Archive: December 1, 2021

Homes and Offices In Pandemic Times – How Much Has Changed?

By Anil Pharande, Chairman – Pharande Spaces

To say the least, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought a lot of change into the lives of all Indians. The lockdowns were intimidating and made us take a fresh look at our relationships with our homes – and offices.

Once it took hold, the fear of infection was a serious deterrent to leaving home for any reason. Companies had to offer the work-from-home option, which took Indians quite a bit of time to get used to.

Over the course of 8-10 months, many Indian companies were surprised to find that WFH works better than expected. The acute phase of the pandemic lasted well over 18 months, and this was long enough to bring about profound changes in habits and perceptions. A lot of Indians became used to and quite comfortable with working from home.

When the time has finally come to go back to office work, some resistance is natural. By now, Indians’ relationships with their homes and workplaces have changed a lot. Many employees would prefer to continue to WFH. As a sort of compromise, some companies are offering the ‘hybrid’ model of working – working partly from home and partly from the office.

This is a huge change to take place in less than two years. Until the pandemic, Indians saw their homes and offices as distinctly separate places, each having its own functions and benefits. Nobody could have predicted that Indians could adapt so well to working from home.

Have Homes Displaced Offices?

Apart from consultants and freelancers, most Indians preferred working from offices before the Covid-19 pandemic. There were good reasons for this.

Corporate offices are socially vibrant, clean, organized, and well-equipped with everything we need to work properly. The normal middle-class Indian home did not have the right kind of equipment, and there are usually a lot of household activities going on which make it difficult to concentrate.

Offices have played a major role in maintaining productivity and motivation. But in less than two years, people all over the world re-engineered their homes to double as offices. For those fortunate to have enough space for a home office, all it took was a laptop and Internet connection, and a change in furniture layout and routine.

It is certainly remarkable that Indian companies could become comfortable with employees working from home. But we ourselves changed tremendously in the last 18 months.

From online shopping to e-schooling and video consultations with doctors to work meetings on Zoom and Teams, Indians up-skilled to be able to manage work and personal life without daily commuting to another part of the city and back.

Homes became so important that housing prices did not reduce even during the worst parts of the pandemic. Demand began rising as more and more Indians became aware of the need to own and control their living in spaces. Homebuying sentiment was growing even before the first wave was over and has remained on a high since then.

Rental rates initially dropped when offices closed during the first wave and people left for their hometowns. But today, housing rentals have normalized once more, especially after many large companies announced that they expect their employees to be in the office for at least a part of the week. This once again makes housing an interesting asset class for investors.

Temporary Changes, Or Permanent Ones?

According to a report by Australia-based research agency PaperGiant in November last year, approximately 83% of Indian employees were not comfortable with returning to the office when there were no vaccines available. A recent survey by LinkedIn indicates that 72% of Indians now want to return to the office.

A report in August 2021 by market research and public opinion agency Ipsos and the World Economic Forum found that at this stage, Indians currently expect to work from home for an average of 3.4 days per week.

So much has changed and continues to change. While some changes are temporary, others are most probably permanently.

For example, smaller configuration homes will steadily lose their previous appeal. Indians will look for larger homes that can accommodate home offices and e-schooling. Developers are now offering new size configurations such as 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 BHKs.

From now on, all housing options will need a brand new ‘must-have’ feature – the ability to ‘multitask’ and work as both a residential and office setting.

About the author:

Anil Pharande is CMD of Pharande Spaces, a leading real estate construction and development firm famous for its township properties in West Pune. Pharande Promoters & Builders, the flagship company of Pharande Spaces and an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is a pioneer of townships in West Pune. Anil Pharande is also President – CREDAI (Pune Metro) and a MahaRERA conciliation forum member

Shillong’s breathtaking Cherry Blossom & Literature Festivals leave crowds mesmerized

Chennai, December 1, 2021: Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K Sangma and Ambassador of Japan to India, H. E. Satoshi Suzuki, inaugurated the 5th edition of the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2021 and the 1st edition of the Shillong Literature Festival at Wards Lake & Polo Ground in Meghalaya. The festival coincides with the actual blooming of cherry blossom flowers in the state, featured special performances from acclaimed artists with jam-packed crowds to see blossoms close to hitting peak bloom. The three-day festival, from 25-27 November 2021, witnessed a footfall of 50000 tourists and citizens.

Meghalaya is home not only to unique horticultural crops and fruits but also to plants of medicinal and ornamental value, like the Cherry Blossom. Primarily found across the east and west Khasi hills, cherry blossoms are also called Prunus Cerasoides and are considered a gift from the Himalayas. The buds start to show around late October and the full bloom begins in the early half of November, especially in the North-eastern city.

The cherry blossom trees in Shillong & Sikkim were planted mostly between 1955 to 1975, under the leadership of the state’s first Chief Secretary, Mr. Nari K Rustomji, who brought seeds from Japan and scattered them in the forested area around his residence. He later ordered the then-District Forest Officer, late Mr. Wahlang, to transplant the saplings to the banks of the Umkhrah near Polo Grounds, Ward’s Lake and Lady Hydari Park. Later, the Forest Department propagated it around the city.

In his brief address, the Deputy Chief Minister, Shri P. Tynsong said, “the festival is a run-up to the State 50th Statehood celebration and dedicated to the people of Meghalaya. The state will witness many more events to mark the Statehood celebration.”

