franchise : I come from a lower-middle-class family, and I believe I’ve experienced most of life’s hardships. I was a smart kid, but I had no interest in studying. During my younger years, my parents were always worried about my future, and they prayed that I would pass my exams.
They never could have imagined, not even in their wildest dreams, that I would pass my 10th-grade exams with first-class marks and do well in the 11th grade. I began to develop an interest in studying. However, just as luck would have it, when I was in the middle of the 12th grade, preparing for my higher secondary exams, my father tragically passed away in a road accident. We had spent our last penny on his treatment, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t save him.
At the tender age of 17, I found myself as the only male in the family, and I had to take on the responsibility of being the head of the family and shoulder the burden of ensuring the well-being of my family.”
“I became the new breadwinner of the family and the torchbearer of my household. Gradually, it became challenging to make ends meet, so I started searching for any available job in the market. Due to this, I had to leave my studies and began working as a caretaker in a cafe. My shifts were from 7 AM in the morning to 9 PM at night, with a monthly salary of 1400 rupees. During this time, my sole focus was to earn enough money to support my family.
At one point, some well-wishers advised me to take a 10-day leave from my job and attempt to clear the Higher Secondary board exam. This was a formidable task as I hadn’t touched my books for the past nine months. The higher secondary exam syllabus encompassed both class 11 and 12 curriculum. Fortunately, the knowledge I had gained in class 11 helped me pass the exam on my first attempt, though with minimal marks.
I still consider passing that examination one of my greatest achievements in life. However, success in the examination did not lead to a brilliant career trajectory. I had to drop out of college because I couldn’t afford the annual college fees of 3000 rupees. Consequently, I began selling insurance policies. Selling insurance is considered one of the most challenging products in the market, which prompted me to develop my marketing skills. With time, I excelled in this field, and that experience would prove invaluable in the future.
I gradually learned to become financially independent. At one point, a relative encouraged me to complete my graduation, as it is considered the basic minimum educational qualification in our society. While working in the cafe, I developed a strong interest in computers and acquired various computer hardware-related skills. This passion led me to choose BCA (Bachelor in Computer Application) as my major for my undergraduate program.”
“At the same time, I changed my profession from an insurance agent to a marketing executive in a real estate company. The real estate industry, known for its profitability, started bringing in handsome pay-checks that helped me manage my family’s expenses, cover my education costs, and even pay for my overseas tuition fees. In real estate, success is closely tied to meeting sales targets. In my industry, the company places significant emphasis on meeting these targets. If you consistently achieve them, you become the ‘Golden Boy’ of the company, and they grant you various privileges as long as you continue to perform well. In my case, I was given flexibility in terms of office hours because I needed to be out of the office most of the time, meeting clients. This flexibility allowed me to balance full-time studies with a full-time job, a challenging task that forced me to make every second count.
During my college days, I needed to maintain a 60% attendance, which meant going to college three days a week while also working five days a week. This meant living ‘eight days in a week,’ and once a week, I had to manage both studies and my job simultaneously. It was undeniably the most challenging period of my life, but I successfully managed it.
Fortunately, my job profile in real estate allowed for more fieldwork, and I didn’t need to be in the office physically all the time. Moreover, weekends were the busiest days in our industry, so we often had weekdays off. This schedule allowed me to juggle my full-time studies with my full-time job. I managed to score 70% or more in my undergraduate program and was recognised as the Top Performer of the Year for three consecutive years in the company. I also received three promotions within two years. While working, I realised that to progress further in my career and ensure sustainability, I needed a management degree.
I pursued an MBA in International Business from one of the leading B-Schools in Kolkata. However, later, I discovered that obtaining an MBA from a prestigious B-School like IIM or its equivalent was a different ball game altogether. During my MBA studies, I also started preparing for the GMAT entrance exam. I continued my full-time job concurrently and, thanks to my track record as the top performer for three consecutive years, I could manage my time more efficiently. I no longer had to adhere to strict office hours, as the company owner was extremely satisfied with my performance and allowed me to come to the office at my convenience as long as I met the quarterly sales targets, which I typically achieved within two weeks.
