The ever-prevalent gender-based discrimination rages in our society what with the unrelenting patriarchal order refusing to let go. The prejudiced beliefs engraved into the hearts and minds of our present society never shy away from doubting and judging a woman for the career choices she makes. Labeled forever as the lesser half of society, it’s time women should let their success do the talking. Taking all of this and more head on since the last 23 years, Geetika Malik has emerged as a prominent leader of the construction industry that has always been a male-dominated territory. From an early age, Geetika loved to visit her father’s construction sites. Her interest and passion towards building materials and construction only got reinforced and significantly strengthened while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. As destiny would have it, post her graduation, Geetika, a third-generation entrepreneur, joined her father’s company Landmark Buildwell Pvt Ltd and gradually ascended to the Director’s position. Ever since, she has been playing a pragmatic role in navigating the company to greater summits.

Equipped with a vibrant personality, Geetika arrests the attention of the audience the minute she walks into a room and never hesitates to express her mind. Shattering the longstanding belief of society that a woman cannot survive in the construction segment; she has proven that our gender doesn’t define the courage we carry and the path we choose.

Geetika engages in an exclusive interaction with the Women Entrepreneur magazine.

A Successful Family Business, Define The Journey Of Landmark Buildwell So Far.

My grandfather was based out of Punjab, in erstwhile Pakistan and after partition, he settled in Delhi. He gradually made his name as a leader in the construction industry. He undertook some prestigious contracts in Delhi like Shankar Market in Connaught place, Dairy Milk Scheme in Patel Nagar, and the first four sectors to come up in Chandigarh. However, he passed away while my father was still in his second year of graduation from BITS Pilani and soon the company also collapsed. My father had to start everything from scratch and the foundation of landmark Buildwell was laid in 1993. In the last three decades, our company has been credited with some of the major projects in the construction industry. Landmark Buildwell boasts of a loyal and repetitive customer base, which is a rarity in this industry.

Throw Some Lights On Your Association With The Firm And The Roles Undertaken By You.

I decided to join the company after my marriage in 1998. My expertise lies in building materials and structure mechanics. Business development is my forte and I have managed to extend our client base all over the globe. We have worked for some prestigious multinational companies headquartered out of Japan, Europe, and the US.

Bidding through tenders is integral to our enterprise and I have a passion for quoting tenders, all of which has resulted in me developing an indigenous tendering software. I can guarantee my clients that I can get the things at a better price than anybody else in the market.

Highlight The Distinctiveness Of Your Firm That Makes It Stand Apart From Other Co-Players Within The Industry.

Being a family-run business, Landmark Buildwell is the blood and sweat of three generations. All the directors of the company are qualified engineers & architects. We are a zero-debt company and considering the current market conditions, I can safely say that we belong to an exclusive club. We have in our repertoire all the necessary equipment and machinery and more. We are also accredited with ISO certifications like ISO 9001 2015 and ISO 14,001 2015, Landmark Buidwell has emerged as a trailblazer in this industry with timely completion of projects and zero casualties till date. Our biggest and most unique USP lies in our involvement with the project from the ground level and we believe in visiting the sites ourselves. This trait is seldom demonstrated by any other leading firm within the industry and has helped us to gain the trust of our clients leading to repetitive orders in the long run.

We undertake construction of industrial sheds, factories, warehouses, corporate offices, hospitals, malls, hotels, education institutes, hostels, car showrooms, and service centers. We have constructed the largest brewery in India and that too in a record time of ten months. At the time of its construction, it was the largest brewery in Asia. We have built the structure of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Delhi, the Manipal hospital in Dwarka and a huge warehouse for Havells as well.

Share Some Of Those Facets Of Your Personality And Your Leadership Style That Have Helped You Throughout This Journey?

I've always been very outgoing and this personality trait of mine has shone through my work as well. Studying from the iconic Modern School, I was always encouraged to participate in various activities, something which I continued doing while pursuing my professional studies as well. Even today I don’t feel shy or intimidated to take up any kind of work as I believe no work is small or big. I have a measure of every pulse of my company and if required can substitute for anyone’s role.

I have always emphasized continuous learning and honing my skillset because I firmly believe if you don’t know your trade well, how are you going to guide your staff? How are you going to answer your clients eventually? I believe in, in-depth study and knowledge of the work I do. In the construction industry, we have to keep abreast with the latest in material innovation, something which I love keeping pace with, so that, I can implement the same in my future projects.

“We have emerged as a trailblazer in this segment with the intent to keep raising the bar in our journey of creating significant Landmarks”

What Has Been The Driving Force Behind Your Success As A Professional In The Construction Industry?

My mother, Neelam Sethi has been a driving force and my guiding light throughout my life. Even though she didn’t pursue a career of her own, she is immensely talented and has inspired me in so many ways. My father, Harish Sethi is a perfectionist and is my true critic as well. He taught me how to stay one step ahead and lead by example. He has been relentless in his work ethics, something which has now become synonymous with Landmark Buildwell Pvt Ltd. My brother, Chirag Sethi, a Director in the company as well is a civil engineer. He also holds a Master’s degree in Construction Management from Stanford University. I am also blessed to have the complete support of my husband, Abhinav Malik who is a successful exporter and who has always been a pillar of strength. My husband never questioned my working hours or my absence from home because he understands the demands of my professional career. The apple of my eye, my daughter Khushi Malik is pursuing her dreams from University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada. She looks up to me as her role model, something which always pushes me to strive harder, challenge boundaries and achieve more.

What Advice Would You Like To Give To Other Young Women Who Might Also Aspire To Follow In Your Footsteps?

My advice for them would be that there is no taboo in pursuing your dreams, and sky's the limit for everybody, especially the women. Don't think yourself to be less than any man. You have to do so many other things in your life as well and being a multitasker makes you far more superior than anyone who thinks less of you.

Geetika Malik, Director, Landmark Buildwell Pvt Ltd

A veteran director with an illustrative history of working in the civil engineering industry, Geetika is skilled in Construction Management, Feasibility Studies, Tendering and Construction. An alumnus of Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi, Geetika completed her B. Arch. From Sushant School of Art and Architecture.