India is the leading real estate investment market in the world. Today, real estate is not just about brick and mortar only. There is a strong demand for luxury homes that provide a good location, safety, and comfort. Superior designs and amenities make the overall living experience more convenient. Samira Group, based out of Chembur, Mumbai is running several such Luxury Real Estate projects in Alibag. Established in 1995, Samira Group has over two thousand satisfied customers who have embraced the Alibag life. Sonali Rajput joined Samira Group as a mere twenty-five-year-old. An ingenious entrepreneur and business leader, Sonali has a Master's in Business Administration from IIMT and later went on to pursue a course in International Strategic Marketing and Sales from Harvard in 2015. As the Director of Samira Group, Sonali believes in implementing unorthodox, out-of-the-box thinking and believes in learning and growing together as a team.

Here is an excerpt from her exclusive interview with the Women Entrepreneur team, where Sonali talks about her passion for Luxury Real Estate and Alibag and her roles and responsibilities as the Director of Samira Group.

Give us a brief overview of your professional journey and also tell us what inspired you to join Samira Group.

After finishing my MBA from IIMT, I joined Samira Group on pure instinct. It was an unexpected opportunity for me, being a twenty-five-year-old, as I had never explored real estate especially luxury real estate. My journey began as a Marketing Executive 17 years back and I am now the Executive Director of Samira Group. It has been a journey of learning for me right from the very beginning. Luxury real estate is a very demanding and challenging industry as it requires the dealers to fashion the requirement of the buyers based on their needs. One needs to have a good understanding of the ongoing trends in the market and the demands of the buyers to be able to supply. I have always believed every sale is unique.

Tell us about the roles and responsibilities that your current role as Director of Samira Group entails.

I am the head of the acquisition team in the Alibag area. Post-pandemic, there is a buoyancy due to increased demand for luxury real estate in Alibag because of its location, perfect weather conditions, picturesque view, and connectivity with Mumbai. At Samira Group, we work together to make sure we can bridge the gap between the buyers (who are largely NRIs) and the local farmers so that the acquisition is beneficial for the buyer, the farmer, and also for Samira Group.

Apart from this, as the COO of the company, day-to-day operations of the company are also a part of my job profile but my major concerns primarily are acquisition and legalities dealing with the acquisition of lands in Alibag.

Why did you focus on bringing luxury real estate to Alibag and How is Samira Group impacting the progress of luxury real estate in Alibag?

Alibag is a coastal town in Maharashtra and is two hour's drive from Mumbai. For some years now, Al-ibag has been considered a leisure destination only because of its verdurous, hilly surroundings and less pollution. With the current infrastructure development and better connectivity with Mumbai owing to the trans harbor link and roll-on roll-off ferry service, Alibag has seen a surge in thriving luxury real estate. Apart from this, Alibag also provides more spacious home set-ups at the same price that Mumbai has to offer.

"We do have our designations but more than that we are open to learning from anyone who can propose an idea that will work for everyone"

Samira Group with its in-depth knowledge of land and development in and around Alibag ensures that the journey from initiation to realization is supported by the experts. Samira group also warrants investment opportunities in the correct zone and region because we have deep-rooted relationships with local farmers and local assistance.

What are some of the major challenges that you have to face as the Director of Samira Group? How do you overcome these challenges and what is the driving force behind your success?

Of course, the acquisition of land from the local farmers in itself is very challenging. Most of the customers are NRIs and the communication between them, and the local farmers who do not understand their language form an area of major concern. Samira Group helps to bridge the gap by making sure the documentation, purchase, and acquisition are hassle-free for the buyers. We have a wonderful team that works on acquisition, legalities, and development on the ground. I am lucky to have good people around me in the form of my team.

I am grateful for our leader and Managing Director, Samir Nerurkar, who always keeps an open mind to new ideas. He has been a driving force, a teacher and somebody I look up to as a business leader. I like to implement the same idea and think out of the box. We do have our designations but more than that we are open to learning even from somebody who can propose an idea that will work for everyone.

What advice would you like to give to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Although, we as women have come a long way and stand shoulder to shoulder with men in every aspect of life, I believe a lot of us still believe that real estate is a men’s industry. I think that’s a wrong idea to live by. As long as you are committed to your work and are hard-working and if you are passionate about your work and chase your dreams, you will be unstoppable.

Sonali Rajput, Director, Samira Group

Sonali Rajput is the Director of Samira Group. Sonali has an MBA from IIMT and pursued International Strategic Marketing and Sales at Harvard in 2015. As a business leader at Samira Group, she heads the acquisition team which acquires lands for Luxury Real Estate in the Alibag area. Samira Group has several NRIs, and celebrities as its clients and has provided its services to over two thousand satisfied customers in the past.