An interview with Neha Hiranandani, Director, House of Hiranandani
1) Do tell us about the House of Hiranandani?
House of Hiranandani (HoH) is a leading business conglomerate and pioneer of destination projects in India. HoH’s USP is in creating well planned communities across segments and needs that are productive. Hence it has segmented its products into 3 distinct categories of residential projects-the ultra-premium Signature range, the Upscale range and the mid-market Urbania range. Under its umbrella it has schools, entertainment, hospitality and healthcare.
2) Can you dwell on the current projects and those in the pipeline at HoH?
In Chennai, we are focusing on the city’s first integrated, large scale community, a 110 acre mixed-use development at OMR Chennai. It’s an ambitious mixed-use development community, which will be developed in subsequent Phases. We already have about 200 happy families residing in the community. Our school within the community is functional, and we will be shortly launching our retail and entertainment verticals.
In Bangalore we are coming up with spacious apartments in Bannerghatta and an integrated community of architecturally exquisite villas, cottages and apartments in Devanahalli. The third landmark destination in Bangalore is at Hebbal, with spacious residential apartments.
Talking about future plans, we intend to launch our first redevelopment project in Chembur, a Mumbai suburb, this year, involving a mid-sized housing society. The renewed aggression on development reflects HoH’s new optimism in the Indian real estate sector which is expected to witness a revival this year. We will also be launching our flagship Urbania project in Chennai shortly.
HOH has already identified projects in Hyderabad and will be launching soon. The main focus in these cities will be on residential developments. Also in the pipeline is our next destination Delhi-NCR, where we hope to start residential projects, besides looking at expanding our footprints to satellite cities such as Pune.
3) Are there any unique demands you have met in your quest to build community residences?
Certainly. The aim and mission of the organisation continues to be to create communities that contribute to the larger needs of city planning and urbanisation, adding value and wealth to the nation.
House of Hiranandani Community, Egattur OMR
4) How have you kept pace with technology in your construction practices?
We have consolidated our position by being at the forefront of value engineering and design. At HoH you can witness incorporation of new innovations such as Fiber to the Home Technology (FTTH) which was used for the first time in India at our OMR, Chennai Community development. This technology refers to a broadband telecommunications system based on fibre optic cables and associated optical electronics for delivery of multiple advanced services such as telephone, broadband, Internet and television. Fibre optic cables ensures really fast Internet speeds supporting next generation services like IPTV, video on demand and home automation that creates homes and communities which are smarter and future proof. Following a stupendous response from our customers in Chennai, we plan to offer FTTH technology across all our projects in India.
5) What are your Eco-friendly initiatives?
Recognising the significance of green building practices for a sustainable community, HoH is amongst the pioneers in adopting environment friendly solutions in India. We introduced recycling of sewage water in all communities way back in 1980s when terms like reduce, reuse and recycle were still new. Usage of vermin-composting, maximization of waste recycling, prevention of soil erosion, water conservation through use of superior irrigation techniques (resulting in reduction of water consumption by nearly 30%), rain water harvesting and adoption of eco-friendly techniques for developing our green spaces has ensured environment sustainability at all our locations.
OMR Chennai Property
6) Please speak to us about the person behind the Hiranandani Group?
Mr. Surendra Hiranandani is the Founder and Managing Director of HoH and the Hiranandani Group of Companies. The Hiranandani brothers, co-founders of one of India’s largest privately held real estate companies, are separately eyeing new opportunities for growth, seeking to venture into new business segments or untapped geographies. Mr. Surendra is the powerhouse and the centre for the engineering and architectural initiatives at the company, thus contributing to the outstanding reputation for quality and innovation here. He is recognized for his contribution and foresight in transforming many a barren land into some of India’s leading property development destinations.
7) Neha, it would be nice to hear about you?
I am the eldest daughter of Mr. Surendra Hiranandani. Equipped with my father’s values and visions, I am well positioned to carryforward the legacy of the family and strong professional background has really helped me. My major contribution at HoH is the formation, nurturing and elevation of ‘House of Hiranandani’ as a distinctive brand with its own identity and geographies. While I am learning from my father about the planning, architectural and construction spectrum, I closely look into Legal, Finance and Marketing divisions of the company. My father ingrained in me a value system leading to transparency and creditability whether it is setting up land acquisitions or approval systems.
Thus I have synergized the organizational chart creating strong core and regional teams in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Our goal is not to be the biggest, but the best. For this endeavour we continue to be dynamic, absorbing raw ideas and preferences as we expand through the country.
Looks like Neha is destined to scale new heights in the corporate world very soon. We wish her the very best.
