Awesome Threesome Build A 'Citadel' On The Coast

There are more young entrepreneurs in India today than ever before – for a variety of reasons. For one, Entrepreneurship is being encouraged by all stake holders – the government, the financial institutions, the universities and even employee unions – each for their own reasons. But this urge to venture into the unknown almost always stems from within and generally boils over, over a cup of coffee with a friend or family. Long before the government recognized the need to promote entrepreneurship, three individuals Ajith, Ram and Sandeep, childhood buddies who have stuck together for 35 years through thick and thin, which in itself is unusual given the strains life puts on the relationships, transformed their friendship into a successful professional partnership that has helped them build a fortress called, aptly, ‘Citadel’ in the real estate industry in Coastal Karnataka.

- Rajat Rao

Ajith Kumar, Ramkumar Bekal and Sandeep Konchady’s ties go way back to the time they were studying in St Aloysius in Mangaluru. Their bonds began to firm up when Sandeep and Ram went on to study at SDM Engineering College in Dharwad, while Ajith continued his studies at the same institute. Holidays meant playing catch up first on their old stomping grounds, before going home. Construction is a business with many pitfalls, and it is best one knows the ropes well, before getting into it. All the three did due diligence working in construction organizations, Ajith and Ram in the same one, in different departments while Sandeep apprenticed at a construction company elsewhere.

Sandeep Konchady says, “The idea to start something was always present. We just had to wait for the right moment for the idea to manifest itself.” To which Ram responds pointing to a smiling Ajith, “He was always pushing us to start something together long before anything materialised.”

But it was not just them, friends too backed them to the hilt.

The Evolution

The real estate boom of 1995 was the missile that launched their entrepreneurship satellite. But by the time they started, the market had crashed testing their abilities and resolve all the way. Prices fell and market crashed; the people around them lacked confidence Ajith recalls, “The competition was massive and there was understandably a lack of faith in new players in the market”. The only way to overcome these hurdles was to put all their effort to creating something that would stand the test of time and be a symbol of quality and excellence.