedge-fund managers who routinely collect hundreds of millions in any given year. That’s because they’re all just getting paid to do their day jobs. This is a list of people who enjoyed windfalls thanks to large transactions: stock cash-outs, I.P.O.’s, sales of companies, real-estate deals—even inheritances. Here are the 50 players (and one lucky canine) whose bottom lines got the biggest boost last year.

This is a wonderful quote

I remember quoting some thing similar as my bog tag long time back.

The thirtysomething brothers behind the luxury property boom - This Britain, UK - Independent.co.uk

As they progressed, they specialised more and more in dream homes for the ultra-rich. Apparently, they took their cue from Sir Henry Royce, who said: "Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it."

Amazing article hats off to Candy Brothers

A property investment fairytale: from a £6,000 loan to a £9bn empire - Candy brothers interview | This is Money

A property fairytale: from £6,000 to £9bn

Thirtysomething Brothers Nick and Christian Candy turned a £6,000 loan into a £9bn property empire. In a rare interview they explain their success, spotting the niches of making super-luxury for the super-rich, and how they're riding out the global credit crisis...

A venture capitalits (Fred wilson) learning from auction rate

Fred Wilson, I always know he has a great passion for technology. However his investments in equity and his Covestor portfolios suck to date. As I recently learned he is an amazing long term investor. Read more about how he timed the markets right and how desperate the capital markets are.

The article linked below is a great one for all investors.

I was taking the class in NYU about real estate capital markets and the bonds investment grade bonds are selling 550 basis points over treasury. Imagine people looking for borrowing money at this interest rates.

Some one other than the big banks in the wall street is bleeding and some one is making truck loads of money in the market ( other than paulson he only got a 2 billion dollar last year) who has the rest of 190 billion dollars.




A VC: Our Run In With Auction Rates And What It Taught Me About Markets

Our Run In With Auction Rates And What It Taught Me About Markets.

Damn good comment

Open Caption: Paris Hilton's Mystic Will Bewitch You

Image of Goober_Pea by Goober_Pea at 09:45 AM

Hilton, tired of praying and having to go to God, buys Jesus.

Cochin and Floor Area ratio (FAR)

Cochin Floor Area Ratio : Cochin FAR

The ceiling of 15 acres, as per the Act, proves a hindrance to genuine projects initiated by individuals and groups. It is ironical that occupants of houses situated in large compounds need to pay less tax than flats which utilise common facilities, he points out. Mr. Kurien observes that Singapore, with about 100 sq km area lesser than that under the Greater Cochin Development Authority, is able to generate about 1,000 times the revenue generated by the latter, thanks to the optimum utilisation of land and adoption of appropriate income-generating schemes.

NRI real estate in India

NRI and real estate holdings. if you like the article below and require more consultation.
Shoot an email to Vjveeraji at gmail .com for more information.

There is a perception amongst some NRIs that
they can buy a maximum of two houses in India. Well, this is not true -
NRIs can freely purchase real estate in India. There is absolutely no
restriction whatsoever on the number of houses that an NRI or even a
Person of Indian Origin can buy or sell. Only agricultural land remains
out of bounds.

Moreover, since the
Reserve Bank of India has given general permission in this regard,
there is no requirement of notifying any authority or filing any
paperwork for your real estate transactions.

Just
the one restriction applies - a Person of Indian Origin, ie an NRI who
is a foreign citizen, cannot sell his house to another NRI or a PIO -
he has to necessarily sell the property back to a Resident.

When
property is sold, depending upon the holding period, you will either
earn short-term or long-term capital gains. If you sell the property
after three years of purchase, the gain will be long-term else it will
be short-term.

In either case, once the
tax is paid, the money is freely repatriable. A certificate from a
chartered accountant needs to be submitted to the bank - there is a
specific format for such certificate - which the bank can provide.

Once the chartered accountant certifies that the tax has been provided for, the net sale proceeds can be repatriated.

Here
it must be noted that repatriation is restricted to a maximum of two
properties in a lifetime. This is a major issue that has to be
considered carefully before you buy property in India.

If
you intend to purchase more than two properties, then to maintain
repatriation rights, the third property onwards must be bought in the
names of your other family members. This way husband and wife can buy
four properties; husband, wife and two kids can potentially buy eight
properties and still maintain 100 percent repatriation rights.

