WeWork aims to become profitable in 2021 globally: Sandeep Mathrani, CEO

NEW DELHI: Co-working major WeWork will focus on achieving profitable growth globally, including in India, in 2021 by increasing the occupancy level of its real estate portfolio, the company’s CEO Sandeep Mathrani said.

Further, Softbank backed-WeWork will revisit its plan to launch an initial public issue (IPO) only after it becomes profitable, said Mathrani, who became the new CEO in February after the exit of WeWork co-founder and former CEO Adam Neumann.

In a video conference, Mathrani said India is an important market for the US-based firm and has recently invested USD 100 million in WeWork India.

WeWork India’s contribution to global revenue is currently small but it will continue to rise as the country has great potential for flexible workspace business, Mathrani said.

Asked about WeWork’s top priorities for India, he said the global strategy is to achieve profitable growth through increase in occupancy level at all its centres.

“Our priority everywhere globally is profitable growth and streamlining our organisation and real estate portfolio in 2020,” he said, adding that in 2021, the company plans go towards having profitable growth and become EBIDTA positive.

Mathrani said the company has been able to reduce operating cost and cash burn significantly this year by streamlining the organisation and also its real estate portfolio.

The exercise of right-sizing organisations has been completed, while the streamlining of real estate portfolio is also 75 per cent complete, he added.

Mathrani said 65-70 per cent occupancy level is required for break even, which the company had achieved before the outbreak of COVID-19.

He noted that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of de-densification of office space and adoption of hub and spoke model.

He felt that India would benefit from this because of cost advantage.

Mathrani described the WeWork global investment of USD 100 million as a “strategic move” that shows its commitment to the Indian market. He mentioned that WeWork has sold its investment in its China business.

Asked whether the company has any plan to relaunch its public offer, Mathrani said the company is currently targeting to achieve profitable growth and positive cash flow, and then will decide the path forward.

“I am a big believer of we take one step at a time, we show profitable growth and then decide what the path forward is. Get to the cash flow positive and then decide,” Mathrani said.

In September 2019, WeWork had withdrawn its public issue that sought to value the company at USD 47 billion. The valuation reportedly dropped to less than USD 8 billion.

Karan Virwani, the CEO of WeWork India, said demand for flexible workspace has increased from large enterprises.

He said the share of large corporates in WeWork India centres has gone up to 67 per cent from 50 per cent but expressed confidence that small members would come back post pandemic.

WeWork India, which is owned by Bengaluru-based realty firm Embassy group, will not set up centres and then find clients, but it will prefer to take up clients and accordingly lease properties.

Virwani said the WeWork India has been able to reduce its cost by around Rs 250 crore.

WeWork India currently has 34 centres, comprising 60,000 desks and over 5 million sq ft area, in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram, Noida, Pune and Hyderabad.

Globally, WeWork has around 840 centres with 6.6 lakh membership.