With a stroke of luck, I received an opportunity to enroll at one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Cambridge. While gaining admission was not easy, I secured a seat with my GMAT score of 690+ and by clearing two additional exams required by the university. I vividly remember the evening when I received the acceptance email; I couldn’t sleep the entire night due to excitement. I could sense that my dream was becoming a reality. The person I am today is a product of the experiences I gained while studying at Cambridge and undergoing an internship with BMW’s motorcycle company in Berlin, Germany.
Studying at Cambridge was unique because there were no exams, which allowed me to develop critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, creativity, agility, adaptability, and, most importantly, leadership by influence. Instead of memorizing theories, I learned to implement management concepts through real-life case studies. This experience equipped me to set up the entire South India operations of the company single-handedly, despite having no prior experience.
Today, I manage the entire South India operations of the company, with ten franchises operating under me. My association with Regrob is another interesting chapter of my life. After completing my post-graduation at Cambridge, I secured a job in London with a generous package of £50,000, equivalent to INR 50 lakhs. I was eager to join the company and settle in the UK permanently. However, UK visa rules required me to return to my home country and reapply for visa conversion. At this juncture, my life took an unexpected turn.
During a visit to India, my mother suffered a stroke on a moving train. Thankfully, a group of medical students on the same train assisted her, saving her life. This incident served as a wake-up call. I had planned to settle in the UK, but my mother’s inability to communicate in any language except Bengali would have made it challenging for her to adapt. Even in the case of a medical emergency, she wouldn’t have been able to call for help. My sister convinced me to stay in India and try to find a job, knowing that with a Cambridge degree, finding a decent job in India wouldn’t be difficult.
My sister played a pivotal role by distributing my CV among her network. My CV eventually landed in the hands of a close friend of our company’s director, who was working for HP at the time. As HP’s internal processes took time for interview calls, he urged me to meet his IIM batchmate who had recently left a high-paying job at Bajaj Capital to start his own company. The year was 2014-2015, known as the ‘startup bubble’ period, and working with a startup was a dream for me.
I scheduled a meeting with the founder and was thrilled with the idea. However, when I reached the office, my initial perception of a startup was shattered. The office was located in a residential building in a residential area in Noida, consisting of a small 2BHK flat converted into an office. Despite my disappointment, I decided to spend some time there. The three hours I spent with them transformed my perspective on life. It was not a typical job interview; instead, we interacted as friends and shared our experiences.
Those three hours were a turning point in my life, and I decided to join the company as a vice president, overseeing South India operations. I was inspired by the founder’s courage to leave a comfortable, high-paying job and start a small company. I was not as brave as the founders, but I gave it a try as I had seven months before my UK job was set to begin. The revenue I generated in the first month exceeded my annual salary in the UK.
Our Team
Initially, when I accompanied my area franchise for meetings with builders, they often assumed that the area franchisee was the head of the company because he arrived in an Audi while I came in a Renault Kwid. I soon realized that it was foolish to remain on the payroll when there was an ocean of opportunities ahead of me. I decided to become a state franchisee and shape my own future.
From that point on, there was no looking back for me. I am happy in India, enjoying life with friends and family. I have complete freedom and only work for one month a year, as I have no obligations that employees typically face daily. I cherish two international trips and numerous domestic trips each year.
I can take holiday whenever I wish & I don’t need to be under mercy of anyone for leave application. In another post I will share few of my travelling adventures. Good Bye,
Company Top Management
Vivek Raman Co-founder & Managing Director I IIM Alumni
Ashish Kaushik Co-founder & CEO I IIM Alumni
My Office
The World Trade Center Bangalore
Regrob is an IIT and IIM alumni venture, and it is India’s leading tech-enabled brokerage firm. Regrob follows an online-to-offline (O2O) model in the real estate industry. We offer various franchise options, such as state franchise, city franchise, and area franchise. We have created a ready-made business model for individuals looking to embark on their entrepreneurial journey.
Proven business Model
Multiple Revenue Model
Plug and Play model
Comprehensive Training
High Margin business
High Demand Business
One can join hands with us. We have multiple franchisee options like state franchisee, city franchisee, and area franchisee to choose from. Entire India we are available.
