Ms. Aparna Reddy – The lady, the company, and the journey

When Aparna Reddy’s family started a construction company in 1990, the majority of the discussions at home were about the business and its activities. “Growing up, I saw the effort that went into it,” she reflects. “When it came to my own career, there was no second thought for me. Since my teenage years, my intentions and those of my father, the founder, were apparent: we wanted to build a company for the generations.”

After Aparna completed her undergrad, she officially joined the family business and, over a few years, she learned the ropes. She noted where there were lapses and where corrective measures could be made, and she started putting her ideas forward.

It became clear to her that if the people and the system didn’t accept her, moving forward would be a difficult journey. “It’s people that matter at the end of the day, and I needed to prove that I could contribute to the company growth for them to accept me.”

Aparna took her first assignment in 2012, when she set up a high-end luxury outlet for bath spaces and kitchens in Hyderabad. “It was a successful venture,” she beams. “Today, seven years down the line, known architects and reputable builders visit the showroom to finalise their products in the outlet.”

The company is continually expanding its portfolio, and Aparna has played a significant part in new ventures. Once people started seeing that she was capable, her role in the business broadened.

“I slowly started looking after the finance and accounts, and the company strategy,” she says. “Aparna is a building material product company. So, we’ve also begun adding product lines.”

Aparna Enterprises Limited is focused on strengthening the building material industry itself. It now has seven product lines – Aparna Venster (uPVC windows and doors); Okotech (uPVC profiles); Vitero Tiles; Aparna RMC (ready-mix concrete); Unispace (luxury bath spaces and kitchens; Aparna Craft (aluminium window and door systems and facades; and Aparna Crusher (metal aggregates) – and the demand for the building materials it has in its portfolio is increasing in India.

“I will be looking at expanding these seven product lines pan-India,” Aparna says. “As of now, our major strength lies in the southern part of the country, where India is rapidly growing. So, we have a vast potential to grow and also look at the export market.”

Building materials is one industry that isn’t driven by technology. “The way you build something, like a house, doesn’t go through a drastic change because of technology,” Aparna explains. “You need cement and steel to build a building. That’s how it is. The process or system might speed up things, but the basic materials remain the same, unlike technology-related products.”

Aparna Enterprises Limited’s transparency and commitment towards all people associated with the organisation makes it stand out. “For example, the vendors associated with an organisation must be happy because they’re doing transactions with the company,” Aparna says.

“After all, they are doing business with a company to make money. If I delay the payments or if I bargain hard, they won’t be happy and I won’t have repeated business with them. So, our main focus is on the transparency and the commitment towards the vendors, customers and employees.”

First and foremost, Aparna believes that, as a second-generation entrepreneur, if you are accepted well by people into the system, things will go smoothly. Acceptance among employees is crucial because they are the face to a company’s customers.

“My salespeople are on the frontline because they are the ones who speak about the company culture or the management to the customers,” she explains. “Also, it will reflect in the service and supply chain. It’s a top-down approach.”

With this acceptance, Aparna is confident the financials and everything else will fall into place. “This is the challenge for the second generation,” she says. “It’s a different challenge altogether for the first generation. For the second, third, and the generations to come, I think you should be well accepted in the system to find success.”

Placing the right people in the right job is also critical for a business. “It’s one of the most important things for an organisation’s growth,” Aparna comments. “India has enormous talent, but finding the right people is very difficult. We’re fortunate enough to have had at least 10–15 hands with us who’ve been there since the beginning.”

The dedication of those who started the company is a high starting point, but as the business grows, more people who carry on the passion need to be hired. “If you hire 15 people, you need to ensure they’re happy with you and that they will grow with the organisation,” she says. “Those 15 people have to cling to the organisation.”

Aparna believes that culture plays a vital role in cultivating long-lasting employees. “If they are happy with the management, they will stay with the company. What I learned from my father is that it’s not always about the entrepreneur. The people around you should be happy because, if the company is doing well and the employees associated with the organisation are happy, it will result in healthy organisational growth.”

99acres.com – Women’s Day special edition featuring Ms. Aparna Reddy

Building material industry is a diverse industry that offers opportunities to women from different educational backgrounds. However, like any other industry, it has its share of challenges as well, avers Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises Ltd, in interaction with 99acres.com on the event of women’s day.

