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Chiriyankandath Joseph Roy

Chiriyankandath Joseph Roy, popularly known as CJ Roy, transformed the lessons he learned from his mother's small-scale property work into a real estate empire worth nearly Rs 8,400 crore. Kochi-born 57-year-old Roy is today counted among the richest real estate businessmen of Bengaluru. He is also a producer of Malayalam films and has made films like Casanova starring Mohanlal.

CJ Roy's success is the result of timing, patience and trusting in areas that others ignored. His first big success came from Bengaluru's Sarjapur Road, when this area was a quiet area long before it became a tech corridor.

Learned real estate work from home

Roy's childhood was spent in Central Bengaluru. He saw his mother silently buying 30-40 plots, building houses and selling them simultaneously. He handled the accounts of these deals, which gave him a deep understanding of land deals and money flow. Later this experience came in handy for him. Recalling his early days, he had said, I chose business on my own will, but became an entrepreneur by chance.

Big bet placed on outskirts of Bengaluru

In 2001, when most developers were focusing on central Bengaluru, Roy turned to the outskirts of the city. At that time, Sarjapur Road was agricultural land and one acre was available for around Rs 6 lakh. People thought this area was very far away, but Roy saw a future in it.

He said, on one side Whitefield and on the other side Electronic City were emerging rapidly. I felt that Sarjapur could become a center connecting the two. Roy bought 150-200 acres of land here. Many people in the family and company opposed this, but his wife supported him. Later this decision proved to be correct and the land prices in Sarjapur increased almost ten times.

Confident Group: Without debt and global identity

Roy started Confident Group in 1991. As of March 31, 2025, the company had assets worth Rs 2,039 crore. This group works without debt and has so far completed 159 projects in India, UAE and America. Apart from real estate, the group is also active in education and hospitality. Bengaluru's Rs 3,000 crore Zion Hill Golf County is its major project.

Recognition in Kerala through TV shows

Roy's beginning in Kerala was not easy. His initial projects near Kochi did not find takers despite road shows. After a meeting in Mumbai, he was given a flat as a reward in a reality show and became the brand ambassador of the show. This increased his recognition and the sale of flats started.

fond of luxury cars

Roy bought his first car, Maruti, in 1994. The behavior of a salesman impressed him a lot. Later he built a collection of luxury cars like 12 Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Bugatti Veyron. He had told that the annual insurance of a Rolls-Royce is around Rs 18 lakh. Years later, he also bought his first Maruti car again.

Moving beyond real estate, into entertainment

Roy also entered the Malayalam film industry and made films like Casanova in 2012. Confident Group was also the title sponsor of popular TV shows like Star Singer and Bigg Boss Malayalam.

Also popular on social media

CJ Roy had about 13 lakh followers on Instagram, although he had closed the comments. His posts featured updates related to luxury cars, helicopters, family moments and projects.