The Family Business That Found Its Second Office at LOFT

Rohan Agarwal is the third generation of his family's hardware manufacturing business in Nagpur. The business was started by his grandfather, grown by his father, and is now in the process of being significantly modernised by Rohan.

Modernising a fifty-year-old manufacturing business from the inside is complicated work. It involves technology decisions, process redesign, vendor negotiations, and a significant amount of strategic thinking that cannot easily be done on the factory floor.

"The factory is not a place where I can think clearly about the business. It is a place where I am constantly needed for operational decisions. I needed somewhere else to go."

Why Not Just Work From Home?

Rohan tried working from home for six months. His house in Civil Lines was comfortable and quiet. The problem was context.

"When I am at home, I am at home. I am a son, a husband, a person who lives there. I could not get into the headspace of being the person who was redesigning a fifty-year-old business. The two contexts kept colliding."

Choosing LOFT

Rohan joined LOFT 1 at IT Park on a four-seater cabin. He uses two seats himself and his business development consultant uses a third on the days they work together.

"IT Park felt right. When I arrive there in the morning, my brain switches into business mode. The factory is for operations. LOFT is for thinking about the business."

What Changed

In twelve months at LOFT, Rohan completed a full ERP implementation for the family business, launched a direct sales channel that had been planned for three years, and hired two technology professionals.

He credits the separation of environment with making the strategy work possible.

"The manufacturing business did not become more modern because I worked harder. It became more modern because I finally had a space to think about it properly. LOFT gave me that space."