1.What led you to choose building material industry as a career?
Entering into a building material industry was a natural transition for me as I always wanted to explore an area that will help me contribute to my father’s line of business. Besides, I also wanted to do something that aligns with my ambitions. Fortunately, my parents always motivated me to pursue my goal. They encouraged me to believe in myself. But getting my head around an entire new industry was incredibly challenging, and in fact, I am still learning every day.

2.What has been your support mechanism in a career in this sector?
My biggest strengths have been my parents and my husband. Moreover, my friends have also been my support mechanism. On the professional front, I owe big to my colleagues and team members.

3.What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
Being the Chairman’s daughter was hardly a benefit to me as I had to work my way up to earn respect and confidence of our clients, employees and partners.

I realised early in life that school never prepare you for what real life has in store. So acquiring the ability to anticipate change and learning to handle what life might unfold was crucial. This learning helped me extensively both at a personal as well as professional level. At the professional level, it helped me to look beyond the immediate future and explore newer avenues of growth without deviating from our core. Our foray into manufacturing of tiles under the brand-Vitero Tiles was one such initiative. Today, Vitero Tiles is one of the fastest-growing tile brands in the country.

4.Are you content with your career choice?
Yes, I feel the decision to be a part of this business was absolutely right. Working for a fantastic company like ours, where every employee is valued and respected is a great boon for any professional. It has also allowed me to work alongside like-minded individuals. When I look back at the kind of projects I have created and delivered along with the team, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Further, the decision to be a part of Aparna Enterprises Limited helped me to be amidst many supportive and inspiring people who have played a key role in helping me grow and develop a career in a line that I am passionate about. I would have not got this opportunity if I had chosen another field.

As far as success is concerned, it is a state of mind. Apart from enjoying what you do, having a positive mindset and resilience is also crucial to rise up the ladder.

5.What kind of challenges did you face in this male-dominated field?
When you are running a business, no two days are the same. You face a new challenge every day, ranging from the simple ones to more complex ones. From a gender perspective, the biggest task I had to manage was gaining the confidence of our partners. Building material industry is predominately a male-dominated sector, and hence some of our partners were initially apprehensive about dealing with me. However, as they witnessed my passion for the business, they became confident. Today they judge me not by the gender I belong to but by what I bring to the discussion table.

However, some of the most common challenges women face at the workplace are- lack of respect and overt ‘man-terruptions’ (this is when men keep interrupting women, making it difficult for them to express their thoughts). ‘Bro-culture’ and a presumption that women do not know how to do their jobs are also serious challenges that women encounter at workplaces. These uncalled behaviours are a huge burden. Corporates need to be mindful of these behaviours and should create an open environment that encourages women to share their suggestions to resolve the issue.

6.Do you feel the general perception of women in the sector has changed over the years?
Like all other sectors, building material industry is also evolving. It is slowly giving way to a much more comfortable and accepting ecosystem.

7.Any suggestions for other women foraying into building material industry?
Building material industry is a diverse industry, and hence the opportunities it offers are also endless. There are roles to suit women from different educational and career backgrounds. However, as in any other business, the building material industry is also a complex one. So before you enter the industry, know what you want to achieve; this can be surprisingly difficult, but once you have worked this out, you will never lose your way. Set clear goals of what you want to achieve. This usually means challenging yourself to do things that you have never done before. While this may sound like a difficult task, it is not. We already do this. For instance, we set our mind to manage a baby and home with equal dexterity. We surely are capable of finding a way to accomplish anything, even handling the pressures that come with managing a business.

Expectations from the Union Budget 2020 for Real Estate in India

Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director of AEL shares his thoughts on the Union Budget 2020 with zricks.com

“The real estate sector is expecting demand-generating measures from the upcoming Union Budget. Reduction in personal income tax and removal of tax surcharges for purchasing homes will have a positive impact on the sector. Lowering of personal income tax will increase disposable income for homebuyers. Hiking the 2 lakh tax rebate on housing loan interest rates can boost demand for housing, especially in the affordable and mid-segment categories. The granting of infrastructure status to the entire real estate sector would also enable the industry positively. It will bring large scale employment opportunities, create a strong financing pool for developers at lower interest rates and also make projects more affordable for buyers. Additionally GST rationalization for raw materials as well as single window clearance for processes and approvals are critical for the growth of the sector. The government had recently announced Alternative Investment Funds which is a welcome move as it will help in pushing the needle for stalled projects and restoring the buyer sentiment in the market. The budget should look at measures to successfully implement these funds.” – Mr. Rakesh Reddy, Director, Aparna Constructions & Estates Pvt. Ltd.

