Tell us a little more about yourself. Who is Imtiaz Khatri?
I am a simple person. I wasn’t born into this wealth. I have seen my father work very hard and I know the value of money. Right now, I am focused on keeping my head on my shoulders, give my all to the company and make him proud one day. Besides that, like any other guy my age, I love cars, watching sports and travelling.

What is your academic background?
Honestly with me, practical experience is what works best. I’m not a book person unfortunately. So even when I was technically studying, I used to skip school and come to the office and work. So this is my university, I have learnt all I have right here at work.

What made you decide to break away from your father’s company, FA Constructions and set up INK Infrastructure?
I always wanted to get into B2C trade and my father's company is a B2B into infrastructure projects, dams etc. I wanted to do commercial and residential projects with extremely modern and luxurious living. You learn when you start out on your own rather than inheriting the work that exists.

What is the philosophy behind INK? How does INK approach each project?
Our philosophy really is just to be able to bridge the gap that only the rich can afford a luxurious living. I want to make modern luxury living at affordable prices. What really influences me is travel. I try to implement what I can from what I see working well abroad and can work in India as well. There’s no point just implementing something without any thought, because often things that work abroad don’t necessarily work here.

As a young businessman, what is your vision for INK?
Right now at this stage, it is more of a mission than a vision. I want to be able to build a high level of trust in INK. It is the foundation of success and I think once I have done that I will have a clearer vision of INK’s future. 

How does INK differ from other companies?
Innovation, luxury and quality are key principles for all good real estate developers today. However, INK is different in the sense that our principles are enduring but we are still able to accommodate changes. Universal design is our biggest focus. What it encompasses is the design of products and environments usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. The principles of universal design are equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, size and space for approach and use. This is something that we try to incorporate in our projects.

One of INK’s goals is to increase the number of luxury real estate projects. Can you elaborate?
Yes. We want to be able to provide luxury real estate to the masses. So far it has only been available to the classes; our goal is to change that.

How do you cope with pressure and competition in the construction business?
Competition is always healthy but it’s better when you compete with yourself. The pressure is to consistently outperform myself more than competing with anyone else.

What are some of the activities you associate yourself with, besides your work?
Fashion and sports. Ours is a young company and an association with these is quite apt and something I am personally interested in.

Tell me about INK's association with India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW)?
It is a classic concept; Goa is perfect for holding such an event the vibe of the place reflects the attitude and concept of the event.

What do you do when you’re not working?
I like spending time with friends, partying occasionally, and I have a great passion for cars so driving is something of a stress buster.

Nicky Prithyani, Vice President
Young dynamic and a loyal aide to the Managing Director, Nicky Prithyani (22) lends silent support to Imtiaz Khatri’s growing magnum opus. As Vice President Operations and Strategies at Ink infrastructure, Prithyani’s expertise includes formulating business plans, risk evaluation and business investment strategies. According to Imtiaz Khatri, “Nicky is low profile, hands on, has strong operational expertise and is not a stranger to the ways of the industry, an integral part of my company.” He is determined to have INK contribute to Mumbai’s constantly changing skyline.