Have you ever wondered what makes an entrepreneur’s journey truly remarkable? Is it their unwavering vision, unmatched passion, or perhaps their ability to easily solve industry problems? For Prashant Kajaria – a name synonymous with crafting luxury environments rooted in nature – his unbridled love for the great outdoors paved his path to success.
In this blog post, we explore his journey as the mastermind behind some of Bangalore’s most stunning SPA environments. We will also dive deeply into the philosophy behind these environments and learn what makes them the ideal destination to live a fulfilled life in Bangalore!
The Humble Beginning
Sushil Kajaria, Prashant Kajaria’s father, established the Kolkata-headquartered SPA Group in the 1960s on the foundations of coal trading, oil trading, and mini steel plant. Born in 1972, Prashant, during his studies in completing a Bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier’s Kolkata, joined the family business, which had now spread into liquid warehousing alongside the inclusion of real estate. After working with his father and younger brother, Prashant realised the scope for diversification and soon after, decided to begin the group’s foray into the floriculture industry. Following his passion for nature and landscaping, in 1993, Prashant established SPA Agro in Bangalore.
Transitioning to Bangalore’s Real Estate
At the mere age of 22, Prashant established SPA Agro to be a 100% export-oriented unit to grow and export cut rose flowers worldwide. The agro business started flourishing and even forged world-class partnerships with acclaimed suppliers, including Santamaria, Selecta, and Albani, offering quality planting materials to farmers across India.
Over a 15-year stint in floriculture, Prashant was able to overcome the challenges of inadequate infrastructure, unfavourable policies, high freight costs, marginal landowners, an unorganised marketplace, and poor demand for exotic fresh flowers. Yet, under his guidance, SPA Agro became amongst the top 5 performers across India in the floriculture industry.
However, Prashant wanted his passion for nature to be showcased on a more permanent platform and there was no better combination than a blend of real estate and landscaping. That’s where SPA Group’s bespoke real estate division got its unique identity in the market.
The Birth of Frangipani Estates and Ecocity
With his keen eyes on Bangalore’s real estate market, Prashant put his best foot forward and broke into the real estate industry by building commercial marketing plazas for selling IT hardware products. At the same time, he did not see eye to eye with the traditional brick-and-mortar model. He always had a deep-rooted vision for creating larger than life environments, something he felt was not everyone’s cup of tea. Hence, he decided to begin Frangipani Estates, an ultra-luxury community of super-sized estates in Bangalore spread across 33 acres. With a man-made Lake Serenity, a lush Rejuvenation Park, and a fully equipped Club Plumeria, Frangipani Estates is for those who want to live beyond the ordinary, for those who want to live rather than exist.
Soon after Frangipani’s successful creation, Prashant honed in on what is today the company’s real estate calling – affordable luxury. Taking the best of Frangipani with the goal of catering to a wider audience, the inception of SPA Ecocity began, a 50-acre gated villa community with 400 villa plots in Sarjapur road nestled in the lap of nature. Armed with an abundance of open space and nature, Ecocity is crafted for curated “me-time” for every member of the family, with 9 themed parks and a five-star, 6-acre Vismaya Resort & Spa for all the best conveniences and amenities right at your doorstep.
For both projects, he envisioned a living environment that would be recognized as unique gated communities for people who want to uphold the future value of environments in their personal lives.
The Philosophy Behind the Environments
As Prashant’s entrepreneurial journey was shaping up, he often pondered some obscure questions – “In this intricate race that we call life, have we stopped truly living? Are we simply existing?”
Finding the answers to these questions led Prashant to the discovery of luxury of time, which is seemingly decreasing daily with technology and work engulfing our lives. Instead, this luxury should be spent with our loved ones and the things that matter to us the most.
After much introspection, Prashant came up with the idea of Environments that can ease up on the challenges faced by the modern generation. He envisioned, “A space crafted for you and your family to forget mundane routines and indulge in spending quality time together while making memories that will last a lifetime.”
Unlike any other project he has done, his two projects are categorically defined towards people who value quality lifestyles; those who value the environment in which they live rather than the villa itself; those who appreciate nature; and most importantly, those who prioritize connecting with oneself.
Lessons from the Entrepreneurial Journey
From joining the family business, to creating SPA Agro, to designing gated communities & finding the people who share the sentiment of building such remarkable environments, every aspect proved challenging for Prashant. Despite this, he remained true to his passion and rose to every challenge with the desire to accomplish something extraordinary.
Here are the key takeaways from Prashant Kajaria’s entrepreneurial journey:
“Profit cannot be the sole focus of the business, but passions and dreams should be”
“The most important resource in a company is the team of people hired who must be valued regardless of their position.”
A Remarkable Journey to Remember
Prashant Kajaria is an incredibly successful entrepreneur who has changed the concept of community living with a clear focus on environments with innovative designs and techniques. His dedication to his craft and ambitious spirit have made it possible for millions worldwide to experience a truly blissful experience.
“I would like to leave behind legacies of environments that I have created so that even if I am gone, hopefully, my company and my children are remembered for the kind of environments we have left behind, which would go a long way in affecting the qualitative lives of hundreds of families,” concludes Prashant.