“Co-living market size across India’s top 30 cities is expected to grow more than double by 2025 to $13.92 billion from current $ 6.67 billion. In the coming year we will see this sector growing in terms of innovation and offerings. The business fraternity is expecting more focus on the housing sector in the union budget 2020-2021. Rental housing and emerging segments like co-living has often not received proper attention in previous budgets. By giving taxation benefits, easy funding processes, availability of lower interest rates for loans and policies aimed at the growth of rental housing, can boost the segment and contribute to housing for all by 2022. The existing housing infrastructure in the metros is grossly inadequate to meet the increasing demand triggered by the massive migration of educated youth from tier-II and III cities for higher education and livelihood. In order to address this problem the government shall also take steps to utilize the unsold inventory in favour of the migrant population which makes a huge chunk of today’s workforce.” – Mr Pramod Kumar, Director, Guesture.

“While there are numerous expectations from the upcoming Union Budget 2020, there are a few which we as an industry hope materialises. To bring back growth in the real estate sector, being one of the major contributors to country’s GDP and a major job creator would be one of the focus areas in budget considerations.

Firstly, the government should take more developer and investor-friendly initiatives for the betterment of the real estate market, predominantly for the mid-segment housing. Secondly, the government needs to ensure liquidity for the real estate developers. The real estate stress fund from the government is certainly a big boost. However, it would help only the stalled projects, the rest could only be addressed by the banks and NBFC’s.

To ease the liquidity crunch and improve the cash flow in the commercial real estate front, the 18% GST for the properties that are not sold but developed for leasing, should be ideally removed or adequately addressed.

We are also expecting a single-window clearance mechanism which has been a long-pending demand from the sector, which will greatly reduce the project timelines for developers. The sector expects the Budget 2020 to announce industry status to the real estate sector that will further help in raising low-cost funds and make land acquisition simpler..” – Mr. Madhusudhan G., Chairman and MD, Sumadhura Group.

“Last year, Modi 2.0 was extremely supportive of the real estate sector and the budget was instrumental in introducing various schemes, policies and guidelines which were beneficial for both developers and consumers whether it was rate cut of housing interest, NHB guidelines or affordable housing schemes.

The primary concern that needs to be addressed is the significant funding crisis. The budget should ease norms to ensure steady flow of investments. Although benefits for affordable housing have been provided, developers are unable to receive funding from major banks and NBFCs at lower interest rates.

As we are aware, due to lending market being cautious, mainly NBFC sector and banks, purchase of land has become very difficult since the last one and half years. The Real Estate developer can still use an alternate source of acquisition of property which is Joint Development Arrangement with the landlord to avoid large capital commitment. But due to lack of clarity on GST, even this alternative source has been totally ineffective and causing huge delay in proper supply of land for developers to carry out the development work. Thus, the impact on other industry employment will also be required to be kept in mind. Hence, few changes in GST can provide a huge positive impact in the Real Estate Industry for all sectors i.e., Residential, Commercial, Retail, IT Offices, Affordable Housing, Ware Housing, etc.,

Waiver on Applicability on GST (if intended to be applicable) on Transfer Development Right (T.D.R.) on Joint Development Arrangement.
Allowing of Input of Commercial GST during construction period against the rent receivables.

Both of the above changes in the nature of clarification or amendment would bring huge positivity and clarity for the real estate industry and the impact can be visibly seen in a short period in the form of commencement of number of projects across the cities.

Industry status to the real estate sector will further boost the increasing of low-cost funds, cut capital costs and make land acquisition easier, passing the benefits to consumers. A single-window clearance system can help to speed up the execution of projects. We also expect the implementation of land reforms and increased liquidity to NBFCs will lead to investors. If real estate industry gets a boost it will automatically have a positive impact and will accelerate the economic growth of the country and in turn the GDP.” – Mr. Bijay Agarwal, MD, Salarpuria Sattva Group.