Cashing out of his real estate holdings by Pallonji Mistry

India real estate Private Equity players

Dec. 18--MUMBAI, India -- Owned by one of India's richest construction tycoons, Pallonji Mistry, the Shapoorji Pallonji group is close to cementing a deal in its real estate business. A clutch of international investors including the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and Citigroup are investing $320 million for a 15 percent stake in the group's realty business.

Real estate post budget analysis 2008 -09

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
􀂄
Five year holiday from income tax being granted to two, three or four star hotels
established in specified district having UNESCO declared "World Heritage Sites"
􀂄
Five year tax holiday to hospitals located in any place outside the urban
agglomerations especially in tire II and tire III cities section 80-IB sub section (11C).
IMPACT ON THE SECTOR
􀂄
Five year tax holidays will encourage construction of hotels.
􀂄
No major offering to the sector, the budget stands neutral to the sector.

Announcement Budget 2008- 09
􀂙 Increase in Basic Exemption Limit and Income Tax Slab Rates
Impact
These would further boost the disposable income of consumers, which would create more demand
or housing and lend a major boost to the Real Estate Sector.
Announcement budget 2008-09
􀂙 Five-year holiday from income tax being granted to two, three or four star hotels
Impact
This would help real estate players like Sobha Developers who are planning to enter the Hotel Business provided they meet certain criteria.

for comments pelase mail to vjveeraji@gmail.com
--

Kochi real estate

Real Estate
Kochi is the new realty hotspot
The queen of the Arabian Sea is now a hot destination for real estate giants. What is unique to Kochi is that the city has attracted almost every domestic property developer worth its salt, and a slew of foreign companies, mostly from the Middle East. Leading real estate developers like DLF, Sobha Developers, Ansals, Purvankara, Confident Group, Oceanus, Unitech, Nitesh Estates, Housing Development and Infrastructure, Prestige Group, Emaar MGF and Parsvanath Developers have all descended upon Kochi,the financial and industrial capital of Kerala, during the last 6-8 months with a cumulative investment of over US$2.5 billion. Prominent among the Middle East-based business groups that have forayed into Kochi are KGA Group of Kuwait, EMKE Group of Abu Dhabi and Indroyal. Some of them are also investing in the hospitality sector to set up luxury hotels chains. Property prices in the city have
appreciated by around 60% in 2007. Though builders have been focusing on Kochi, the supply is still grossly inadequate compared to the potential demand, according to builders.

source: Cygnus research for Kerala

Why hobbies are important in resume

Read this excellent piece about Googles Mayer from San Fran Mag. I was impressed with her having 12 offers to work and deciding to dump Mc Kinsey for Google (Which people hardly know about 6- 7 years before).

My hypothesis to make change and be some thing is simple. Take calculated risks and follow your passion when you pursue the dreams. Its hard to be any where with out both.

Hobbies and its importance from Marissa Mayer Google Fame

“I’m a businesswoman first and foremost,” she says. Then she adds, with her weird laugh, “My hobbies actually make me better at work. They help me come up with new and innovative ways of looking at things.” 

wall street scream commodities

Commodity Prices Surge, As Investors Seek a Haven - WSJ.com

Commodity Prices Surge,
As Investors Seek a Haven

Indias growth is in service and manufacturing

Government of India : Union Budget and Economic Survey (http://indiabudget.nic.in)

he drivers of growth continue to be "services" and "manufacturing", which are estimated to grow at 10.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent, respectively.

The best thing you can do is to identify and acknowledge the competition

Googirl | San Francisco online

. She speaks insanely quickly and has no patience with people who can’t keep up.” She also has an uncanny, and sometimes unnerving, ability to zero in on the problem or solution—a skill she says she honed on her high school debate team, which won the state championship her senior year.

Indias real estate leaders

Property Pashas

The real estate sector is witnessing the emergence of a new breed of ambitious developers. Some want to go national, others are going international and all of them are competing hard to give the customer the very best of homes, offices and malls.

