Magazine : 
Neetish Sarda: Driving Transformation in Managed Workspaces
Neetish Sarda, a prominent young entrepreneur, is renowned as the founder of Smartworks, India's largest managed workspace platform. With his sheer dedication and distinctive approach to business in the last six years, Smartworks has attained a market leadership position.
Despite coming from a business family, Neetish Sarda chose to forge his path rather than join the established family business. Exposure to future workspaces and high employee engagement levels across offices in the Western world sparked the idea for Smartworks. He wanted to transform the office spaces in India that had seen limited innovation for decades. At 23, he entered the crowded market and launched Smartworks as a coworking space catering to startups and freelancers. Amidst fierce competition, dismal unit economics, and a lack of a clear path to profitability, it became abundantly clear to him that a shift in focus was imperative. He realised he had to break away from the pack, innovate, and redefine the target audience to make a difference- this was the turning point for him and the company.
Fast forward to 2023 and behold the company's remarkable rise in the flexible workspace industry. Smartworks, under his leadership, has emerged as the largest managed space with an impressive presence spanning over 8 million square feet across 13 cities and more than 40 locations. The growing success is evident in its extensive clientele of over 500 enterprise clients and a substantial market share. From setting up headquarters, and satellite and regional offices to hub and spokes, the managed space provider hosts leading multinational clients pan India in its facilities. The steady progress and dedication to delivering exceptional workspace experiences have positioned Smartworks as a trusted enterprise workspace partner.
Neetish Sarda's journey to success hasn't been an easy one. He embraced risks and transformed them into opportunities. The transition from coworking to a managed space provider focused on enterprises was no easy feat. Smartworks pioneered enterprise onboarding into managed spaces and today, 90% of its clientele is enterprise.
The new-gen leader Neetish even used the crisis like the pandemic as an opportunity to transform his facilities into digitally enabled workspaces, offering an edge, once again, to his company & clients.
Since the inception of Smartworks, Neetish Sarda has been laser-focused on delivering a superior workspace experience. To enable the same, he took the bold approach of leasing independent, standalone buildings and campuses to achieve this vision. Today an average Smartworks centre is approximately 4 lac sq. ft., with all mature centres at over 90% occupancy. The company also has three of the world's largest flex space centres in its portfolio.
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Apart from its scale, what also sets Smartworks apart is the meticulous attention given to amenities and facilities in its managed spaces.
The amenities provided in Smartworks spaces are nothing short of extraordinary. Imagine this - creche facilities for working parents, recreational areas to unwind and recharge, a sports zone for some friendly competition, a digital pantry for seamless access to food & refreshments, RFID-enabled parking management for convenience and security, and even a Smart Store for daily essentials. By focusing on such comprehensive and thoughtful amenities, Neetish Sarda, a millennial himself, has created an environment where work feels less like a chore and more like a fulfilling experience. He successfully tapped into the needs and aspirations of the workforce, going beyond the conventional notion of a workspace, and transforming it into a dynamic, vibrant, and inspiring ecosystem.
Smartworks continues to provide innovative solutions that empower businesses to thrive in a world where work dynamics are constantly changing. With a strong presence in key markets of India, it offers enterprises faster scalability and comprehensive office setup solutions. Smartworks recently expanded into high-growth markets such as Jaipur, Indore, and Ahmedabad, with plans to expand further in other cities such as Bhubaneshwar, Coimbatore and Kochi.
Read Also: Developing Cities and the Managed Office Space Culture
Per the news reports, the company has ambitious growth plans for the fiscal year. Given the increasing adoption of managed spaces by enterprises, it plans to add another 4-5 million sq. ft. to its existing portfolio, taking it to 10-12 million sq. ft. This expansion is a testament to its unwavering dedication to cater to the ever-changing demands of businesses in search of flexible and adjustable workspaces.
A recipient of leading industry awards, Neetish Sarda firmly believes in the boundless possibilities that exist in the world and emphasises the importance of an intuitive mind and a passionate heart in making a mark for oneself.
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