u/HumanitySaver

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Finished my B.Tech in CSE(AI Ml) this year. Job market's pretty rough right now, and most of the off-campus offers I'm seeing pay way less than what my dad's business already brings in on a good month. So I've actually started seriously thinking about joining him instead of grinding for an entry level tech job

Some context: I'm 21 M ,my dad runs a bar bending labor contracting setup in Bangalore, mostly doing private commercial work like car showrooms, apartment foundation work, groundworks, stuff like that. Sometimes the jobs spill over into other parts of Karnataka and even Tamil Nadu. He's got a crew of anywhere from 15 to 40 migrant workers(As I know), mostly guys from Bihar

Here's why I'm not just jumping in headfirst

1. Language is honestly my biggest worry. I don't speak Hindi or Kannada. Right now it's my dad who talks to the workers and deals with builders directly. If I want to actually run this, I'd need to communicate with a North Indian labor force and also hold my own while negotiating with local Karnataka builders. Right now I can't do either
2. Labor management is messier than I expected. A lot of the workers come through a middleman from Bihar, and this guy is honestly a headache, he asks for advances, then disappears for a couple days blowing the money, and the workers themselves aren't that reliable either, the numbers on site keep changing
3. It's just going to be a big culture shock too. Going from a comfortable college life to dealing with fast paced sites and managing raw labor is a big deal for me, not gonna lie

On top of the contracting business, there's more going on. We own about 2 acres of farm land in our hometown, a small tier-3 town, literally 5 minutes walking distance from our house. Right now it's just sitting there doing nothing. My dad manages to run one or even two sites at a time already, so he does have a bit of extra time, and I've been thinking maybe we could start some farming there with the family's help, just for some passive income on the side. Along with that, I'm also looking at building connections in my hometown for property flipping

And then there's the thing that actually worries me the most. My dad's been drinking heavily for about 4 years now, and it's really started affecting his health. On top of that, nobody in my family has health insurance or life insurance. So there's this constant worry in the back of my mind about how much longer he can keep working like this, and honestly that's a big part of why I'm thinking of stepping up now instead of waiting

So,

1. Is it even realistic for someone like me, fresh grad, zero Hindi and Kannada, to survive and actually run things in the Bangalore contracting world?
2. Can I realistically do all of this, farming, property flipping, and eventually the contracting business, or am I spreading myself too thin? If I start now, could I actually be in a position to take over fully in 4-5 years while having these other things running on the side too?
3. Given my dad's health situation, should I work alongside him for a year first to learn the ropes directly, or is it smarter to wait a few years and ease into it later?
4. To anyone in construction or real estate in India, is the long-term margin in specialized civil contracting worth leaving the tech sector entirely for?

Genuinely want honest opinions here, even the harsh ones. Thanks for your time.

Finished my B.Tech in CSE(AI Ml) this year. Job market's pretty rough right now, and most of the off-campus offers I'm seeing pay way less than what my dad's business already brings in on a good month. So I've actually started seriously thinking about joining him instead of grinding for an entry level tech job

Some context: my dad runs a bar bending labor contracting setup in Bangalore, mostly doing private commercial work like car showrooms, apartment foundation work, groundworks, stuff like that. Sometimes the jobs spill over into other parts of Karnataka and even Tamil Nadu. He's got a crew of anywhere from 15 to 40 migrant workers(As I know), mostly guys from Bihar

Here's why I'm not just jumping in headfirst

1. Language is honestly my biggest worry. I don't speak Hindi or Kannada. Right now it's my dad who talks to the workers and deals with builders directly. If I want to actually run this, I'd need to communicate with a North Indian labor force and also hold my own while negotiating with local Karnataka builders. Right now I can't do either
2. Labor management is messier than I expected. A lot of the workers come through a middleman from Bihar, and this guy is honestly a headache, he asks for advances, then disappears for a couple days blowing the money, and the workers themselves aren't that reliable either, the numbers on site keep changing
3. It's just going to be a big culture shock too. Going from a comfortable college life to dealing with fast paced sites and managing raw labor is a big deal for me, not gonna lie

On top of the contracting business, there's more going on. We own about 2 acres of farm land in our hometown, a small tier-3 town, literally 5 minutes walking distance from our house. Right now it's just sitting there doing nothing. My dad manages to run one or even two sites at a time already, so he does have a bit of extra time, and I've been thinking maybe we could start some farming there with the family's help, just for some passive income on the side. Along with that, I'm also looking at building connections in my hometown for property flipping

And then there's the thing that actually worries me the most. My dad's been drinking heavily for about 4 years now, and it's really started affecting his health. On top of that, nobody in my family has health insurance or life insurance. So there's this constant worry in the back of my mind about how much longer he can keep working like this, and honestly that's a big part of why I'm thinking of stepping up now instead of waiting

So,

1. Is it even realistic for someone like me, fresh grad, zero Hindi and Kannada, to survive and actually run things in the Bangalore contracting world?
2. Can I realistically do all of this, farming, property flipping, and eventually the contracting business, or am I spreading myself too thin? If I start now, could I actually be in a position to take over fully in 4-5 years while having these other things running on the side too?
3. Given my dad's health situation, should I work alongside him for a year first to learn the ropes directly, or is it smarter to wait a few years and ease into it later?
4. To anyone in construction or real estate in India, is the long-term margin in specialized civil contracting worth leaving the tech sector entirely for?

Genuinely want honest opinions here, even the harsh ones. Thanks for your time.