By Swati Prasad

There's a new bull in the property market. Sameer Gehlaut, the 31-year-old Chairman and CEO of online stockbroking firm IndiaBulls announced his grand entry into the Indian real estate sector by sewing up two big-ticket deals to buy up prime mill lands in space-starved Mumbai. The combined price tag: Rs 717 crore. Cut to Delhi. The middle-class borough of Kalkaji is not where you expect to meet one of the leading realty barons of the country. But the four-storey Omaxe Constructions' headquarters stands out amid the clutter and the congestion. And when you walk into the office of Rohtas Goel, Omaxe's Chairman-cum-MD, and glance at the wooden flooring, expensive furnishings and a snooker table, you get the whiff of new money. Ten kilometres away, on the sixth floor of Arunachal Building on Barakhamba Road, another property baron sits in another opulent office with large and expensive idols of Balaji and Shirdi Sai Baba everywhere. This is the headquarters of Parsvnath Developers. Chairman Pradeep Jain's office has a tape-recorder playing Sai Baba mantras around the clock. Both Goel and Jain have plenty in common. Both had modest starts; the former was a contractor and the latter a property broker, who later became a contractor. Both were unheard of even three years back. And both have turnovers in excess of Rs 300 crore, with projects spread across 12 cities in the country. In Hyderabad, there's Pawan Kumar Agrawall, 47, MD, Ambience Properties, which has a turnover of around Rs 100 crore. Agrawall has footprints in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Vishakapatnam, and Tirupati, and is comtemplating projects in Kolkata, Bangalore and along the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The Hottest Clusters In India Design Inc. These upstarts are nipping at the heels of established biggies like the Hiranandanis in Mumbai, K.P. Singh of DLF and the Chandras of Unitech in Delhi, who are also in expansion mode. Niranjan Hiranandani, MD of the Rs 750-crore Hiranandani Constructions and the man behind Powai-Mumbai's most sprawling and contemporary suburb-is developing a 92-storey project in Dubai. Christened 23 Marina, the project is expected to offer the ultimate living experience. On completion, 23 Marina will be the tallest residential complex in the world. K.P. Singh, Chairman of the DLF Group, recently acquired 17 acres of NTC mill land in Mumbai for Rs 702 crore and is expected to build a commercial-retail complex there. The Rs 496-crore DLF group is working towards a national footprint and has started projects in 11 cities, including Kolkata, Chandigarh, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Hyderabad. Sanjay Chandra, Director of the Rs 623-crore Unitech Ltd, is also expanding in a big way. In Kolkata, he is setting up the city's largest residential project (10 million square feet) at Rajarhat, and a 5 million square feet it park. Unitech's footprint spans Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai and will soon do smaller cities such as Agra, Varanasi and Mohali. The Chandras also plan to launch a Rs 1,000-crore property fund called cig Property Fund. "This fund will not only support smaller developers financially, but give ideas, build relationships and add value to their projects," he says. "Most large developers across the country want to have a national footprint today," says Anuj Puri, MD, Chesterton Meghraj Property Consultants. According to Puri, a majority of them aren't particularly keen on tying up with foreign companies. "Banks are bending backwards to finance their projects and demand is so high that they are sold out, often within moments of their launch," he says. "What do I need FDI (foreign direct investment) for?" questions Jain of Parsvnath Developers. However, not everyone thinks like Jain. Ravi Purvankara, Chairman of the Rs 100-crore Purvankara Properties of Bangalore, feels foreign investment is the next big thing in real estate. "Foreign firms bring a sense of transparency to a market that has a reputation for generating black money," he contends. Purvankara has formed a 49:51 joint venture, Keppel Purvankara, with the Singapore-based Keppel Land. The JV will invest Rs 1,000 crore in two ventures in Bangalore. Arun Poddar of the Kolkata-based Rs 200-crore Poddar Projects has also tied up with an overseas company for a township project in Bardhaman. Says Jugal Khetawat, Director of the Kolkata-based Rs 250-crore South City Projects: "FDI will bring in more money and also result in the inflow of advanced building technologies. We have tied up with a foreign company for the development of two townships in West Bengal for which Expressions of Interest have been invited." The fine print of both proposals is being worked out. The reaction to the entry of foreign players may be mixed, but intense competition among various players is resulting in improved quality and world class facilities. "The customer is spoilt for choice," says Sumit Dabriwal, Executive Director of the Kolkata-based United Credit Belani Group, which is developing a 262-acre Rs 1050-crore township just outside Kolkata. Chandra will shortly introduce webcams at various Unitech project sites so that buyers can monitor the progress of the projects from their