“The budget needs to allocate more funds across sectors that impact the overall infrastructural development of the country. It needs to focus on improving ease of doing business. Reforms with regard to taxes, solutions to sail through the NBFC crisis and introducing single window clearance will be crucial. Encouraging the creation of alternative channels for funding, as NBFC’s currently are not in a position to take further exposures is also crucial. It would also be ideal if the government can rationalize GST rates in the sector. GST rates for few essential raw materials needs to be reduced to 18% from the current 28% bracket. Even products like petroleum and natural gas need to brought under unified GST, instead of VAT. This will bring more uniformity in the sector. Additionally, the union budget should look at increasing incentives for affordable housing, especially with regard to income tax benefits for builders under section 80. To make home buying more conducive, the government should reduce personal taxes for higher income brackets, as it will help in boosting the purchasing power of consumers” – Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Ltd.

“The Housing segment, particularly mid-income and affordable housing, holds a huge potential for the growth of the Indian economy in terms of job creation and overall economic development. Thus, the real estate industry, particularly housing sector, is sensitive to many of the policies that are to be announced in the budget.

The Real Estate industry is eagerly looking for all time high favourable budgetary support.

The real estate industry hopes for according “Industry status” which is long awaited one.
Having prioritised affordable housing, the Budget shall make liberal allocation of funds specifically for building infrastructure and improving connectivity in the peripheral areas of the cities to augment the housing supply at affordable prices.
Approximately 20% -25% of the unit price goes to Government by way of taxes and fees in one form or the other. Stamp duty levied vary from state to state. Stamp duty Taxes/fees shall be rationalised. This will go a long way in reduction of the overall price paid by the home buyer.
In the matter approval process, the industry expects Single Window Clearance in the real true sense as the same will go a long way in minimising the turnaround time and reduction in project cost – benefitting the home buyers the price they pay. Digitalisation, minimising human intervention is the answer.
The budget shall also look into supplementing ownership housing by a strong,  vibrant and sustainable Affordable Rental Housing market with different models to address diverse housing needs for various segments of the population.

I am sure that the Government will appreciate the fact that there are many transparent, credible and well organised players in the real estate sector, who are honestly interested in national growth. They are keen in accomplishing national objective of achieving Housing for All.

In my view, we can expect the re-elected Government to make suitable budgetary announcements to further strengthen the housing initiatives, particularly mid income and LIG/EWS housing. – Mr. M Murali, Chairman and Managing Director, Shriram Properties Ltd.

“Building material sector will grow at 5-10 % growth” – Mr.Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, AEL

Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Ltd, on Friday said that building material industry would witness about 5-10 per cent growth in 2020.

“While the outlook is positive, for the optimism to turn into reality will an improvisation of ease of doing business as well. It will call for rationalisation and further streamlining as well as effective execution of taxes and policies. For instance, a comprehensive implementation of GST irrespective of the size of the business is the need of the hour,” Reddy said in a statement.

On the performance of building material sector in the current year, he said: “2019 was an eventful year for building material industry. While the real estate sector witnessed a muted growth, the thrust from the government on infrastructure development acted a great stimulus for the industry”.

The increased spend and focus on infrastructure development saw the sector witnessing a healthy growth. Initiatives like housing for all, setting up of dedicated freight corridors, metro rail projects; AMRUT, smart cities and upgradation of roadways have all bolstered the demand for building materials, he added.

A key building material that has witnessed positive momentum in 2019 was ready mix concrete. The adoption of white toppings and cement for the construction of roads has helped ready mix concrete positively, he pointed out.

Mr. T Chandra Sekhar, Technical Director, AEL, shares his thoughts with 99acres on the shortage of sand!

Online sand portal: A relief for buyers in Andhra Pradesh

Skyrocketing prices and unfettered mining have cumulatively paved the way for the shortage of sand in India. With sand increasingly becoming scarce in several regions, the Government has come up with multiple measures to solve its crisis in the construction industry. One such initiative is the availability of sand online, introduced by the government of Andhra Pradesh.

Excessive mining on the river beds to meet the burgeoning demand for construction has caused severe ecological imbalance. Not only the rivers but even the wetlands are being exploited for sand mining. As a result, the sand available nowadays contains a high percentage of silt and clay that is deemed to be unfit for construction purposes. Moreover, with less than one-third of the sand quarries operational in a State like Tamil Nadu, the country is facing a crisis that has crippled several of its infrastructural projects. The scenario has even increased the sand prices up to a great extent.

