As MD of Hiranandani Group of Companies, Niranjan Hiranandani wears many hats. Best known for state- of- the- art townships, the Group has diversified into education, horticulture, hospitality, entertainment and retail.
The Hiranandani township at Powai has over 200 acres of greenery, as well as commercial, residential, recreational and educational facilities. The Group has forayed into Healthcare with the Dr. L. H. Hiranandani Super Specialty Hospitals at Powai and Thane. They have also gone international with 23 Marina in Dubai.
IN THE POST- LIBERALISATION TIME, THERE IS ONLY COMPETENCY, COST- CONSCIOUSNESS AND WORLD- CLASS STANDARDS, BELIEVES NIRANJAN HIRANANDANI
Born on March 8, 1950, the son of eminent ENT Surgeon and Padma Bhushan recipient Dr. L. H. Hiranandani graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree ( Hons.) and stood Second in Mumbai University. He completed his F. C. A. from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Hiranandani, who is recognized as a spokesperson for the real estate industry, holds key positions in government bodies and various institutions. From June 2012 to June 2013, he was President of the Indian Merchant Chamber, and as Trustee and President of the Hyderabad ( Sind) National Collegiate Board and its institutions, he administers 17 colleges.
Some of his achievements include drafting the State Policy for Slum Rehabilitation in Mumbai; acting as a trustee for creation of Nathdwara Township as a heritage destination; serving on the board of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation ( HUDCO); acting as an adviser to the Government of India on housing and habitat policy for over a decade; and serving as Chairman of Housing Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI).
Deliver excellence
I believe there are two aspects of life in India – the pre- liberalisation era and post- liberalisation.
In the pre- liberalisation era, people would agree to not be competent; in the post- liberalisation time, there is only competency, cost- consciousness, delivering excellence and world- class standards.
Companies in India are competing not only against Indian companies but against the best in the world.
I’m a chartered accountant by qualification and a first generation entrepreneur. My father was a doctor; for me, being an entrepreneur was a jump in the dark. I first got into textiles but closed it down in 1981, because it was not efficient, not competitive. We started small, we were competing against the big mills, money was hard to come by… We were doing both textiles and real estate, borrowing money from hundis for the real estate venture – we didn’t know which was worse. In those days, people equated builders to black marketeers and smugglers!
Believe in yourself
It is extremely important to keep learning, to be a student and constantly improve oneself.
You must also be willing to take risks with what you believe in, go in the direction you want. The bigger the vision, the bigger the risk. Believe in yourself; especially when you are at the crossroads, when markets collapse, when things are not going right.
At the end of the day, you will get satisfaction, continue to get good results. ou have to commit yourself to do the things you believe in. And it is very important to do everything, for an all- round personality.
When your ambitions are small, your limitations are bigger. ou must keep working to see your operations grow.
