Ambuja Realty Ultadanga Kolkata

The Neotia family has been an integral part of the business scene in Kolkata for nearly 120 years. Originating from Rajasthan, their forefathers settled in the city some time in 1890's being attracted to the opportunities for enterprise that the city offered. Since then Kolkata has been their home and subsequent generations have been born and brought up here. Patriarchs of the Ambuja Realty Group Shri Suresh Neotia and Late Shri Vinod Neotia started their entrepreneurial career in the mid 1950's. Their eldest brother Shri Bimal Kumar Poddar was adopted by their maternal grandfather Shri Janki Prasad Poddar, a partner of the celebrated firm "Tarachand Ghanshyamdas". This was probably one of the first wholly Indian registered partnership firms during the time of the British occupation of India. It was a trading firm that had offices right from Karachi in Pakistan to Shanghai in China. It began with interests in banking and insurance and later diversified into distribution of petroleum products as a franchisee of Burma Shell. Subsequent to dissolution of "Tarachand Ghanshyamdas" the three brothers Bimal Kumar Poddar, Suresh Neotia and Late Shri Vinod Neotia set up "Radhakrishna Bimalkumar" in the mid 50's. As a leading franchisee of Burma Shell in the country it operated out of several branches spread across UP, Bihar and West Bengal. Following the sad demise of Shri Bimal Kumar Poddar in 1968 Shri Suresh Neotia and Late Shri Vinod Neotia took charge of the family business. Under their leadership "Radhakrishna Bimalkumar" continued its expansion with major forays in trading operations of Cement, Fertilizers and Petroleum products. Having grossed a turnover of Rs 500 crores by the early 90's it continues to maintain a steady growth. Parallel to these, other ventures of the Neotia family included a Textile Mill in West Bengal and highly profitable collieries which were later nationalised. They also promoted an engineering firm "Macmet India Limited" which is engaged in engineering contracts and software solutions. This long and successful entrepreneurial tradition found its true culmination when the two brothers, relying on their vision and vast experience joined hands with Mr Narotam Sekhsaria, brother of Bimla Poddar (wife of Late Bimal Kumar Poddar), to promote "Gujarat Ambuja Cements Limited(GACL)" in the mid 80's. In a few years the company earned Blue Chip status and became a leader in the Cement Industry.