homes. Apartments in Omaxe's Forest residential complex in Noida will each have a 500-square feet bathroom, complete with a steam room, jacuzzi, shower cubicle and a massage chair. And landscaping a residential complex-adding a lake here, a hillock there-is now standard practice. The real estate boom is fuelled by the easy availability of finance. Last fiscal, HDFC disbursed loans worth Rs 86,798 crore to 2.6 million families, informs Renu Sud Karnad, Executive Director, hdfc. Quoting a Merril Lynch report, Pia Singh, MD, DLF Retail Developers and daughter of K.P. Singh says: "The real estate sector will add $50 billion (Rs 2,20,000 crore) to GDP by 2010." That's great news for developers. But fierce competition among these pashas will ensure that the consumer will remain the real king. -additional reporting by Krishna Gopalan and Priyanka Sangani in Mumbai, Rahul Sachitanand in Bangalore and E. Kumar Sharma in Hyderabad Sameer Gehlaut 31/ Chairman & CEO/ Indiabulls TURNOVER: Rs 168 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: Just acquired Jupiter Mills and Elphinstone Mills in Central Mumbai. These mark its debut in the realty sector PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: Jupiter Mills, Elphinstone Mills PROJECT CLASS: Commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: Rich FOOTPRINT: Mumbai Indiabulls properties has been involved in two of the largest real estate deals in Indian history. First, it acquired Jupiter Mills for Rs 276 crore. Then it bought the 7.8-acre Elphinstone Mills for Rs 441 crore. "We believe that the rentals that will accrue with respect to the costs that have been incurred are fully justified," explains Gagan Banga, Executive Director, Indiabulls. He says the company will continue to look at any space that is commercially viable. Residential property is not on the agenda for the moment, though. With no indication of real estate activity slowing down in central Mumbai, this company may just be in the news again. Indiabulls Properties is a 51:49 joint venture between Farallon, a San Francisco-based fund manager, and Indiabulls -Krishna Gopalan Niranjan Hiranandani 55/Managing Director/Hiranandani Construction TURNOVER: Rs 750 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 30 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 20 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential and commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to rich FOOTPRINT: Mumbai, Dubai Achartered accountant by qualification, Hiranandani dabbled in textiles before real estate took over his life in 1981. "The sector was then characterised by black (money) transactions and uncouth people," he recalls. But that didn't stop him from becoming, arguably, the biggest name in the business. He finds it difficult to pinpoint the big break in his career. "The emergence of transactions in white (money) or having schools and hospitals in townships-every step, in that sense, has been a break," he says. Wonder what the next big one will be? -Krishna Gopalan Mofatraj P. Munot 61/ Chairman/ Kalpataru Construction TURNOVER: Rs 250 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: N.A. PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 4.5 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential and commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Mumbai, Pune Mofatraj P. Munot's entry into the business was facilitated by the fact that his uncle was already in the real estate space. "I got into the business in 1961 and broke off on my own in 1969," he recalls. The Emergency intervened and he relocated to the Middle East. "I learnt a great deal from overseas professionals and understood technology, project scalability and how to implement turnkey projects," he informs. He also got to work on projects like airports and hospitals "where the quality orientation was very strong". Today, his brand name is associated with plush apartments and high-quality commercial complexes. Which was his big break? "I think it is yet to take place," he says. -Krishna Gopalan Sanjay Chandra 33/Director/Unitech TURNOVER: Rs 623 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 40 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 25 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential and commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: High-income groups FOOTPRINT: Delhi, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Noida, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Agra, Varanasi and Mohali An MBA from Boston University, Sanjay Chandra is quite different from his peers in the industry. "Real estate development is a passion with me," says Chandra, adding that he's mainly focussed on residential projects and IT parks. "We have been growing at 40 per cent every year and I want to maintain that growth," he says. The project that is closest to Chandra's heart is the 300-acre Karma Lakelands in Gurgaon, which will have 300 homes built around a golf course. Unitech is also building the largest mall in the country at Entertainment City in Noida. Spread across 142 acres, it will also have an amusement park and will be completed in 2009. -Swati Prasad Harshavardhan Neotia 44/MD/Bengal Ambuja Housing Development TURNOVER: Rs 2,100 crore (Rs 2,000 