From real estate to the hospitality sector, Dheeraj is striving to diversify his business and learn as many business skills as he can.

Dheeraj Bhanawat is the owner of The Lavit Malhar Inn - a resort cum restaurant in Udaipur which he runs on the concept of Live and Let others Live.

Dheeraj was born and raised in Udaipur. He studied at The Study School. He also did his bachelors and masters in Udaipur itself.

Dheeraj says that his father was into the business of buying and selling properties and he had bought some properties in different parts of the city. Dheeraj thought of converting one of the properties into a commercial property so that at least it could contribute toward the maintenance expenses. In 2013, he converted his farmhouse into a restaurant cum resort.

Talking about challenges he faced in starting the resort, Dheeraj says that he faced many challenges. Initially, people cited the location of the resort as a problem as it was in the interiors of the city. Besides, serving only vegetarian cuisine was a challenge. Earlier he worked in the property business and coming into the hospitality sector required him to be humble with his guests which he learned over time. But, he worked on mitigating all the challenges and problems and he was able to increase the footfall of people at his resort.

Dheeraj’s mother always taught him that profits and losses are two sides of the same coin. Whenever he faced losses in his resort business, his father always told him that investing money in a resort is a loss-making investment but it’s up to him to convert those losses into his profits.

Talking about mistakes that he made in starting his resort, he says that initially he was a bit inconsiderate of his staff and guests and would not value the feedback of the guests. But with time, he learned the importance of all the stakeholders in running a resort successfully and worked on his shortcomings.

Dheeraj shares that starting the resort has enabled him to meet and interact with new people and also expand his social circle. Besides, he also feels good about the fact that his father is proud of what he’s doing.

Dheeraj thinks that both education and experience are important. He says after working for a few years in a field you gain experience in that field. And an education teaches one basic knowledge, ethics, and discipline in life. So a healthy balance should be struck between the two.

In his free time, he likes to roam around with his friends. He likes to visit Mount Abu - a hill station near Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh.

If he could go back in time then he would want to become a theatre artist. He says at school and college, he played many acting roles as his hobby.

Dheeraj says that during the Covid pandemic, it was a tough time for him. The staff at his resort were from a different state and he had to take care of them and provide them with all the facilities. He says that he didn’t lay off a single staff member at his resort and paid them their entire salaries as soon as things started to get back on track. He also had to bear the loss of his mother’s demise.

Dheeraj understands his bit toward society. He says that at times he arranges food for orphans. He also distributes stationery to the children studying at government schools in far-flung areas of the city.

Dheeraj advises youngsters to avoid drunk driving and also respect everyone.