Recently, Harshvardhan Neotia, chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, sat down with son Parthiv Neotia on a special episode of Perspectiv with Parthiv, a podcast hosted by the latter. Recorded in the presence of a live audience, the episode saw the father-son duo exchange a series of insights on building commercial legacies while also upholding family values and celebrating those who have inspired them towards professional consistency.
“I’m quite nervous to be interviewing my father in the presence of a live audience, but their presence also means I can ask him some of the tricky questions I do not occasionally get the chance to ask. He’s not just my father, but my mentor, boss and, most importantly, landlord,” said Parthiv as he began the proceedings.
The home, the roots
Parthiv started the episode by making the leading man of the Ambuja Neotia Group revisit his beginnings in the real estate sphere. “My first steps into the realm of real estate were taken very spontaneously. I did not have a passion for design or architecture, which are the pillars of the real estate business. It was just the result of an opportunity to build something of my own, a spontaneous, immediate reaction to what I was pushed towards,” he explained.
Answering Parthiv’s question on why Calcutta remains a place close to his heart, and the strong foothold of his commercial legacy in the city, Neotia said: “My parents and grandparents have all lived in this city, so when I was starting out, I wondered why we could not work in this place as well, and create something of our own here. It got me thinking about how much we love this city.”
national honour
The conversation also brought up Udayan, the famous social housing project in which Harshvardhan Neotia had participated, later being honoured with the Padma Shri for his invaluable contribution to the city through socially focused projects.
He reflected: “You do not really work towards a national honour. Certain things in life just happen. The project was definitely different, and by that time I had already been in construction work for over seven years. The opportunity for a government project came, and thankfully we were selected as one of the companies to contribute. At that point, I did not have much of an idea about social housing projects. By that time, I had also developed an interest in architecture. It was a completely new discovery for me to be working with low-income housing. Working with B.V. Doshi was also a very memorable experience, not only because he brought magic to the design, but because of his unique philosophy as well.”
He further recalled his days under Doshi’s mentorship, saying, “To work under him was life-defining for me. I was absorbing all his insights like a sponge, and loved every moment that I spent with him. It was such a deep relationship, and I gave him the status of a parent in my life. I would visit him regularly, and he would always remind me to visit his home every once in a while.”
Towards hospitality
When asked about his relationship with the hospitality sector, Neotia said: “Real estate has always been something I can fall back upon, because in that sector, I have had some knowledge, and some success. That was a natural area to follow for me. Hospitality was something I was always interested in, but had not had much scope to explore initially. I realised that my interest lay in creating experiences, both visual, in curating spaces, as well as customer experiences in the hospitality industry. A large part of that definitely is real estate.”
Fatherhood and family
Towards the close, Parthiv put forward quite an interesting question, asking his father what he would like to be known as, after having earned multiple accolades and titles in his professional life.
“A good father,” the legend instantly replied. “All of these attributes mean nothing if one has not been able to build and support his family because, at the end of the day, there is no one who knows you better than your family. They know your temperament, and have seen both your good and bad sides. And it is only when you can get their respect, their love, and, ultimately, if they feel that you have done something, it all matters,” he said.
On a reflective note
“This podcast turned out to be quite fun, and revealed a lot of new things to me. Many of the stories my father shared today with the audience are familiar to me, as he used to sit me down for his ‘Sunday lessons’, where he would talk of life and share his stories. We don’t work a lot together, but when we do, it shifts my perspective on what we can do better, and how we can look at things at a larger level. I’ve never been more inspired by anyone,” shared Parthiv.
At the end of the episode, the forum was opened to the live audience, who put forward their own questions to the legendary commercial leader. An eager bunch of young businessmen from the city were part of the gathering, gaining valuable insights from the leading man of one of the biggest commercial groups in the city as well as the country.