crore from cement) PROJECTS COMPLETED: 3 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 3 million feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential and commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Kolkata, Durgapur, Siliguri, Shantiniketan Harsh Neotia pioneered the concept of public-private partnership in the housing industry, when he undertook the Udayan project on a 25-acre plot on Kolkata's Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in 1994. The project had three segments (for high income buyers, middle income buyers and low income buyers) and the profits from the first were used to partially subsidise the latter two. This model has now become the industry-norm in West Bengal and is even being replicated in other states. Since then, Neotia has promoted a number of residential and commercial projects. -Arnab Mitra Rohtas Goel 42/Chairman & Managing Director/Omaxe Construction TURNOVER: Rs 450 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 1.5 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 6 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Condominiums, townships, specialty malls PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to very rich FOOTPRINT: Palwal, Rohtak, Raipur, Faridabad, Kundli, Noida, Gurgaon, Delhi, Greater Noida, Agra, Lucknow, Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Sonepat, Jaipur He's another contractor who made it big. Rohtas Goel started Omaxe Construction in 1987. Today, it is present in the National Capital Region and 12 cities. Goel is setting up townships in Lucknow, Sonepat and Kundli; wedding malls (wedding halls and shops selling trosseau's and the like) in Agra and Patiala; malls in Ludhiana and Amritsar; and a group housing complex in Faridabad. His first big project was Omaxe Executive Floors in Gurgaon in 2000. Why this fascination with small towns? "If Mumbai can have Navi Mumbai, Delhi can have New Delhi, then why can't Agra have a New Agra, or Jaipur a New Jaipur?" he responds. -Swati Prasad Pradeep Jain 42/Chairman/Parsvnath Developers TURNOVER: Rs 306.85 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 7 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 40 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Apartments, penthouses, bungalows, plots, malls and shopping arcades PROFILE OF BUYERS: Lower middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Mohan Nagar, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Gurgaon, Kochi, Faridabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Sonepat, Agra and others Pradeep Jain started out as a small-time property broker to the Ansals at the age of 19. His first residential project: Parsvnath Estate (Greater Noida) in 2001. Today, Parsvnath is developing projects worth Rs 8,000 crore in 21 cities and towns across the country. His target: sales of Rs 800 crore this fiscal and Rs 2,300 crore by 2010. Jain, who bid Rs 621 crore for the NTC mill land that DLF bought for Rs 702 crore, is keen on entering the Mumbai property market and is participating in all the bids for mill lands. He has also bid for projects in Mauritius, Singapore and Sri Lanka. -Swati Prasad Kushal Pal Singh 74/Chairman/DLF Group TURNOVER: Rs 496 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 29.5 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 51 million feet PROJECT CLASS: Townships, condominiums, row houses, penthouses, bungalows, IT parks, office complexes and malls PROFILE OF BUYERS: High-income groups FOOTPRINT: Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Jallandar, Noida, Mumbai. Plans to enter Lucknow shortly Kushal Pal Singh, the man behind Gurgaon, made headlines recently when he made an entry into the Mumbai property market by acquiring 17 acres of NTC mill land in the heart of the metropolis for a whopping Rs 702 crore. "We want to have a national footprint," says Singh, who is reputedly the richest realtor in the country today. The net asset base of the DLF Group is Rs 15,000-20,000 crore. DLF has recently launched IT Parks in Chandigarh and Kolkata, and will soon be entering Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune. -Swati Prasad Ravi Purvankara 48/Chairman/Purvankara Projects TURNOVER: Rs 100 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 25 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 15 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential and commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: Upper middle class for residential, and MNCs and large corporates for commerical properties FOOTPRINT: Bangalore, Chennai and Dubai. Ravi Purvankara is an inheritor who made good. The turning point of his career came when he shifted base from Mumbai to Bangalore in 1987. The project: the 600-apartment Purva Park in the heart of Bangalore. "There were very few large residential buildings back then," reminisces Purvankara, who sells 250-300 apartments a month. He is among the first to tie up with an overseas developer. Commenting on the 7-hectare property he's promoting with the Singapore-based Keppel Land, he says: "Foreign firms bring a sense of transparency to a market that has a bad reputation for slush money and underhand deals." Purvankara is well entrenched in Dubai and is also considering