Ajay Thanekar, Director, Thanekar Group: 'Our vision is to change the face of Badlapur'

Which are the current project offerings by Thanekar Group for home seekers?

We have two ongoing projects at Badlapur. Thanekar Civic is divided in two phases totalling 575 units. We have sold 235 flats out of the 300 flats in Phase 1 whereas Phase 2 with 275 flats was launched in January 2023 and we sold nearly 40-50 units. Thanekar Palacio, Phase 1 is an 18-storey building, which has commercial units on the ground floor, while the first and second floor are dedicated to podium car parking. Residences starts from the third to 15th floor.

What are the aspects that set projects by Thanekar Group apart?

According to me, in real estate it is important to keep giving the customer something better than before. For instance, at Thanekar Civic, we are going beyond the show flat/ sample flat. We have organised an in-house experience centre for the customers walking in. After showing them the sample flat, our staff guides them to the experience centre where we are showcasing building models and the way they are constructed step by step. We have made provisions to help them understand the importance of construction quality in today’s date and how Thanekar Group is making a difference.

How would you describe your approach towards developing real estate?

We believe in doing a long-term business through generations and hence maintaining a good track record is our utmost priority. For us an ideal situation would be that a customer need not think twice about the quality aspect once he decides to book a flat with Thanekar Group. To maintain the construction quality, we purchase our raw materials from specific brands be it cement or tiles. We also give proper attention to the labourers hired who will ultimately use these materials to build the structure.

No compromise on the construction of building is what we believe in and adhere to. We have a dedicated customer service department that takes care of any queries from the buyers and we ensure that possession is given once all doubts and concerns are resolved. The customer care department has an engineer and sales person who take care of technical and communication part. Once the customer lodges a complaint, we make sure to sort it out within 2 days.

What is your future vision for Thanekar Group and Badlapur?

We believe in having a future perspective as the buyer’s standard of living will keep upgrading. For example, we are setting up an EV vehicle charging station and considered it as part of the project from the planning stage itself. The same is the case with additional space for two wheelers.

Our vision is to change the face of Badlapur. We want to reach a situation where a person from Mumbai/ Thane should get a different perspective when they visit Badlapur and share it with people when they return to those areas. Starting from the entrance of the building to reaching the flat, residents should be surrounded by technology that will enhance their security and of their visitors, right from boom barriers to intercom facility at the security gate and face recognition at the lobby.

Since water is scarce during summer seasons and development in Badlapur is increasing day by day with more societies coming in, we are focused on recycling the used water to avoid water problems during these days. We give a 360-degree approach to our projects, so that the family staying here should not miss staying in Thane or Mumbai. Good standard of education through schools, supermarkets for shopping, medical stores, etc., are the requirements of buyers seeking a flat in the peripheral cities of Mumbai.

Hence, we are focused on building a good school equipped with advanced technology, CBSE curriculum, smart board, labs, robotics, sports academy including swimming, etc. After schools we will think about universities and good colleges in Badlapur, so that parents aren’t worried about children moving out of the city to pursue higher education.

Why is structural stability so important in the construction process?

Among the various factors of the construction process, we explain the importance of an earthquake-resistant structure to prospective customers visiting the site. In light of the incidents taking place worldwide it’s important to have buildings constructed with quality materials and advanced technology. Thanekar group is focussed on the construction quality and we believe that our structures should have long-term durability. To ensure this, we have used pile foundation method, though the cost increases by Rs 300 per sq. ft. because then the durability of the structure increases up to 50-60 years. We recommend prospective buyers to consider this aspect as a topmost priority in their checklist to buy a flat. Apart from other aspects like room size and interiors, construction quality is one of the prime factors to take into consideration.

What are the transformative trends that you have witnessed in real estate?

The transformation of real estate is immense since 1992. Earlier, standalone buildings were constructed with no architects, no infrastructure and no amenities. As we moved forward, technology and infrastructure development supported the growth of real estate.

According to me every developer should focus on giving quality homes. Today’s buyer will not compromise on quality. The 2BHK configuration is in more demand and the market is of upgrading where buyers are moving from smaller to spacious homes with amenities and open spaces as each individual needs his or her own space in the house. This is the right time to invest in real estate for investors and fence sitters as the steel and cement prices will keep increasing impacting construction and the final rates of the flat.

(Ajay Thanekar is also Director, Thanekar Foundation CBSE School; President NAREDCO Badlapur-Ambernath unit and Conciliator-MAHA RERA Thane region)