Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

This Co-Working Space Operator Focuses Only on Enterprises Neetish Sarda, founder of Noida-based co-working provider Smartworks, shares how Indian co-working space is evolving

By Bhavya Kaushal

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Indian co-working spaces offer various facilities making work fun and confortable.

Smartworks operates co-working spaces that not just gives people a comfortable environment to work in, but also other support activities and facilities such as creche, laundry service, groceries and gyms, among others.

The Noida-headquartered co-working operator was started in 2016 by Neetish Sarda and Harsh Binani.

Entrepreneur India caught up with Sarda to discuss the Indian co-working space ecosystem and the journey of Smartworks.

Changing the Office Culture Space of India

Sarda says an individual spends 8-10 hours at work every day. The office environment must be supportive in meeting the needs of an individual who is spending a large part of his life in office. He says, "The office needs to be more productive than just being real estate."

Sarda, having visited the offices of the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn and Google, realized that Indian office spaces are far behind. At that time, roughly about three years ago, co-working space as a concept was just scaling up—Delhi-based co-working space Innov8 was already in existence and Silicon Valley-giant WeWork launched Indian arm in 2017 which is now run by Embassy Group's heir Karan Virwani.

Taking a stock of all the things missing in the Indian office culture, essential for the development and productivity of every individual who works, Sarda launched Smartworks.

A Co-working Space for Enterprises

Sarda highlights that co-working spaces are divided into several segments. One is focused on start-ups, the other segment concentrates on SMEs. The third set focuses only on enterprises. While a country like Thailand might be tilted towards start-ups, a country like India is more inclined towards enterprises. Smartworks, though, belongs to the third category.

It targets mainly enterprises and not just SMEs or start-ups. The Noida-based proptech company has big brands in its clientele. Monster.com, Daikin, Microsoft, Amazon, Tata communications, Arcelor Mittal and Otis are some of the big names.

The Evolving Ecosystem

As the market is becoming increasingly crowded, Sarda is unperturbed. He says there is a lot of competition within the co-working space but one needs to look at the segment as well. According to him, the enterprise, as a segment, is still untapped.

Recently, Smartworks raised $25 million in Series A round of funding from the property developer arm of Singapore-based Keppel Corporation.

He says, "The fact that many people are adopting it means that the concept of co-working is here to stay."

Co-working spaces is a vast space. The sector is bound to grow and evolve. And India has just started its journey.

Bhavya Kaushal

Former Features Writer

I am a work-in-progress writer and human being. An English graduate from Delhi University, writing is my passion and currently, I was Entrepreneur India's start-up reporter. I love covering start-ups and weaving their stories into unforgettable tales with the power of ink! 
Leadership

How to Break Free From the Cycle of Overthinking and Master Your Mind

Discover the true cost of negative thought loops — and practical strategies for nipping rumination in the bud.

Side Hustle

These Brothers Had 'No Income' When They Started a 'Low-Risk, High-Reward' Side Hustle to Chase a Big Dream — Now They've Surpassed $50 Million in Revenue

Sam Lewkowict, co-founder and CEO of men's grooming brand Black Wolf Nation, knows what it takes to harness the power of side gig for success.

Business News

More People Are Exploring Entrepreneurship Because of This Unexpected Reason

More new business applications were filed in 2023 than in any other year so far.

Business News

TikTok Reportedly Laid Off a 'Large Percentage' of Employees as the App's Fate in the U.S. Remains Unclear

Laid-off TikTok employees were notified Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

Growth Strategies

AI Agents Startup Secures $4M to Revolutionize Customer Onboarding & Retention

Under the leadership of Gaurav Aggarwal and Anuja Verma, Truva AI has created an innovative solution for customer onboarding and retention, leveraging sophisticated AI agents.