Panaji (Goa)
When the interview of Prathamesh Naik was planned, the impression about this businessman, who has made a career for himself scaling through the heights, was that of an old guy with the matured face eager to speak for hours unstopped.
But when I met Prathamesh, my preconceived notion was absolutely wrong. What I saw was completely different. He was a young guy in his 30s, a fitness freak and despite all this, a shy by nature.
Introducing Prathamesh is a difficult task considering the fluidity in his career graph. One gets confused to decide whether his achievement as a real estate business is bigger or that of a person in the garment industry.
He has no business background running in his blood. His success can be attributed for his hard work.
“I don’t believe in taking a lift to zoom up, I would rather climb by a staircase, so that it is slow but steady. Those who rise high with shortcuts, come down with equal speed,” explained Prathamesh in his the style apt for his background as a real estate guy as he spoke about ‘lift’ and ‘staircase.’
Prathamesh’s parents were government servants, and his entire family is into service. It is ironical that the background of being from the family of servicemen is what prompted him to be a businessman.
“I used to see my parents and people in my family working for others. I didn’t want to work for anyone. I wanted to be my own boss, that is why I chose to start a business,” he said.
By education, Prathamesh was a computer engineer but his first brush with the business was through Real Estate industry. It was 12 years back that he invested in real estate industry in and around Panaji.
He encountered challenge in his first step as when he ventured into the business, there came a demonic economical phenomenon called ‘recession.’ The recession that time hit badly the Real Estate industry but Prathamesh decided to hold on. While people were giving up one after another, Prathamesh didn’t.
“That was a tough time. I didn’t even thought once to give up. I felt that I should hold on. It clicked. The markets started improving gradually and my business picked up,” he said.
The business started under the name of ‘Goan Priority Constructions’ and ‘Goan Paradise Properties.’ “The name Goa is in the title of the firm as I am proud to belong to this State. The entire idea is to showcase my love towards Goa,” he explains without being questioned on it.
After getting a hold over the Real Estate business, he then started investing in properties. “When you invest in any property you have to be extra-smart and cautious. A right step at right time has to be taken,” he said.
Prathamesh agrees that properties is a high risk business. “But I believe that you cannot achieve success without taking risks. The risks should be calculative one, and I took them,” he said.
Expanding his footprints in the Real Estate business, Prathamesh is now into everything related to it. “I am into A to Z of the Real Estate business. The real estate market has stabilized over the time and it is the right option for anyone to invest his money in. In no time, your wealth doubles,” he said.
In the year 2014, Prathamesh ventured into a business which is different from what he was doing. He began doing events and also launched clothing brand in the name of ‘Prathamesh’ with his partner in UAE.
The brand is being sold in different outlets in Dubai, while he is soon planning India launch of it. “In India, it would be Goa that I would be launching the product. From Goa it would be making its pan-India presence,” he said.
Prathamesh has a different side to his life, he believes in fitness and he wants to make it as his next business venture. “The gyms are mushrooming in the city everywhere. But I want to launch a fitness line which would be a revolution. The aim is to launch it within a year’s time,” he said.
