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John Kuruvilla the CEO of Propmart Technologies
 John
Kuruvilla graduated in Statistics from Madras
Christian College and is an Excecutive Alumni
of The National University of Singapore where
he was adjudged the 'Most Resourceful Participant'
by the University.
Having started his career selling electronic typewriters
in 1985, John decided that Advertising was his
first love - having been strongly influenced by
his Uncle - who co-owns and runs Anthem TBWA
in India. Having being exposed to creativity in
school and college, he believed that every problem
had a solution which if handled creatively could
produce cost effective results. Beginning with
the Maruti Omni campaign where he was part of
the team responsible for the repositioning and
the subsequent success of the Maruti Van in 1988
to the 80:20 Sunrise Coffee campaign for Nestle
to saving lives in the Gastro Enteritis tragedy
that hit Delhi around the same time where he was
part of the team from Hindustan Thomson
working with UNICEF to save lives.
Being restless by nature, his longing to work
in Mumbai, the Advertising Mecca of India saw
him join Lintas and be part of the team
that was responsible for Hamara Bajaj and the
Revolutionary Kawasaki Cheetah (animation) campaigns
in 1989-90, under watchful eyes of the legendary
Alyque Padamsee.
Thereafter he decided to grow up and do something
more exciting - turning around loss making Advertising
Agencies He started with Clarion Advertising
(Now Bates in India) and joined an elite force
hand picked by Ashish Mitra to turn around
this ailing Ad agency. He joined Clarion in Bangalore
and worked as an Account Director and took the
agency from Rs 2 crore turnover to Rs 6 crores
in one year and left when Ashsish threw in the
towel and left to join ITC.
Thereafter he turned around Contract Advertising
(of Shoppers' Stop, NIIT, Philips, BPL, Ayurvedic
Concept fame) where he spent the greater part
of 5 years in Bangalore. At Contract, Bangalore
he set up the Direct Marketing and Consulting
businesses - working on brands like Hutchison
MAX, BPL, Reva -The electric car, BPL US West
and The Oberoi Group who he subsequently joined
as Corporate Director Marketing - looking after
their Time Share venture. Which eventually was
put on the back burner due to the political change
in India in 1997. Thereafter he took over another
loss making Advertising Agency -Chaitra Leo
Burnett in Bangalore - loss making for 5 years
and turned it around in 16 months.
At Chaitra Leo Burnett he was instrumental in
bringing together Dentsu - Japan's largest Ad
agency and Chaitra Leo Burnett in a venture named
Orchard Advertising. At Orchard he was
responsible for the successful launch of the Toyota
Qualis and Hitachi Air-conditioners in India,
Bharati Mobile - Magic Pre Paid Mobile Cards and
also helped small entrepreneurs like Deccan Aviation
(Helicopter Charters) and US Pizza gain recognition
and succeed. John also went on to win for Leo
Burnett in India their first medal for films at
the Famous Cannes Advertising festival held in
France every year.
In his 10 years in Bangalore he worked closely
with some of the biggest Real Estate developer
companies and realized the lacunae that existed
in this industry. He was also excited with the
prospects of the opening up of this sector coupled
with the enormous opportunities that technology
and the Internet threw up. At the height of a
successful career at Leo Burnett, John decided
to throw up a cushy job and take the plunge to
become an ITpreneur in partnership with one of
Bangalore's leading Developers.
Using his experience in turning around loss making
companies, his middle class value systems and
his ability to lead a team from the front in a
hands-on managerial style, John decided to apply
creativity to the Business of Real Estate to ensure
enhanced efficiencies to not just the community
but also the end customer. Focus (A Single Vision
and a focus on the task at hand as also the needs
of the customer) Fun (enjoy and be passionate
about what you do and about the organisation)
and Fear (of Failure resulting out of a superficial
attempt at doing a job based on a half baked attempt)
These are the three guiding principles that have
driven his teams and him to succeed in earlier
assignments and are today the driving forces at
Propmart Technologies - A Real Estate Company
that leverages the technology play in an industry
driven by relationships and on the ground services
to create an organisation that draws on the best
of both worlds.
Propmart for John is a dream that will see fruition
based on Real World solutions in an irrational
technology hyped marketplace. At present John's
main areas of responsibilities at Propmart Technologies
are Marketing, Sales and Customer service with
an eye to break-even by December - 2001 and plan
for expansion thereafter. He is very confident
that this mammoth task will be accomplished with
backing of a group of like-minded partners, a
handful of investors who see value and are willing
to contribute not only with their money but their
time - all from the Real Estate world across India.
With humble beginnings in a 650 square feet office
and two members about a year ago, Propmart today
boasts 7 offices and over 70 people and a revenue
stream that averages 30% of expenses of a tightly
run organization. Focused on the future while
having its feet firmly on the ground today, Propmart
ever since it started was very clear about its
outlook towards what John terms as 'un necessary'
expenditure - no 5 star hotels, no business class
flying and driving hard bargains on every transaction
from day 1- be it purchase of computers, finalizing
office space or on the coffee and lunch that it
serves its employees. Without compromising on
Quality. Propmart will perhaps be the final feather
in the cap of one who believes that there is 'No
shortcut to success' and the fact that in
the long term it is Credibility, Integrity and
Customer focus that will finally set Propmart
apart from others in a higly localized and fragmented
industry.
Rahul Surkund
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