Delivering on a promise – time and again

‘Inspired by professionalism’ best describes the driven entrepreneur, T S Sateesh, the Chairman & Managing Director, Hoysala Projects. “When we promise the customers something, we deliver just that and this forms the bedrock of our business principles. I believe in putting myself in the shoes of the buyer and trying to understand their needs. It is because of our customer’s unwavering faith in our work ethics that today, almost 50% of our clients continue to be repeat buyers or strong references.”

T S Sateesh’s career graph began when he was just 16 years old. Blessed with an open mind, he was always up to a challenge and managed to juggle his studies and a part-time work position quite dexterously. No job was too small for this young man who wanted to learn it all.

Sateesh began his career with Titan watches. A quick learner and hard worker, he then moved to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in the logistics division. Sateesh credits Hewlett-Packard for his exposure to understanding the rigors of project planning and implementation, working within rigid timelines and quality frameworks and for understanding the many intricacies related to running a business, successfully.

Sateesh handled a multitude of roles across his decade-long stint at HP and believes the experience to be a wonderful learning ground. While Sateesh worked hard to contribute to the growth of Hewlett-Packard, he was simultaneously preparing to take the plunge into the enticing field of realty.

Sateesh took his first step into realty in 1998 with a meagre capital of Rs 50, 000 and a plot of 5, 000 sq ft. His entry coincidentally, was also when realty markets across India had flat-lined significantly. Undeterred, it was Sateesh’s acumen and perseverance which helped him complete and successfully deliver on time. Most of his initial customers were colleagues from Hewlett-Packard who laid complete faith in his project skills. A lot of lessons were learnt with this first project, but the prospects improved. In the year 2000, Sateesh ventured out on his own.

Sateesh says, “We believe that all our dealings have to be ethical and long term. Shortcuts never pay. Our vision is to excel in quality and that is something I believe will always find us buyers.”

Between 2000 and 2006, Hoysala worked on one project at a time, reinvesting profits and infusing additional capital into successive projects. During these years Hoysala’s growth was organic. “Being able to complete a project on our own steam is what has helped us remain unaffected by the fluctuations of the market,” says Sateesh. Hoysala has also explored leasing and renting properties as part of their portfolio.

Currently, Hoysala has 12 projects across Bangalore and Kochi with more in the pipeline in cities like Trivandrum. Sateesh believes in Hoysala sticking to its core expertise and staying true to its vision. This translates to planning ahead up to 3 years with yearly forecasts aligned to Hoysala’s carefully charted out model.

As of date, Hoysala has constructed and delivered 1.85 million sq ft and another 2.63 million sq ft is under construction.

Nothing is a better teacher than experience and T S Sateesh’s work ethics and principles have evolved from his personal ones. Every single project of Hoysala reflects this exemplary outlook. Sateesh’s thought processes though simple, have always been inspirational to all those who work with him.