RAMAKRISHNAN K S

How a site supervisor built a multi-crore company through hardwork and honesty

This Nilambur native came to Kochi in 2008 to attend an interview in a leading construction firm as a site supervisor. But fate had something in store for him in Kochi. Ramakrishnan K S, owner of R K Constructions, is now a major  uilder who has successfully completed 120 projects that include residential apartments, industrial complexes, institutions and places of worship. When he looks back, the decision to leave a high paying job of a site engineer to launch a company of his own in 2010 was the toughest decision he had made in his life. But that decision became a life changer for this ITI holder in civil engineering who has now built a reputation for himself in Kerala as one of the most trusted builders. “I always wanted to start my own construction company. But with a family to think about, I knew the move was always risky. But years of hard work I put in working as a trainee site supervisor to a site engineer at various locations in the country gave me the confidence,” Ramakrishnan said.

“We have all the equipment, labourers,  materials and human power to take up  any work. I bought all the equipment  for my company even before buying a  house for me. My commitment was to  develop a solid infrastructure for the  company so that we can deliver quality  results to our clients“

Born in a modest family to father Sivan and mother Jagada in Nilambur, Ramakrishnan did the ITI course in civil as per his father’s wish. He developed a real taste for the construction profession when he returned from Bengaluru, where he did his training in construction designing for a few months, and started to work as a site supervisor with a company called V B Constructions which was doing the construction works of Nilambur Police MSP camp. “Once I learned civil, I started liking the field and became confident that I could make a good career in it. In fact, an assignment to work in a huge hospital project in Maharashtra with VB Constructions gave me a lot of experience. I learned the nuances of the construction sector working in that project for one year,” he said.

It was his desire to work with a reputed builder in Kerala that made him attend an interview in Kochi. “I reached Kochi for the first time in my life for this interview with Skyline Builders. As the interview didn’t happen due to some technical reasons, I attended another interview in Tripunithura-based Lotus Properties. It seemed I was destined to work with Lotus Properties. When I introduced myself to the owner of Lotus Properties, he knew my father very well and he wanted me to stay with his firm. Though it was purely coincidental, I still cherish the moment because it was my stint with Lotus Constructions that changed my career,” Ramakrishnan recalls.

Ramakrishnan was made in charge of a major project by the company after seeing his dedication and hard work. “It was a big learning curve for me and gave me the confidence to start my own firm. I didn’t give it a second thought. I knew the risk was huge because a month without salary will push me into crisis and I don’t have the money even to pay the rent of the house where I stayed with my wife and child. But I decided to take that risk,” he said.

Life wasn’t that smooth as expected for the first few months but soon things turned positive. Dedication and  commitment to complete the works on time earned him a name in the industry. He started getting clients and soon RK Constructions started to win the trust of the people. “We never made any compromise on the quality of our works. And also, we ensured that we deliver the projects on time,” Ramakrishnan said.

What made R K Constructions unique is that the company never outsourced any works. “We have all the equipment, labourers, materials and human power to take up any work. I bought all the equipment for my company even before buying a house for me. My commitment was to develop a solid infrastructure for the company so that we can deliver quality results to our clients,” he added. Even the Covid period didn’t affect RK Constructions and the company continued to deliver projects as promised to the clients. “We performed well during the pandemic situation. As we have our own labourers and equipment, we could continue with our work without any issues. The labourers who all work for me have been with me since the starting of my company. I always make sure that my workers remain happy. I respect and support them,” he added. R K Constructions has also been committed to give back to the society  hrough several CSR programmes. Apart from providing financial assistance for education to many destitute children, the company has constructed a house for a poor family at Eroor. Though Ramakrishnan works over time for the growth of the company, he ensures that he finds sufficient time to spend with his family comprising wife Sreeja who looks after the administrative wing of the firm and two children – Ashish Krishna, studying in eight standard and Adilakshmi Krishna, a first standard student. He is of the opinion that family plays a crucial role in the success of a business person and his venture.

I spend a lot of time with my family. Only if our family life is happy, we will be able to concentrate on our work and emerge successful in business

“I spend a lot of time with my family. Only if our family life is happy, we will be able to concentrate on our work and emerge successful in business. We might be busy but we need to find time for the family. We need to understand that they only have us and their happiness is of prime importance,” he said.

His word of advice to young entrepreneurs is that there is no short cut to success. “One should gather maximum knowledge in the field in which the person is planning to start a business. We need to be honest in our work and hundred percent professional,” he said. Ramakrishnan has also lined up an expansion for his company which will soon have its own corporate building at Pettah in Tripunithura.

“We are also planning a different vertical by launching a firm called RK Builders . We will be expanding our footprint more across the state,” he said. Ramakrishnan is the vice-president of Thripunithura chapter of Builders Association of India and also very much active in Rotary Club, Lions Club and BNI Cochin. During the 2018 floods, R K Constructions played a vital role in delivering medical and food supplies to flood affected families. The company also undertook free renovation of several houses that were damaged in the floods. Ramakrishnan also runs a dairy farm which has around 60 cows of local breeds. More than a business, he sees it as a mission to deliver quality milk to the people at affordable rates.