He sports a tattoo, wears a bracelet, has a close shaven look and loves to work out. He can easily pass off for a guitar toting yuppie if he doesn?t hand over his business card to you.
But then image traps he feels, are constricting. At 35, Manish Uppal is leading the Rs 800-crore Uppal Group as its managing director. He works hard and works out harder because life is about survival of the fittest, he says.
When Manish?s father Bhushan Kumar Uppal started his construction business as a builder in 1979, Manish was barely six. His earliest memories are of his father working hard at the business. Yet one thing he remembers is that his father never talked business at home. ?Once he was back home, he?d never talk business. And, I believe, the more you think about something, the more the chances that you will mess it up.? But whether he wanted to have anything to do with the family business was something that he never really thought about seriously. ?When you are growing up, you want to do different things and it was the same with me. From wanting to a be an archeologist to a doctor to an architect, my ambitions went through various phases.?
But it was his fascination for architecture that probably got him interested in the Delhi-based family business. After finishing his schooling from Bal Bharti, he joined Bhagat Singh College to pursue his bachelor?s degree in commerce. In fact, he did go to London to pursue his long cherished dream of doing his MBA but had to come back because of some family problem.
?I was contemplating studying architecture when I happened to visit few sites my father was working at,? explains Manish. That was the beginning of a passion of sorts. Manish took to construction business like he never thought he would. ?I loved everything about it right from the beginning. It?s like conceiving a child. You see it growing in front of you and then delivering it. So, there is a lot of job satisfaction.?
It was in 1993 that Manish, then 20, started working with his father. ?It was an interesting time. And the fact that the company consisted only of 15 people meant I ended up doing a lot of work myself. From being at the site to purchasing to designing, I did it all. Of course, I didn?t know it all, but I learnt. When you are thrown into water, you start to throw your arms here and there and ultimately learn to swim.?
Looking back, Manish feels, it?s these early years that gave him a headstart of sorts. ?Delhi?s summers lasted almost six months. So, being at the site meant I got a lot of sunburns, but all in all I loved construction. I think it gave me a lot of confidence. The fact that I could handle things on my own at 20 felt great. Of course, I was also getting paid which was a great kick at 20.?
Though he admits it took him a few years to really settle down into the business, but by 27 he was completely in the groove. Since he didn?t get time to pursue his MBA, it prompted him to apply his natural instinct to business. Soon he went on to lead a professional team of more than 150 architects, engineers, interior designers, sales and marketing professionals to deliver the best.
If there are two things that Manish swears by, it?s quality and hard work. ?Quality always sells. So, you should never be pennywise and pound foolish. Clients have become very quality and price conscious in the past ten years. They know what they want.? Also, he believes there is no substitute for hard work.
The project that shot the group into limelight is easily an achievement Manish is proud of. The year was 1999 and the word green wasn?t as popular as it is now. But the father-son duo saw the perfect opportunity to show how they were different from other developers. The result was Uppal?s Orchid, a hotel today well known for being environment friendly.
Ask Manish if they were ahead of the times and he admits honestly, ?I think we were. We started water harvesting in private homes long before people understood the concept. We made buildings that had high performance glass that lets in more light, helping to save energy. We still struggle trying to explain the benefits of water harvesting to a lot of people. It?s not easy but it?s something we think is important and we want to continue to do it. At the end of the day, everything shouldn?t be done to be appreciated; some things are done for self-satisfaction.?
It?s probably these efforts that have made the group come up as a major player in the real estate business today. From a small construction company to a big real estate group has been an interesting journey and Manish has enjoyed it to the hilt. They were guided by their vision. ?Between my father and I, the aim was never really to make it to such and such position. We just want to do a good quality job and other things come along. I?m in no hurry to make all the buildings in this country. If my customer is satisfied, I?m satisfied; I can sleep well. My father is 65 and he sleeps well, too.?
The latest goodie in the Uppal bag is their tie up with Marriott International, a worldwide hotel management and franchising company, to manage and operate their forthcoming 5-Star JW Marriott Hotel in Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi. Spread over an area of 12.5 acres, the property envisages an investment of around Rs 325 crore. This is Uppal?s second project with Marriott international. The first one, a 5-Star deluxe property, is coming up in Chandigarh. Of course, these two projects are not all that keep Manish busy. Currently, more than 55 million sq ft of space is under development, which includes high-end, premium residential complexes, commercial plazas, luxurious hotels and state-of-the-art IT and IT-enabled facilities and SEZs. The SEZ projects in Gurgaon and Noida are what excite Manish the most right now. ?It?s a new animal. Nobody knows how it will behave. So, there are quite a few challenges,? he smiles.
Learning is something that Manish is very keen about. ?When I hand over a project I tell the client not to get surprised if a tap leaks. There would be problems, no matter how hard we try. But what I want to ensure is that I learn from my mistakes. Mistakes, I thinks are more important than anything else. I don?t like shying away from my mistakes. I love to understand my mistakes and learn from them.?
Work is what keeps Manish busy most of the time. If there is anything that he enjoys more, it?s working out and his lithe form speaks as much. ?When you are in a good shape, it helps. It clears my head. It keeps me fit. Also, I think it?s important for everyone to do something that is not routine because that one hour gives you a break from your regular work.?
If there is anything else that he is constantly working on, it?s trying to get some time with his family. ?I like being around my daughter Tamanna, twin sons Keshav and Kannan and wife Roopali.? The tattoo on his arm bears testimony to his love. It?s made up of the first letters of the names of his family members in devnagari. ?I got it done in 2000 when my sons were born,? he smiles.
Ask him if he thinks it?s important to look like a formal MD and he couldn?t diagree more. ?You don?t have to follow stereotypes. How do designations matter? Your juniors should understand what you are trying to communicate. You should do what you are supposed to do. It doesn?t matter what you wear to work, or the look you carry as long you do your work well.? He surely lives by whathe says.
Fact File
* Manish Uppal is managing director, Uppal group, a Rs 800-crore real estate group
* He started working at 20
* The group is currently busy with the construction of 55 million sq ft of space, which includes two 5-Star properties with Mariott International and two SEZs
* He is a fitness freak and loves to work out