The first edition of the Shillong Literature Festival witnessed a massive footfall of 10 thousand in three days at Wards Lake with “The Hills are alive” performance of Aroha Choir at the inaugural ceremony. The reading Hub gave the option of reading, interacting with authors and donating books, while young visitors aged 18-30 participated in Painting, Illustration, Short story, Essay, Poetry & Photography competition. A panel discussion with authors and artists and hip-hop performances by Khasibloodz, the lit fest also saw a quirky fashion show of recycled material by CatxLizz. Also, four books were launched during the festival including “Marriage” by Devdutt Patnaik.

Dr. Vijay Kumar D, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary, Government of Meghalaya said “Shillong Literature Festival has become a popular entity in art & literature eco-system, making it more inclusive and innovative while promoting music, art and culture. It will provide a platform to writers, readers and authors from the state to connect with literati from other parts of the country.”

Shillong has produced literati like U SoSo Tham & inspired Rabindranath Tagore, Varrier Elwin and others. The literature festival provided a platform for sharing of ideas by contemporary artists by forging ahead of the rich oral traditions. The concluding ceremony had veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah unplugged through candid conversation.

North East has immense talent and the literature festival will provide young minds with a platform to create entrepreneurs out of the artists in a sustainable model where the talent and passion of youth can become his livelihood. From fashion shows, band performances, graffiti artwork to games and local food the festival left citizens, travel enthusiasts and nature lovers mesmerized.

About MEGHALAYA

Meghalaya meaning “abode of clouds” is one of the Seven Sister States of northeast India. The state of Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland plateaus, and it is geologically rich. About 70% of the state is forested. The Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity. The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Khasis, the Garos, and the Jaintias. Each tribe has its own culture, traditions, dress, and language. The majority of the population and the major tribal groups in Meghalaya follow a matrilineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through women.

Satiate your taste buds with palatable cuisine this Wintertime with Chickeera!

Chickeera is a fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2020 by Prime Eateries Pvt. Ltd. Present at the vanguard of the Halal-cart revolution in India, the hub was made in the streets of New York over decades. True to its Halal-cart roots, the brand’s cuisine is a healthy fusion of Middle Eastern and American influences.

Happiness is synonymous with a warm flavourful hearty Winter meal- Chickeera offers patrons just that. Delivered fresh and hot to one’s doorstep, the brand’s menu is curated with delicacies befitting to the palate of each family member!

Choose from an unparalleled range of preparations: On offer are succulent chicken dishes drenched in Chickeera’s signature sauces such as Chickeera’s Bbq Chicken Pitawich: The piping hot pita pockets, oozing with juicy chicken pieces married to some smokey Bar-be-que sauce and garnished with crunchy fresh lettuce and tomatoes are sure to leave you with a smile; In case you’re not a meat-lover you can opt for their oh-so-yummy Shroom Og Burrito: a warm and fuzzy Mexican/Tex-Mex tortilla bread that serves as a tasty wrapper to generous portions of lovingly cooked Mushroom Patty will leave both your tongue and tummy feeling happy for the rest of the day. From a flavourful hummus to a New York-style juicy Middle Eastern dish- Lamb Ashet, fresh and crispy Falafels to a fresh out of the oven Honey and cinnamon drenched flaky Baklava and more, Chickeera is the definition of soul food.

Serving mouth-watering treats all day and night long in this cold weather, Chickeera’s 5 am delivery service is your saviour for those late-night hunger pangs. With its multiple delivery outlets all over Delhi, you can via Zomato, Swiggy, the website or the app. The food is so compelling one can have it anytime, any day!

Satiate your taste buds with palatable cuisine this Wintertime!

Chaturvedi bestowed honour, bags Indian Achievers’ award

In what can be viewed as an adorning accomplishment to his bouquet of achievements, Lav Chaturvedi, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Securities, has been selected as the winner for the much-acclaimed ‘Indian Achievers Awards 2021 in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance sector (BFSI).

Lav Chaturvedi has a host of stellar deeds in his distinguished career. Being an integral part of Reliance Securities, he is responsible for leading Broking & Distribution, Advisory Services, Alternate Investments and Corporate lending portfolios for the company. He also overlooks the team managing Proprietary Trading, Structured Products including Research to retail and institutional clients.

An exceptional leader, Lav Chaturvedi is the Chairman of the renowned capital markets committee, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Chaturvedi was the creative force, which laid down the constituents for Asset Management franchisees across India covering Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and Alternate Investment Funds (AIF), a couple of proprietary services, which have done much headway in India.

In his note of thanks to the organisers for this prestigious award, Chaturvedi affirmed “It feels good to be bestowed with this honour. The award reaffirms our commitment to our employees, customers and our stakeholders to strive with might and main.”

Reliance Securities with Chaturvedi at the helm has gone from strength to strength. Presently, Reliance Securities has drawn over a million customers to its fold and has 1,000 plus people working with them. They have a strong affiliate network with more than 1,000 offices across the country. In today’s times, more and more people are steadily becoming aware of the importance of financial planning in their life. In this regard, the firm comes into play, helping the clients make informed investment decisions.

Simplifying the entire experience for the customers, Reliance Securities has forged a massive investment of trust with the clients, which is sustainable and geared towards the future. To achieve this, the company has transformed the whole business model from transaction-based to an engagement-based model.