As apprised by T Chandra Sekhar, Technical Director, Aparna Enterprises, “The booming infrastructure of our country requires extensive use of sand, which is rudimentary in order to produce concrete. The continuous mining of natural sand from river beds is causing significant damage to the ecosystem. The depletion of natural sand in river beds can cause deepening of rivers and expansion of coastal inlets and river mouths. Knowing that sand takes several years to form, many States have banned the mining of sand from river beds. Even though this makes it tough for the construction companies to procure natural sand for construction, the developers are encouraged to look for more sustainable and viable alternatives to river sand.”

The shortage of river sand has raised serious concerns amid the builder fraternity, due to which, multiple States have come up with measures to tackle the issue. These include desilting of dams, allowing quarries post clearance from Geology Department, the introduction of sand mining policy, and identification of more banks for sand mining.

In a recent move, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to implement a stock point system, similar to the one prevalent in Telangana. As per the new system, the material will be made available to the buyers through an online portal. The buyers can pay the charges along with the transportation cost online and get the sand delivered directly to their homes. As opined by the experts, the measure will facilitate the buyers in the procurement of sand and eliminate the involvement of Mafia in the procedure. Moreover, the buyers can get the sand at the correct market price. The sand booking policy is to enhance transparency in the system, along with the control of the government on sand reaches across the State.

At present, the facility is available not only for general customers but also for orders in bulk. The term ‘general customers’ here includes individuals who want to procure sand for domestic or personal use; whether it is for the construction of a new dwelling or repairs to the existing house. Bulk customers include real estate developers, private, and government contractors.

Reportedly, there are 395 major sand reaches in Andhra Pradesh and it is the duty of their respective district collectors to take care of them. In case of online booking, it is the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited (APMDC) that will take care of the bookings across the State. Those who wish to place their orders online need to visit the official website of APMDC and obtain relevant details, including sand yards, current prices, order tracking, and online payment.

Steps for online sand booking in Andhra Pradesh:

Visit the official portal of Andhra Pradesh online sand booking
A pop up will appear on the screen providing options of registration for general and bulk customers
Click the registration options depending upon your need, provide the mobile number and request for One time Password (OTP)
Enter the OTP and click submit
Upon clicking on the submit button, provide details of Aadhar in case you are a general customer and GST number in case of bulk orders
In case you are a general customer, provide details including your name, district, Mandal, Address, and Pin code post verification of the Aadhar. On the contrary, if you are a bulk consumer, enter the company name, trade name, mobile number, and address details as per GST.
Check the details and click on the registration box to enable the Register tab
Lastly, click on register to complete the process and proceed to order sand

Shortage of sand is a major issue, having significant socio-political, economic, and environmental implications. In the wake of this fact, measures such as online booking will indeed help the consumers to fulfil their requirements up to a certain extent. Not only will it benefit the developers in terms of reduced transportation cost but will also prevent the misuse of sand to a great extent.

Ready Mix Concrete – the ideal solution to create quality homes

Home buying patterns have been evolving drastically in the last few years. Gone are the days wherein people used to look at homes as a mere dwelling space, today home is a reflection of one’s personality and stature. In fact, owing to the globalisation and exposure, customers are becoming very brand conscious when it comes to buying real-estate assets. One of the key factors that play a crucial role in building a brand in the real-estate space is the quality of construction. Customers expect players to maintain the same quality across all their projects. The key ingredient that ensures quality in construction is the concrete used to build the structure. Earlier in India the concrete mix used to be prepared by local contractors at the construction site. The mixing used to happen manually. As it is manual builders used to find it difficult to keep a control over the time and amount of components mixed in the cement mix. Further, in traditional mode there is a huge dependency on expertise of the contractor / mason for mixing various components. In fact, in case the expert was absent from work owing to any emergency the chances of inconsistency in the mix were also quite common. Apart from manual intervention the other big aspect for builders is that they would need to identify storage space to store cement, sand and gravel. This growing inconvenience coupled with the increased stress on uniformity in quality of construction is pushing real-estate players to move towards ready mix concrete than site mixing concrete.

What is Ready Mix Concrete?

Ready-mix concrete is concrete that is manufactured in a batching plant, according to a pre-set engineered mix design. Batching plants combine a precise amount of gravel, sand, water and cement together by weight, allowing specialty concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites.

