Chirag Rao's Revolutionary Luxury Housing Projects in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad’s development continues at a rapid pace, with the city’s future skyline expected to rival those of many international cities. Once known for its traditional housing clusters called <em>pols</em>, Ahmedabad has moved towards bungalows and is now witnessing a growing preference for luxury apartments. Studio apartments, common in global cities, are also becoming part of Ahmedabad’s housing landscape.

In the fifth and final episode of <strong>Skyliners</strong>, the focus is on developer Chirag Rao, who is bringing unconventional ideas to Ahmedabad’s real estate sector. In one of his farmhouse projects, he replaced traditional car parking with a private boating area and a boat for each owner. He has also introduced, for the first time in Ahmedabad, the concept of a private swimming pool for every home.

Chirag Rao’s journey in real estate began with a unique gift from his wife. On her birthday, she asked for a ground-floor shop instead of the usual jewelry, car, or holiday. Despite having no prior real estate investments, Chirag agreed and bought all 12 shops in a project on Surat’s Bhatar side in 2010. This investment of ₹30 lakh eventually earned him a profit of ₹1.5 crore, making him realize the potential of real estate compared to textiles.

At the age of 26–27, Chirag co-launched an affordable housing project named <em>Arcade</em> in Pandesara, Surat. Initially, he relied on a partner who promised to sell all flats without investing money, in exchange for a 35% share. When sales stalled, Chirag took charge himself, learning real estate basics from scratch. In 2013, he offered 5% brokerage to channel partners and introduced a scheme allowing flats and offices to be booked without any token amount for 10 days. This strategy worked, and the entire project of 260 flats sold out within seven days.

Chirag’s sales success led to a partnership with Bakulbhai Kothiya for the Om Project, despite lacking funds. This reinforced Chirag’s belief in collaboration and the importance of channel partners. On his father-in-law’s advice, Chirag shifted to Ahmedabad around 2013. He introduced a novel scheme: booking a flat with a token of just ₹21. Middle-class families responded positively, and all flats were sold.

His first major project in West Ahmedabad was Shreya Antilia, a 4 BHK project designed by renowned architect Apurva Amin. Named after Mukesh Ambani’s residence, the branding slogan welcomed “Aspiring Ambanis of Ahmedabad.” The Antilia brand gained recognition, leading to further projects such as <em>Amalga</em> on Sindhu Bhavan Road, <em>Shreya Antilia Commercial</em>, and plotting and farmhouse developments in Ahmedabad’s R3 zone.

In the commercial project Amalga, 86 showrooms remained unsold for two months. Despite limited experience in commercial sales, Chirag relied on channel partners, who sold 60% of the project within 60 days. Chirag emphasises that he never wanted to develop ordinary projects. In Antilia, he introduced Ahmedabad’s first vertical garden concept. In commercial buildings, all offices were designed to face the road. In farmhouse developments, instead of car parking, each owner was given a private boating area and a boat.

In Shilaj, Chirag is developing a 22-storey 4 BHK project where each flat includes a private swimming pool on the balcony. Using swim spa technology, residents can swim in place. The building has two flats per floor, resulting in 44 private pools, an Ahmedabad first. Similarly, in Gandhinagar, a 3 BHK project offers five balconies per home.

The name <strong>Chrome Group</strong> combines astrology and emotion. Chirag wanted a name linked to his son Om, while the letter ‘K’ has always been significant to him. This thoughtful naming reflects Chirag’s commitment to innovative and luxury housing projects that stand out in Ahmedabad.