With a one-stop solution providing for home needs ranging from construction to maintenance, on-time project delivery in all their construction projects, Sanchit Gaurav, CEO and Founder, Housejoy has an interesting chronicle to talk about. Read on to know more about his journey and what future growth plans he has for the company.
When did Housejoy start its operations in India and how has the journey been thus far?
Founded in 2015, Housejoy is a leading technology driven Construction, Renovation, Interiors and Home Maintenance company, taking care of all the home related needs of the Indian customers. We offer end-to-end tech-based solutions starting from construction to maintenance of homes. In the initial days, the company started as a home maintenance and improvement brand offering services such as plumbing, carpentry, electrical services, pest control and beauty services in five major Indian cities. We have been bringing specialized beauty and wellness services to our customers’ doorsteps. The on demand salon and beauty services are delivered by expert professional beauticians using high-quality products. As we had been closely involved with the home related needs of our customers, we developed a great understanding of the challenges faced by them. The Indian home construction sector is dominated by unprofessional and non-tech players that cause a lot of inconvenience and cost escalations for the customers. Delays and budget overruns are commonplace, and often the builders alter the plans without even seeking the customer’s approval. To address all these problems and enhance the customer’s home building experience through technology, we have now entered the $30 billion home construction market in India. We have completed 200+ projects and have secured Rs 100 crore worth of contracts in the IRC (interiors, renovation, and construction) business in the last year. The journey has been fantastic though in the last one and a half year. Although we faced the same pandemic challenge as almost every other company, our services have resumed now. With a surge in demand as well as the future potential, Housejoy’s journey is all set to get better.
Give us an understanding on the technological initiatives of your company.
We are a technology first company and have been focusing on transforming the home construction and maintenance market in India through our digital initiatives. We have ushered in the concept of end-to-end home construction solutions through our digital platform. Everything from initial contracting, designing and approvals to monitoring of the construction process, payments, paperwork, material selections etc., is carried out seamlessly through a smart and robust digital platform. This kind of technology driven approach has been missing from the Indian home construction sector. Further, our wide range of services is driven by technologies which take care of all needs from designing to building and living in the house. In the wake of the pandemic, we have initiated high quality home cleaning, fumigation, and disinfecting services as well.
Your vision for providing affordable housing but with a better lifestyle so define in what context you are different from the other developers?
There are various players in the home maintenance services domain and of late we have seen several start-ups enter the home construction business as well. However, what sets Housejoy apart from others is our in-depth understanding of the market and vast expertise. We have created a holistic range of services with cutting-edge technology at the core of all the solutions. Thus, we have been able to create an end-to-end transparent and automated home construction solution. This unique aspect of digital tech-based services ensures that all the key stakeholders including customers, sales teams, architects, designers, project managers, on-site engineers, and the quality control as well as accounts people all work in a synchronized fashion. There is complete visibility of the entire process to all involved and that helps in better streamlining and efficient delivery of the services.
Tell us about your collaboration with Tata Steel Nest-In.
We recently joined hands with Tata Steel (one of the leading steel manufacturing companies of India) Nest-In as the solutions partner for their Nestudio concept. Through the partnership, we will enable in building modular homes in Bengaluru with Tata Steel’s prefabricated construction solutions. Under the partnership, houses will be constructed under the brand name of Tata Steel, Nest-In. Housejoy will be the point of contact for customers from enquiry to handover of the project. Tata will support with initial design development, manufacturing (steel components and panel), and supply chain management. The company will also join the Housejoy team during project monitoring, and quality assurance and control. As an end-to-end service provider, Housejoy will handle various aspects including customer visit, layout development, estimation and negotiation, marketing, erection of structures, and project monitoring.
With the advent of hi-tech, how different was it from embracing technology into the real estate industry?
Even before Housejoy entered the home construction segment, it was a purely technology driven home maintenance, renovation, and related services provider. Thus, right from the outset, we have leveraged technology to automate, streamline and make more efficient various conventional home maintenance services. There is a great potential for technology driven operations in the Indian home construction, renovation, interior and maintenance industry, and Housejoy is using a cutting-edge platform to meet this need.
What are your thoughts on the current scenario of real estate business?
The home construction market has incredible potential in India, but the sector is currently dominated by inefficient and unorganized sector operators. These conventional, unprofessional players adopt a nontechnical and whimsical approach which causes great problems for the customers. As it is well known, home construction is a labour intensive and cost-conscious sector. Hence, the lack of adherence to project timelines, cost overruns in the absence of accountability and proper monitoring as well as alteration of plans without customer’s approval are major problems faced by consumers. We have entered the sector on the basis of our in-depth understanding and expertise in the area. Technology integration is essential to meet the rapidly growing home construction needs as well as lifestyle aspirations of the consumers. In the wake of the pandemic, there has been a surge in the number of technology-driven home construction companies, and we foresee the creation of an ecosystem in the years to come.
What are your future plans for the company?
We have robust plans to expand our current service portfolio and add new operational areas. Over the years, we have diversified our offerings, and after the pandemic outbreak, we have focused on personal hygiene and sanitation and launched home fumigation services as well. Our aim is to do everything we can as a brand to help our customers. We are also looking at raising funds by the end of the year, and the overall goal for Housejoy is to become the largest tech-driven construction and home maintenance company in India.
How did you cope up with this lockdown phase and what was one thing that you learned through it?
Since we are in the home construction and maintenance sector, our business was strongly impacted by the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. However, we quickly adopted the work from home processes. Being a technology driven platform, we were able to continue various digital operations such as designing and approvals online and that led to a lot of efficiency. On a personal level, the work from home period allowed me to enjoy superior work-life balance. The lesson that the pandemic has taught us is to be adaptive and expect the changes. As a businessperson it taught me to pivot quickly and turn adversity into opportunity.
What message would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
The world of business is changing very rapidly in the digital age. You have to be responsive to the changes and flexible enough to accommodate or redirect yourself when faced with a major transformation or disruption such as the pandemic. The ability to adapt is going to be the biggest strength for the businesses of the future.