Merits of Ready Mix Concrete over the traditional on site mixing

Helps in ensuring strict control over quality and consistency across all batches
As the name suggests Ready Mix Concrete is ready to be casted at the construction site. It is manufactured in a factory set up. The mixing of the gravel, sand, water and cement are computerised. The mechanical mixing reduces the discrepancies in the proportion of the ingredients and ensures uniformity in every batch of the product. Further, most of the RMC producers have a battery of experts who regulate the mixing ratio and monitor the progress of manufacturing. This multi stage process ensures quality and consistency in ready mix concrete.
Provides control over time and resources
Being manual, the time taken to mix and then proceed for construction is far higher in the on-site mixing method, than a ready mix concrete. Further the builders should take charge of identifying and hiring mixing equipment, labour and purchase of the ingredients. They will also have to make arrangements for storage of the ingredients. In fact, in a nutshell the entire time and costs may simply be not worth it when compared to the linear cost model of ready-mixed concrete, wherein the customer would need to pay only for what they use, and lets someone else do the work up to that point. Even in a large project, outsourcing concrete production to ready-mixed concrete suppliers means delegating the quality control and testing, material logistics and supply chain issues, and mix design, to specialists who are already set up for those tasks.
Better customization and predictability of outcome
The weight carrying strength that is required for a house is different from that of a bridge and hence the type of concrete that needs to be used to construct each of the structure also varies. In fact, the strength of the concrete depends on the apt ratio of water and cement. In ready mix concrete as it is mechanised it is easy to customise. Also as the consistency and quality are uniform across all batches for the project, the outcome is also uniform and predictable. To improve the performance of a concrete mix admixtures are also used. Admixtures can be used to reduce water requirements, add small synthetic fibres to prevent surface cracks, or even super plasticize the concrete to make it self-compacting. However, the use of admixtures requires precision in dosing and mix design, which is more difficult without the dosing/measuring equipment and laboratory backing of a batching plant, which means they cannot easily be used outside of ready-mixed concrete. The admixtures used in RMC improve the flow property of concrete. The compaction also becomes easier in ready mix concrete.
No chance of issues like hair line cracks
One of the biggest drawback of the on the site mixing is it is manual and hence the consistency may differ slightly in every batch and this slight variation can lead to issues like hair-line cracks.
Large volumes can be available
As it is made in factory set up by machines, it can deliver large volumes within a short span of time.

This article is contributed by Mr. T Chandrasekhar, Director-Technical, Aparna Enterprises Ltd for Sawdust.

Check Aparna Reddy’s views on running a successful business venture with your spouse

Many people wish to become entrepreneurs. There are varied reasons for every entrepreneurial dream. While some chose entrepreneurship because they have a clear thought or idea, others opt as they don’t want to work for anyone else but themselves or they want to utilize the knowledge and expertise that they have gained for their own growth and then there are others who are just born to do it. Similar to the triggers every entrepreneurial journey is also different. However, there are some common threads when it comes to turning a dream into a reality and then making it successful. Running a successful business requires hard work, patience, focus and above all a right partner. While some chose friends or colleagues as business partners, there are others who want to turn their business idea into a successful venture along with their spouse.

Building your dream along with your spouse has its own merits and challenges. On one hand, you have someone very close to you to provide guidance and support, on the other side you may feel short of personal time as the business demands most of it. Some of the key aspects to keep in mind while running a business with your spouse are

Allocate Work According to Each Other’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Like any other partnership, spouses need to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses both from skill as well as emotional perspective and divide the work accordingly. It helps in the smooth functioning of the daily tasks. It also plays a crucial role in guiding and inspiring the team.

Nurture a Mature and Open Mindset

When a couple comes together to run any business the trust component is very high, but the emotional equation is very sensitive. The difference in opinion is bound to happen, however, it needs to be handled very carefully as it may affect their personal life. Managing a healthy personal and professional equation will call for a matured and open approach. Another key aspect that can iron out friction is communication. Always maintain healthy communication between each other, especially regarding the functioning of the organisation. Ultimately, decisions should be taken keeping the bigger picture in mind.

Observe Caution and Transparency in Matters of Finance

Managing finance needs to be planned and dealt cautiously as one bad decision can drain funds. It can prove fatal for the business as well. There are many examples of growing businesses been brought down to ashes due to mismanagement of funds. There should be a clear demarcation between the funds for domestic as well as business purpose. Sometimes one needs to hold personal expenditures aside and give preference to the requirements of the business. Such decisions should be taken only after mutual discussions as otherwise, it can lead to a conflict of interest. Further, maintaining transparency with regard to the transactions is crucial. Ensure that the spouse is been informed and updated about the income as well as spends.

Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

While it is easier said than done, both the partners should take effort and enforce it. The multitasking gets more complex when you step into parenthood which demands more focused adaptation of work-life balance. Work delegation comes handy here but the careful division of time is what is required to handle personal and professional life together.

In the end, clarity of thought will push one to find means and ways to filter ones focus to shape their goals and become a successful entrepreneur. The clearer one gets with the objectives, the better it becomes to face all hurdles and keep the business growing.

Aparna RMC: Providing Concrete Technology Solutions

Established in the year 2006 by Aparna Enterprises Ltd., Aparna RMC today is one of the leading producers of ready-mix concrete (RMC) in South India. The unique factor that sets Aparna RMC apart from the rest is the company’s ability to develop concrete technology solutions and design concrete as per the client’s requirement. At Aparna the products are produced using the latest technology (18 fully computerised Schwing Stetter RMC plants with latest concrete batching equipment) making it strong, customizable, versatile, and durable. Apart from being the preferred ready mix concrete partner for the construction of residential, commercial and industrial projects, Aparna RMC is also used for the production of precast concrete parts like stairs, ceiling elements and structural components.

An ISO 9001 certified company, the focus of Aparna RMC has been to provide quality products to its customers. All the batching plants are controlled by MCI 360 and Siemens PLCs for quality assurance. The continued emphasis on quality and timely delivery has earned Aparna RMC the seals of approval from the likes of Central Public Works Department and Military Engineer Services. It has also enabled the company to not only be a preferred partner for the private sector but also for the public sector. Aparna RMC has been associated with various government projects across the country. They had won the tender to supply Ready Mix Concrete for the development of Rail Under Bridge (RUB) in South Central Hyderabad and flyover construction in Lalaguda and Hitech city.

The other unique aspect of Aparna RMC is its capability to ensure timely delivery of its product. It has around 200 transit mixer trucks and 66+ high capacity concrete pumps ensuring timely delivery of RMCs. The growing acceptance by the real-estate and infrastructure sector has resulted in Aparna RMC expanding its production and delivering capacity. The company has added 5 new RMC plants in the last fiscal and increased its production capacity from 70,000 cubic meters per month to 1,20,000 cubic meters per month.

Aparna Enterprises records 50% growth in FY18-19

Hyderabad: Aparna Enterprises Ltd., a leading firm in the building material industry recorded 50 per cent growth in FY18-19. In the last financial year, the company made strategic investments and launched three RMC units in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions. The company also ventured into aluminium exteriors façade segment and strengthened its product portfolio in the luxury home fitting segment with introduction of Nolte Kitchen, Wardrobes & Beds. The growth was also backed by various government projects that the company won for tiles, ready mix concrete and uPVC category.

Ashwin Reddy, MD, Aparna Enterprises Ltd; said, “Despite massive investments in the last financial year, we have managed to do well and grow by 50 per cent in our revenue. From the last five years, we have been growing at a CAGR of 30 per cent Y-O-Y. This growth is a testament to our bullish business plans and the growing market opportunities. This year we further plan to strengthen our production capacity across product lines and focus more on government projects.”

“Quality assurance and customer satisfaction are at the core of our business and increasing demand for our products both in private and public sector is a testament to that belief. In the last one year, production capacity of RMC rose from 0.882 million cu mt in FY17-18 to 1.2 million cu mt in FY18-19 and we are aiming for 1.44 million cu mt in FY19-20. Similarly, we have produced 4.8 million sq.mtrs of tiles for various projects, which is a remarkable capacity to reach in two years of launch.

The booming infrastructure of the country is a motivating factor for us to continue delivering world class materials to governments and real estate players who require these building materials,” added, Aparna Reddy, ED, Aparna Enterprises Ltd. The company further plans to strengthen its dealership reach for Vitero and Aparna Venster this year and also start the production for Alteza Aluminium windows and doors under Aparna Craft Holdings in this quarter. The year ahead will also see introduction of new products across sub brands to address the evolving market trends and changing consumer demands. The accelerated growth of the company is attributed to the continuous innovation in technology that has helped in increasing the production capacity as well as in the launch of new products across Vitero Tiles, Aparna Venster, Okotech, Aparna Unispace and Aparna RMC.