BACKGROUNDER

Wadhawan group set out on its journey with a vision of fulfilling the most fundamental of human needs-shelter. Over the last 25 years, the group has gained a reputation for trust and reliability in the construction and financial services sectors.

Today, the group has strong presence in Housing Finance, Retail, Food & Beverages, Lifestyle, Hospitality, Education and Real Estate. The group employs 4000 people across various businesses spread across multiple locations in India, UAE and UK. The group prides itself on its youthful management team and has set aggressive goals for expansion in India and abroad. The group vision is to be a globally respected institution from India.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL), the second oldest housing finance institution in India is the flagship company of Wadhawan Group. With a network of approximately 190 offices in India and 2 overseas representative offices in Dubai, UAE and London, UK DHFL is among the most respected and trusted financial institution in India. As on 31st March 2009, the asset base of DHFL stood at US$1.21 billion with a nationwide customer base of 0.12 million households.

Beginning 2005, the group ventured into other consumer businesses with the aim of bringing world class service levels to Indian households across 6 key sectors. In keeping with this vision, Wadhawan Retail set up its first food retail outlet named Spinach at Bandra, Mumbai in 2006. Today the retail business of Wadhawan Holdings has presence across India through approximately 200 outlets under the following brand names:

• Spinach-in the Western and Eastern parts of India
• Sabka Bazaar-in Delhi and NCR
• Smart Retail-in Bangalore
• Sangam Direct-direct to home retailing in Mumbai
• Maratha Cooperative-in Mumbai
• The Home Store-a utility and home décor chain in Delhi, NCR, Pune and Bangalore.

The group simultaneously ventured into Food & Beverages with Wadhawan Hospitality with its first fine dine restaurant in Juhu, Mumbai under the brand name Aurus. Within no time Aurus was rated as one of the best fine dine restaurants in India. In order to cater to its long term plans, Wadhawan Hospitality set up a state of art central food processing facility called Dish Central in Mumbai with ultra-modern equipments and a highly trained staff. Wadhawan Hospitality today owns or operates the following restaurants and food outlets in India with plans for several more outlets in the coming years:

• Aurus-in Mumbai
• Sancho’s- a restaurant serving Tex-Mex cuisine in Delhi
• The Tasty Tangles-a restaurant serving  South East Asian cuisine in Delhi and Bangalore
• Cinnabon-an international chain of bakery serving the world famous cinnamon rolls
• Nashta Chai-a quick service street food outlet in Mumbai

In keeping with its promise to bring in quality international brands to Indian consumers, Wadhawan Lifestyle Retail, the lifestyle division of the group, has entered into collaboration with Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier for introducing their exclusive range of garments and accessories to the discerning Indian consumer. Wadhawan Lifestyle has outlets in Mumbai, Delhi and Punjab with a loyal customer base among the youthful segment of the population.

The real estate business of the group has taken rapid strides in residential, commercial and SEZ sectors. Under the umbrella name Dheeraj Realty, the company has begun construction of 2 new residential projects in the suburbs of Mumbai. Wadhawan Global Hotels & Resorts, the hotel and resorts venture, has already tied-up with international hotel chains for launching upmarket business hotels in India. The group vision to create a world class institution finds resonance in its investment into training and education. R.K Wadhawan Institute of Universal Learning, set up in 2003, has a vision to provide world class learning opportunities, nurture and groom talent and enhance employability for India’s youth. The institute has tied-up with global training organizations such as Porter Henry & Co. USA and BTS, Australia for bringing world class training solutions to Indian managers. In the coming months, the group has definite plans to venture into K-12 schools and management education.