“I suppose I must be one of those rare people who has actually lived his whole life without a proper first name, though it’s not entirely unusual. From my earliest toddler days, I was called Cuckoo. It is often a meaningless term of endearment. In my case, it’s the only name I’ve got.”
Studies were never a problem for the young Cuckoo. He seemed to sail through every grade with flying colours. And his best ally and friend to mentor and groom him in his formative years was his grandfather, Hari Chand Kochar.
Recalls Kochar as he slips into those happy days of childhood: “In my fledgling years at St. Columbus, New Delhi, it was my grandfather who nurtured within me a deep love and understanding for maths and science.” Although he passed away when Cuckoo was in grade 7 , the strong foundation laid by him was perhaps the cornerstone of his success in his Senior Cambridge exam (1967), BITS Pilani (1972) and all of his higher studies in civil engineering, right up to the master’s in Canada.
As a doctor, Dr. Saudagarmal Kochar, Cuckoo’s father, was a busy man, working all through the week without any Sundays or holidays. The care and upbringing of five children – four daughters and a son (Cuckoo, born 1951) – was left entirely in the hands of their mother, Rajkarni.
She was a wonderful person – kind, gentle, loving – and ran the entire household single-handedly. However, since she had only studied up to grade 10 at the time of her marriage at 17, she felt she was unable to nurture her kids properly, especially with regards to supervising their schoolwork. Since Dr. Kochar could afford it, he had put them all in private schools with high standards of education and where the medium of instruction was almost always English. Luckily, the presence of their grandfather was a big help.
Rajkarni’s inadequate education was perhaps the biggest motivating factor for her to ensure all her four daughters become post-graduates, do well in life and stand on their own independently. While the eldest daughter, Usha, is a doctor, two others, Pratigya and Nirmal, qualified as trained physiotherapists, and the youngest, Renu, is a successful graphic artist/draftsperson.
Almost immediately after passing out of BITS Pilani, Kochar left for Canada.
He chose Montreal for a special reason to test himself and his fortunes. “At St. Columbus I had studied French for six years as an optional subject”, he explains. “I followed this up with two more years of study at Pilani. In Montreal, in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, my knowledge of French helped me to quickly find a job.”
His employers were kind enough to sponsor his Masters in Civil Engineering from Concordia University, Quebec. It was back-breaking and tough. After working 6am to 3pm, he’d attend evening classes 6–10 for his degree. He would then spend two hours in the public library, doing all the necessary reference work for his studies. He later completed his thesis research on Urban Hydrology.
After five eventful years in Montreal, Kochar was ready to spread his wings and fly. A job had come his way in 1977 from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), a federal government organisation in Ottawa. From his initial appointment as engineering Officer, he soon moved up to the position of General Manager, incharge of all Federal land portfolios coast to coast.
In the meantime, in 1973, his parents arranged his marriage with Madhu, who was 18 and a half at that time. “I find it oddly amusing that our engagement was finalised in India in my absence, with a photograph serving as my proxy. I only got to see and meet Madhu a week before our marriage”, says Kochar. A year later, Radhika, the elder of their two children was born and some years later, Rahul was born.
Kochar admits that the heavy responsibilities of his job entailed a lot of travelling. It was hectic managing and supervising the work across 50 offices. He barely got to see his family once or twice in a month, something that he felt bad about then and still regrets.
After 11 years, Kochar decided to quit CMHC in 1988 and strike out on his own. In collaboration with a couple of other partners, he set up a company engaged in land development for housing as well as for industrial and commercial purposes
“In 5–6 years (around 1993–94), the company was firmly on its feet”, says an exuberant Kochar. “In 1995, the Canadian government appointed me as a CMHC board member because of my special skills and knowledge about urban development.”
When Rahul was through with his MBA in 1999, he thought it was time to look at the option of 100% ownership. He was keen to see Rahul’s direct involvement in DCR Phoenix’s growth, so he decided to buy out his partners.
In the 32 years since then, it is perfectly understandable for Kochar to look back with pride and satisfaction at the achievements and the many milestones of DCR Phoenix. Kochar explains that he was at this point of time thinking of diversification under a new company, Phoenix Properties, which would build its own units, buildings and offices to let out on rent. Growing the business rather quickly, the company now hopes to add 10–15 buildings annually and perhaps within the next 5–7 years cross the 1000 unit mark.
The company has also moved into construction related trades like granite and quartz counters for kitchens and bathrooms. Previously other companies made purchases from outside, now they all buy directly from Phoenix. Kochar says the company has also started importing marble and stone along with cutting, polishing and manufacturing too.
About 4–5 year ago, Phoenix stepped into the flooring business, under the name Stone Design Concepts and Tuscany Flooring, which supplies carpet tiles, wooden flooring, ceramic and porcelain tiles as well as cut, polish and shape marble, quartz and granite.
The more you give, the more you get...
...so believes not just Cuckoo but also his entire family. Radhika and her husband, Miguel Riviera, a Certified Public Accountant working for the US government’s Internal Revenue Service, live in Detroit with their daughter, Aryana (7). After studying law from Florida, she was called to the bar in Florida and now works as a Chief Administrative Law Clerk. Rahul and Simran have three children – Zara (12), Nikhil (10) and Jagger (3). While Rahul is closely involved in the day-to-day running of the Phoenix Group, Simran works as a Logistics Manager in Stone Design Concepts.
As busy as the family remains, they ensure finding time to dedicate towards the betterment of the society. Phoenix Group as an organisation makes it a rule to organise CSR activities on a regular basis. Kochar firmly believes it is only through corporate social welfare activities “that we can give back to the community in small measure for all that they have done for us.” They have set up a scholarship for five students from India for PG studies in engineering and architecture on Phoenix’s 25th anniversary in 2013. Students have to be toppers and from modest backgrounds and at least 50% have to be females.
Year 2021 started with a chair being set up for one year at Concordia University in Montreal on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji. While the government of India bears 25% cost, the balance will be borne by The Phoenix Group.
Additionally, Phoenix has been extending financial help to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the University of Ottawa Cancer Institute and the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital for the elderly, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the YMCA, etc. They are now building a 300-bed temporary hospital for people who come in from the territories as a temporary home.