projects in Colombo. -Rahul Sachitanand Dharmesh Jain 37/Chairman & Managing Director/Nirmal Group TURNOVER: N.A. PROJECTS COMPLETED: 3 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 15 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Commercial and residential PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Mumbai Dharmesh Jain is not joking when he says he visits his sites sometimes at 4 a.m. Real estate was a childhood passion. "The biggest kick about being in the business is that you see every part of your dream unfold," he says. The Nirmal Group has been inexistence for 30 years and Jain entered the business straight after college in 1988. His dream: to make Mulund the best suburb in India. The turning point: Nirmal Lifestyle, the country's largest mall. His current passion is a 5-star hotel he is constructing in Mumbai. "It will be ready in the next three years," he says. -Krishna Gopalan C.L. Raheja 64/Chairman/K. Raheja Corp. TURNOVER: N.A. PROJECTS COMPLETED: About 15 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 2 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Commercial and residential PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bangalore Quiet and efficient' is an appropriate description for the K. Raheja Corp. with a presence in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bangalore, the group is a name to reckon with in both residential and commercial properties. Names such as Mindspace (which is spread over a sprawling 8 million square feet), and Raheja Vihar in Mumbai and Raheja Towers in Chennai and Bangalore are well-known establishments. C.L. Raheja is the current head of the group. His office said he would not meet Business Today for this article. -Krishna Gopalan Anand Mahindra 50/Chairman/ Mahindra Gesco Developers TURNOVER: Rs 93 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 8 (Sizes not available) PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: Over 12 (Sizes not available) PROJECT CLASS: Residential and commercial PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Mumbai, Pune and Delhi Mahindra realty & infrastructure developers limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of M&M, joined hands with Gesco Corporation, originally the property division of Great Eastern Shipping, to form Mahindra Gesco Developers. Today its projects are spread across Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, and in most cases bear "The Great Eastern" or the "Mahindra" brand names. Mahindra Gesco has a good mix of residential and commercial projects. Some of its better known projects are Mahindra Heights and Mahindra Gardens and The Great Eastern Centre in Mumbai, and The Great Eastern Plaza in Pune. -Krishna Gopalan Arun Poddar 54/Chairman/ Poddar Projects TURNOVER: Rs 200 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 4 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 4 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Commercial and residential PROFILE OF BUYERS: Lower middle, middle and upper middle class FOOTPRINT: Kolkata, Bardhaman Arun Poddar pioneered the concept of big ticket suburban projects in Kolkata. In order to entice buyers, he devised a unique scheme: he offered to refund the entire cost of the flat after 30 years and even bought and endorsed Indira Vikas Patras in the names of flat buyers. "Most people cashed out early," he laughs. His other innovations: windmills for pumping water, clinics and Calcutta School of Music branches at some of his properties. "It costs Rs 10 per person to provide these facilities, but they make a middle class person's life that much easier," he says. -Arnab Mitra Sushil Ansal 66/Chairman/Ansal Properties & Infrastructure TURNOVER: Rs 350 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 15 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 10 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Townships, apartments, penthouses, bungalows, farm houses, hotels, multiplexes, shopping malls, educational institutions and hospitals PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle to upper middle class FOOTPRINT: Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Kundli and Sonepat Sushil Ansal is the man behind several high-rise office complexes, cinema halls, shopping malls, colonies and apartments in Delhi. Ansal Plaza in south Delhi was the first state-of-the-art mall in the country. Now, Ansal is building 12 Ansal Plazas across north India. The Ansal Properties Group is also getting into tier-II cities like Kundli, Sonepat, Panipat, Ludhiana, Jallandar, Bhatinda, Mohali, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Meerut and Lucknow in a big way. "Kundli will be the Gurgaon of north Delhi," says Ansal. He is also working on a new concept-service apartments in malls. "I expect these to be very popular, since these apartments will be close to restaurants, shopping malls and bars," says Ansal. He also wants to take the company global by tying up with a developer overseas. The Ansals have developed properties in the CIS, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Bangladesh. -Swati Prasad Irfan Razack 52/Director/Prestige Group TURNOVER: Rs 250 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 6.35 