In conversation with Ashok Kularia, MD, ANJ Turnkey Projects

ANJ Turnkey Projects is one of the very few firms in India executing large scale ‘Design & Build’ Projects under one roof. Offering world-class services to some of the most reputed clients around the globe under  Architectural Design,  Corporate Interiors, Hospitality, Industrial and Institutional, Business2Business got into an exclusive conversation with Ashok Kularia, MD, ANJ Turnkey Projects to know more about the brand, trends in office spaces, future plans, clientele and a lot more:

About the group and their philosophy- ANJ Group is an Architectural Design & Turnkey Contracts firm specializing in Design & Build solutions across the Architectural, Corporate Interiors, Hospitality, Industrial & Institutional verticals. They’ve been in the industry for over 35 years, having executed over 50 million sft. through 1500+ projects across 60 cities in India. The ANJ Group provides end-to-end solutions with all functions right from Architects & Interior Designers, Project Managers & MEP Engineers to a 2500 strong build team coupled with a 50,000 sft. advanced manufacturing facility in Mumbai. Their brand philosophy has been  ‘giving life to ideas’ and bringing innovative ground breaking concepts and design intents into tangible existence. They are a process driven and service oriented firm and have worked with the best of clients across sectors in our vast experience spanning over three decades.

Technology as a core ingredient- On discussions on how close is technology to ANJ Group, Mr. Kularia shares, “Technology is an ever changing phenomena and its imperative to adapt and evolve with the environment. Smart and Future Ready offices are technologically driven spaces that enable employees to undertake routine tasks more efficiently and conserve energy at the same time.” He adds, “Some fundamentals of a smart office would include intelligent space planning with ample break-out and collaborative areas, more of ‘we’ spaces rather than enclosed areas to optimize space usage, usage of eco-friendly and sustainable materials in addition to technological aspects such as motion sensors, climate control, easy integration of all functions for seamless operations and connectivity to internal and external stakeholders by means of plug-n-play kiosks, audio-visual conferencing systems, security and safety features, etc.”

Evolution of modern work-spaces - While we see a change from traditional office spaces to more innovative/conceptualized spaces, the clients demand have also changed. On this Mr. Kularia shares, “The entire concept of modern work-spaces has evolved over the last decade. It’s now more about smart and sustainable (future ready) workplaces. The design concept has had to evolve accordingly.” He adds, “ ANJ Group has evolved with experience from starting out executing certain specialized packages in a project, to delivering turnkey build solutions, to now for almost the past 8 years doing our own Design & Build projects. The move also has been in sync with the way clients requirements and processes have evolved over these years. Today, clients seek a single trusted partner to deliver fit-out solutions for their workplace as opposed to multiple vendors which was the prevailing custom so as to ensure assured quality, timely delivery and within prescribed budgets. The Design & Build model delivers on that requirement and our presence in that space is re-assuring.

Most important elements of office space- When asked on what factors does his team keep in mind while designing a space, Mr. Kularia shares, “Design is routed in the culture and values of the clients for whom we are planning the project. It all stems from who they are, what they stand for, their value proposition and objectives. Design trends are applied basis wherever around the world they are located. He adds, “Having an in house Design and Build team has helped us ease the whole planning process. Having established processes for each stage of the project and then following it up with Video calls involving all concerned team members across all offices makes it a seamless process. Important elements typically in office décor would be the light fixtures, carpets and actual design facets that bring out the identity of the company in its work-space (such as branding walls, graphics, etc.”

Keeping up with the latest trends- Mr. Kularia shares, “We have a dedicated R&D & Innovation team that keeps abreast with all the latest trends in the market, international standards being followed world wide, introduction of new products and materials, etc.”

Future plans & global market- When asked about how important is the global market for you, Mr. Kularia shared, “There is huge opportunity in the years to come in the D&B space and we wish to position ourself on the top-of- clients mind in that space by continuing to giving life to ideas. We look at not only growing in India but also go global and expand our footprint. Our Hong Kong team has grown and doing quality work there, whilst adding a lot of value to our India clientele and we wish to further establish and consolidate our presence in India with offices in Hyderabad & NCR in the coming times.”

Clientele:  Accenture, TATA Motors, Aditya Birla Group, JB Chemicals, Travelex, FIS Global, ZS Associates, Autodesk, Oracle, etc

Future Plans- When asked about how how do you expect the market to shape up in the coming years and company’s plan of action to expand its business Mr. Kularia shared, “We’ve done well in the past couple of years and have grown steadily. Our company specializes in Design & Build solutions and the corporates' of today demand a one-point contact model for Interior Fit-out requirements given the stringent timelines, quality standards expected and the cap-ex involved. And this market is only slated to grow. He adds, “Given that we have in-house architects, project managers, MEP engineers and a strong build team, we’re able to provide end-to-end solutions in its true sense. Add to that our 50k sft manufacturing facility. And that’s where we’ve been adding value to our clients projects. We’ve been fortunate to have worked with the best of hospitality & corporate clients across sectors and the future promises ample opportunity across verticals for our services.”

Impact of demonetisation: Talking about the impact of demonetisation on the industry,Mr. Kularia shared, “Certain regulations and frameworks are always good for any industry and we see these as no different. Further, more than real estate developers, our key clientele are the corporate occupying these spaces and the spends are often budgeted for by these clients. The demand of commercial real estate remains high across India and so does the absorption. Hence, we don’t expect a direct impact on the Interior Fit-out industry with changes in government policies.”

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