Property the answer to building a career

The Life: Sajid Aga struggled for years before he found success as project director for the Indian Property Show, which starts tomorrow in Dubai. He shares his bumpy ride.

Sajid Aga, the project director of Indian Property Show, takes property developers from the subcontinent to Dubai. Jeff Topping / The National

Sajid Aga is the project director for the Indian Property Show, which starts tomorrow in Dubai. Like many businessmen, Mr Aga bounced around in various roles and industries before he finally found a successful career. He describes his bumpy ride.

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How did your career get started?

I was a dropout of a college. I was studying mechanical engineering, and due to financial situations at home I had to take a decision to get out of education. One, it would have saved my parents from investing in education. Two, I could support them working somewhere.

What was your first job?

I was in sales for a garment company in Bangalore. It paid Dh71 (US$19.30) a month.

That lasted only three months. How did you transition to your next role?

I was offered a job by my brother, who wanted to start a facility management start-up. After years of coming to Dubai and understanding how the business is, I realised we didn't have a proper strategy of marketing and selling it. It was unorganised. I didn't want to continue with my brother, because my relationship was more important with him.

Did you find another job once that ended?

My mom then had to borrow money for an air-ticketing course. After that, I got a job at a travel agency and worked there for more than three years. My customers wanted me to start on my own; I did. I started my own company with my own investment, and took it up to Dh8 million of turnover per year.

But four years after that you went bust. What happened?

The business was booming, and I wanted to start an office in Malaysia, London and Sydney. The offices in London and Malaysia didn't work out. It was mismanagement of funds: I put all of my money into a diamond business that I had no idea about, and a lot of people took me for a ride. I went broke.

It is now 2005, you are full of debt and property deals are heating up. How did you get into that market?

I was in property transactions back home [in India]. A good friend of mine who lives in Dubai gave me a lead of a [property] buyer. At the same time, he invited me to come to Dubai and see how the potential is. I came and saw there's a huge demand. There were a lot of buyers looking to buy property in India [but] rather than taking the buyers to India, why not take the property developers to Dubai? The idea [for the Indian Property Show] was born.

So how did you get the show started?

I met Sunil [Jaiswal, the show's] chief executive, before we started the company. He funded the project and runs it. I am the project director. I'm like the back-end software to it.

And how are you faring now?

I am doing extremely well. I've managed to clear most of my debt back home.

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