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 2.65 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Single family residences, apartments, villas, row houses, software campuses and retail facilities PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad From humble beginnings in the textile business, the Razack brothers, Irfan and Rezwan, have built a Rs 250-crore realty business. The Razacks have seen Bangalore morph from just another town in south India to the bustling technopolis it is today. Their creations include marquee names in Bangalore such as the Forum Mall, Angasana Spa and UB City. The group is also expanding rapidly in Chennai and Hyderabad. Irfan is now expanding into construction-related areas such as property and construction management, which aims to provide a slew of support services for buyers, ranging from power supply, payment of bills and maintenance of common infrastructure. -Rahul Sachitanand C. Subba Reddy 50/Managing Director/ Ceebros Property Development TURNOVER: Rs 125 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 3 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 6 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential apartments PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Chennai. Plans foray in other southern cities C. Subba Reddy started with small projects around Chennai and gradually built up his Rs 125-crore business over the last 27 years. "I perceived the need for high-quality compact apartments in Chennai and decided to focus on that segment," he says. Rather than any single project, Reddy claims close contacts with clients (including one family, of which three generations bought flats from him) is the reason behind his success. Reddy has now entered the hospitality industry with a Rs 40-crore, 110-room 5-star hotel called Rain Tree. "We are also getting into the promotion of townships, schools, hospitals, auditoriums and IT parks," he says. -Rahul Sachitanand Lalit Kumar Jain 42/CMD/ Kumar Builders TURNOVER: Rs 100 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 10 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 3 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Residential, commercial, office spaces, IT parks and multiplexes PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to high-income groups FOOTPRINT: Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore He inherited his company from his father, but Lalitkumar Jain was instrumental in making it one of Pune's largest real estate promoters. Over the years, he has sold properties to 13,000 customers in Pune and is now expanding to Mumbai and Bangalore. His forthcoming projects range from residential and office spaces to multiplexes, retail outlets and IT Parks. Commenting on the fads that keep changing every few years, Jain feels that what starts out as a fad very often ends up being a necessity a few years down the line. His goal: to live up to his company's tagline-We build trust. -Priyanka Sangani Pawan Kumar Agrawall 47/Managing Director/Ambience Properties TURNOVER: Rs 100 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 1 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 3 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Independent houses, row houses and commercial complexes PROFILE OF BUYERS: High-income groups FOOTPRINT: Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Pune-Mumbai expressway, Kolkata, Bangalore, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam Ask for swapnalok, a shopping-cum-commercial complex, in Secunderabad and chances are that nine out of 10 people will guide you to S.D. Road where it has been in existence since 1987. Taking off from this first project, Pawan Kumar Agrawall has come a long way. Another project, Whisper Valley, near the tony Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad, is another landmark. In the pipeline is a mega residential township project on the Pune-Mumbai Express Highway comprising 1,750 independent villas and town houses, 1,800 apartment units, club houses, recreation facilities, a super speciality hospital, an international school and a shopping mall. He also has projects on hand in Kolkata, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. -E. Kumar Sharma P.N.C. Menon 57/Chairman/ The Sobha Group TURNOVER: Rs 1,000 crore PROJECTS COMPLETED: 6 million square feet PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE: 8 million square feet PROJECT CLASS: Townships, condomimiums, town houses, row houses, bungalows, offices, IT parks, malls PROFILE OF BUYERS: Middle class to very rich FOOTPRINT: Bangalore. Planning to expand to eight cities across the country by 2009 In 1976, a 28-year-old small-time interior decorator from Kerala landed in Muscat with Rs 50 in his pocket and dreams of making it big. "I remember driving around in a non-air-conditioned pick-up truck (in 50 degrees Celsius heat) because I couldn't afford a vehicle with an AC," says Menon. But his luck turned and he soon became a big building contractor. In 1993, he decided to foray into his motherland. "Bangalore was then just taking off and we decided to operate from here," he says. Today Sobha builds annually six million square feet of residential and commercial space every year. The boy from Kerala has come a long way.