Mr. Rakesh Mishra – Vice President, Classic Marble Company, Mumbai
With 30 years of dedication towards the construction trade, Mr Rakesh says his journey was not at all comfortable. Initially, he had a lot of challenges, and he is convinced that he could overcome all of that appropriately. He is also grateful that his journey was highly informative since he had the opportunity of meeting and collaborating with various people across the globe. Mr Rakesh had aimed of serving people through construction industry way back in the year 1990 as he believed this industry could give him many chances to grow by developing and maintaining equations with people in the same field.
It won’t be wrong to believe that Mr Rakesh Mishra is an asset to the construction industry as well as the country.
Narrative to the success
While Mr Rakesh explains how his journey towards being successful has had its own ups and downs, he speaks about his experience with larger sized tiles in 1995, which wasn’t readily accepted by clients. At the beginning of his career, he has been hardworking enough to fulfil all the job roles his work asked for. From being a Kadia to a plumber, a manager to an administrator, he has been very positively dedicated to making his clients happy with the result. He also educated a lot of other fellow mates about the stones through seminars.
Trials In the Journey
Mr Rakesh stresses the aspect of the mid-age crisis that every other person has to go through dealing with one generation and accommodate with the second generation while working with the third. During the change, there were challenges but if one knows the basics, is attentive and willing to be updated with trends, it will always support the system. Mr Rakesh explains how this mantra has been the reason for his success all these years.
Creating Viewpoints
Set a goal. To achieve success, one has to have specific disciplines in life.
Gain fast among the community of people you are dealing with by creating solutions and being compassionate.
To be a good employee and a boss, one must be kind and trustworthy since the community in some way is dependent on each other.
Using technology
According to Mr Rakesh initially, this industry was very conservative, but technology has brought a massive growth in the tile industry. The desire of bringing more aesthetically original design into the tile industry, by adapting the digital sector, gave rise to the expansion of the capacities all over the country. This upgrade took time to gain acceptance of the architects for the size of tiles. India being vibrant and a nation of different tastes the challenge was to research and make products which would convince them was obviously a challenge.
Ideal project
Konkan railway Bhavan, Navi Mumbai was a project dearest to his heart, and he explains why with gratitude. Mr Rakesh was pitching a project for the Bhavan in 1994 when he was barely in his thirties. He clearly remembers his hardship travelling from Vasai to Navi Mumbai. He also explains how he was desperate for collaboration while competing with experienced companies in the tile industry. Eventually, the order was forwarded to him, and he was on cloud nine.
The second dearest project was with D S Kulkarni in Pune, which was around ten lakh square feet, and he is thankful that his team supported him day and night. These nostalgic moments have surely made some memories that are forever unique.
Hurdle post covid-19
Mr Rakesh Mishra indulges his time in webinars with the leaders of the construction industry. He adds the downfall in the industry is the dependency on labours, unlike other countries which use a lot of machinery. Their migration will definitely be a problem post covid 19.
Financial crunch is the second issue since we all are passing through hardships. Buying a house is a luxury in India. Being on the least priority the kind of money and investments the industry was expecting in the past will not definitely be the same for some years in future.
Infrastructure using ready-made materials without taking manual help on the site will be the new, but also challenging.
Ideal project in Workspace Design
Mr Rakesh explains how his visit to an ICICI building made him believe that the concept of an employee-centric building is the need of an hour rather than just the owner-centric design. He states that it is essential that office premises to be built as a value addition to every employee, and this project did justice to it. He adds space should be scientifically designed as the productivity of an organization also depends on the mental well being of an employee which indirectly depends on the office environment.
Vision for the year.
Rakesh wants to see the organization with a minimum of 1200 to 1500 crores in the coming years. With two years of analyzing, Mr Rakesh explains how marketing is more reliable than sales.
Direction to the Young
With his experience, he says two things that are typical arrogance and acceptance. As every day there are new trends and inventions around the globe, he advises, the generation should be a good listener and open to new ways to live. The world is continuously changing at a fast pace, and every individual should welcome these changes wholeheartedly, which is why accession is essential.
Mr Rakesh ends this interview on a happy note also reminding all of us that mental growth should be a priority above financial growth.
