No short-circuits in an electrifying career!

They say destiny has the final say in people’s lives and careers. But not if you are Shripad Kulkarni of Kalika Electrical Enterprises. In his case, destiny was bolstered by truckloads of hard-work, great people skills, and most of all, a supreme self-confidence.

Although a farmer’s son, his parents encouraged him to take off as a businessman. Father, Mr. Kamalakar Kulkarni and mother Mrs. Kalpna Kulkarni believed immensely in their son’s potential and Mumbai’s ability to give him the right launch-pad.

He was still a fresher B Sc from Kolhapur’s Shivaji University when the urge to do something on his own brought him to Mumbai in the year 1995. With South Mumbai’s Lohar Chawl being his haunt, his first employment saw him frequent markets dealing in electricals. A keen learner, he quickly grasped the finer aspects of making money even where it appeared impossible.

In time he worked with one of Mumbai’s top electrical contractors, the famed Adi B Sagar & Co. whose clientele included among others the Tata Group’s consolidated HO at Fort in Mumbai. Dedication and the ability to work, irrespective of hours and the time of the day saw him become the Go-To man doing everything from procurements to site supervision to deploying manpower to even billing & collections. With the company downing shutters, clients including Tatas preferred to stay with him displaying their confidence in his and his team’s abilities to deliver as promised.

Times change, and with it people’s perceptions, needs and concerns. If something remains, it’s the ability to rise above changes and challenges, and gain from them. This saw him set up his first office, a table space in South Mumbai’s Fort. To remain competitive, he used labour contractors to get him the right manpower, which remains his modus-operandi in contracting irrespective of project size (which started with a simple residence and today includes wiring and electricals of buildings 50 storeys high!). And if he’s to be believed, clients can’t spot the difference between his boys and those of his contractors.

With time, things changed for the better. It started with a life partner in Shreeya, an MBA Finance from Pune’s renowned Symbiosis Institute who assists with finance, accounts and everything monetary. The string of good fortune went on to include their own apartment in Mumbai’s happening suburb of Goregaon which today also hosts his plush and fully equipped office thus helping Shripad stay close to his business at all times.

Change does not deter Shripad beyond a point. And that’s best seen in the way he has added to his business, and to his client list. What was once purely electrical contracting for builders today has two more lucrative and challenging activities. Liaison and AMC. For anyone trying to make sense of Indian building and construction laws, in the context of power supply, he remains the best bet with his immense and in-depth knowledge of the field and his amazing contacts. Speaking of AMCs, every time you go into a high-rise, high-end complex with super-chic elevators, security cameras, and all the bells and whistles, you would appreciate that these functions as desired because someone takes pains to service them. And where it’s pain for gain, and is electrifying, be sure Shripad and his team are there giving their best! Incidentally, in these two services, he uses his own boys.

With his portfolio of services remaining in sync with times, and his team’s ability to deliver, some of Mumbai’s more renowned builders and societies are his clients. In contracting, he has done immense work for nearly all of DB Realty’s projects in Mumbai. In AMCs, Sunteck remains his # 1 client whose Naigaon project of 15 buildings, each of 22 floors sees his boys stationed 24 x 7 for any and every assistance. In liaison, his services are being used by the renowned Anglo-Scottish School for their upcoming school at Fort where Shripad’s team shall provide services right from metering to load calculations to securing all requisite permissions and connections.

Realty being in a tight spot, and competition being the way it is, Shripad envisages more activity in Liaison and AMCs seeing them grow from the present INR 3 to 5 cr to an astounding INR 25 cr by 2025– notwithstanding the Covid-19 battering the economy today. To this end, he remains open to win-win participations from those interested in mutual growth and success.

Working with the biggest and most influential corporate houses, Shripad has learnt the value of a legacy which helps plan for the future, besides providing certainty to one’s vision. Shripad wants his enterprise to go to his children Siddhi and Shubhankar where it continues to grow and expand. To this end, he envisages building a team to assist his children take over.

Having tasted success with its share of failures, he knows what it takes to succeed. He thus helps train and employ those from modest backgrounds who have the right ability but lack the right resources.

A firm believer in personal integrity, respect for customers and safety of his workmen, he goes out of his way to secure these. To him, an organization moves ahead when its people too move at the same pace. His relations with his team, and his clients thus remain open and cordial at all times reducing conflict and mutual suspicion

Hard work & success have brought appreciation from quarters beyond realty! One especially dear to him is of his life story being published in “YASHOGATHA” Zero to Hero – Stories of Electrical Contractors, that was inaugurated by none other than the Hon Industry Minister Mr. Subhash Desai.

His golden mantra for success in business?
“Work hard with your eyes open for newer and better opportunities because they come to those who expect them. And work hard to do a good job”

Email: kalikaee@gmail.com
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