TV Aleyas is a well-known name in Karnataka’s real estate circles now, but things didn’t start with concrete and contracts. His early career was all about sales—first with Toshniwal Industries and later with Larsen & Toubro. For over a decade, he pushed products and crossed targets, even earning a place in what was then called L&T’s “Super Club” for top performers.
But sales wasn’t where he wanted to end up. Somewhere along the way, the idea of doing something on his own started to grow. That shift, however, wasn’t a leap. It was more like a quiet side-step into entrepreneurship, initially by taking up an agency for L&T products while still employed there.
Aleyas’ early attempt at a tread rubber business didn’t go as planned. The factory shut down, and he had loans to settle. Around that time, he spotted a 3.5-acre land parcel in Bangalore. The location was promising, but the cash in hand wasn’t. Still, he managed to strike a deal with a post-dated cheque of ₹10,000 and pulled in some investors to get the ball rolling.
That move changed the course of things. The land got developed, debts were cleared, and it led to more property acquisitions—residential plots, apartment complexes, and eventually commercial buildings. Over time, the portfolio grew, and so did his visibility in the sector.
What’s often pointed out about Aleyas is not just the number of projects he’s handled, but how he’s handled them. He kept clear of litigation—a rarity in this line of work—and prefers to deal with people fairly, especially landowners.
Some of them, according to him, were selling because they needed funds for personal reasons like education, weddings, or medical treatment. Aleyas says he never haggled over prices or forced a deal through legal pressure. “I don’t want to build anything on someone else’s pain,” he says. Whether that approach has helped him stay out of trouble or win goodwill is up for interpretation, but it’s clearly worked for him so far.
Since 1991, Aleyas has been developing residential properties in Bangalore’s more sought-after pockets—areas seen as giving solid returns and stable rental income. The projects have been both large and small, but most of them seem to follow a pattern: buy strategically, develop quietly, and exit cleanly.
One of his largest developments is now under way, in collaboration with Sobha Developers. The project involves 60 acres earmarked for residential and commercial use. As of now, approvals are still in progress. If things go as expected, this might turn into one of the more high-profile projects in his portfolio.
Aleyas’ base may be in Bangalore, but he often returns to his riverside home in Ramamangalam in Kerala's Ernakulam district. That’s where it all began—where he grew up watching his father run local businesses and deal with customers and traders alike. That early exposure to commerce, he believes, taught him a lot more than any formal degree.
Although trained as a chemical engineer, Aleyas didn’t work in a lab. His real education came through work—first in sales, then in setbacks, and finally in slow, steady scaling up.
He says he’s never been one to take shortcuts. If there’s an issue, he prefers to face it head-on. “If something isn’t working, talk to people. Go to the officials if needed, explain your case. Don’t try to fix everything in secret,” he says. That mindset, according to him, has helped him avoid long-winded problems.
Even now, well into what some would call retirement age, Aleyas is still involved in daily operations. He doesn't have plans to step back just yet. “Being active is what keeps me happy,” he says. His wife Susan, daughter Sheekha (a lawyer), and sons Jacob (an Air India pilot) and Abraham (an orthopaedic student) are part of the business in various ways, helping manage and plan what’s next.
For Aleyas, success hasn’t just been about smart decisions or strong contacts. He credits his belief in God and a clear sense of direction. “You need a goal. You need to keep working. If what you do makes others happy, you’ll be fine,” he says.
While his methods may not follow the typical real estate playbook, they’ve brought him this far—and could shape the way his company moves next.