This Noida-based interior design company landed real-estate giant Mahagun as its first client, eyes Rs 300 Cr revenue mark by 2021
Founded by Ritkrit Jain in 2016, in Italian, Prodi means "a group of brave and courageous people". Now, the interior design company plans to reach Rs 300 crore mark by the next financial year.
After founding an events management company with two friends, Ritkrit realised that his true calling was in the world of design. The desire to pursue the stream got him selected for a master’s course at the Dumas Academy in Milan, Italy.
In Italian, the word Prodi means "a group of brave and courageous people," Ritkrit says. He adds that the name embodies the very spirit of the startup ecosystem wherein entrepreneurs refuse to give up despite failing repeatedly.
A space designed by Prodi
Founded in 2016 by Ritkrit Jain, the Noida-based company is a specialised interior design firm, with a mission to not only cater to the design needs but also, accomplish execution and procurement aspects to realise the design.
The new-age design startup with Italian roots
Before formally setting up the startup, Prodi had designed five restaurants in Milan and a cafe in Switzerland called Ananda Cafe-Boutique. It has also designed an area of almost 30,000-sq ft for brands across office spaces and restaurants. While Prodi has worked with multiple brands, the first milestone it hit came as a project for real estate giant, Mahagun Group.
Ritkrit says, “It is a specialised interior design company, based on the concept of ‘form follows function’. Prodi is all about turnkey projects. The company also accomplishes the execution and procurement aspects of design.”
A space designed by Prodi
Ritkrit, who battled dyslexia in the past, says that different challenges gave him the strength to become even more determined about translating his idea into reality.
One of the biggest challenges that Prodi had to overcome before its launch was getting the finances in place. “Design is very seasonal. There are certain lean periods that we have to battle with,” he adds.
Prodi functions in three spheres including commercial office spaces, hospitality, and retail. Currently, it has a small team of 15 members.
Ritkrit believes that the physical presence will come after a certain point, but right now, it is pulling the crowd from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
The business model of Prodi provides a wholesome experience to its client. It starts with giving the client an advance brief, mapping out the pain points in the existing office structure, and completing the process with advanced tools which further helps in customising the design as per the needs of the client. Prodi has also done tie-ups with furniture retailing companies like Feather Lite, Decora, Shopfits among others.
Ritkrit says that the design industry is yet to reap greater benefits from technology. Motion sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) technology is something Prodi is planning to inculcate in its upcoming projects. He also saidalso in the process of designing installations that change with the human interface.
A space designed by Prodi
Future Plans
Bootstrapped since its inception, Prodi will become profitable and reach Rs 300 crore turnover by the end of FY21. The founder says, “We want to do everything very organically.” He is not ready to part with equity, and feels that Prodi’s customers are its biggest stakeholders.
As far as the future plans are concerned, Prodi is focussed on becoming a strong product, Ritkrit says, adding, “We want to create quality offices for real estate players at the right cost.”
Ritkrit says that its biggest competitor is the startup itself, but companies like Livspace are the ones it looks up to.
The founder says that the startup has some big announcements underway. He adds, “Prodi’s target is to design office spaces from 5,000-45,000-sq ft. It is also on the verge of signing a big design project in the coming month.”
Recently, the company has acquired a design project from Twisting Scoops, a Turkish ice cream chain for Sri Lankan stores.
(Edited by Suman Singh)
