Kolkata s only real estate magazine I Vol 9 I Issue 3 I ... · Developer: Arihant e developer...
Transcript of Kolkata s only real estate magazine I Vol 9 I Issue 3 I ... · Developer: Arihant e developer...
Kolkata’s only real estate magazine I Vol 9 I Issue 3 I October 2013
real-ties
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SECTOR VT H E G R E A T P O T E N T I A L O F
SUCCESS STORY:
South City MallSUCCESS STORY:
South City Mall
INTERVIEW WITH
harSh Patodia
ON INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN
THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR
INTERVIEW WITH
harSh Patodia
ON INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN
THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR
MK Jalan ON HOW ALIPORE
IS BECOMING KOLKATA’S
SAFEST PIN CODE!
MK Jalan ON HOW ALIPORE
IS BECOMING KOLKATA’S
SAFEST PIN CODE!
“KOLKATA WAS THE FIRST
GREAT MODERN CITY IN ASIA”
aMit Chaudhuri
“KOLKATA WAS THE FIRST
GREAT MODERN CITY IN ASIA”
aMit Chaudhuri
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K o l k a t a’s o n l y r e a l e s t a t e m a g a z i n e
To advertise: Call 033 4040 1010/6620 1010 | [email protected]
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opinion makers.Big spenders.
Prospective buyers.
Let your popularity soar with Eastern India’s biggest and most powerful real estate magazine.
Land area: 33 cottahs
Number of blocks: Single tower
Number of loors: 17
Number of lats: 16
Unit size: 4,377 – 4,815 sq. t
Open space: 81 percent
Completion time: April 2015
Location: Jodhpur Park
Developer: Arihant
he developer speaks: “Cavetto was conceived in a rather unique way. Ater building the city’s various landmarks for years, perhaps, it was apt to
ask ourselves, what was our dream abode? Cavetto is an expression of our shared vision. It ofers more than a contemporary lifestyle. It’s a diferent
way of life! Eye for minute construction and quality details, and unique planning, are the two hallmarks of this project which makes it so special.
Come, embrace the Cavetto life. We assure you, you will cherish the decision forever. A casual glance at the state-of-the-art elevation is sure to
leave you spellbound. he well-researched and unique features spoil you for choices. here is a triple height sky deck with glass railing, yoga
lawn, exclusive health club, air-conditioned banquet hall, executive lounge, beautiful landscaped gardens with jogging track, exquisitely decorated
double height entrance lobby to name a few. he superior inishing and premium ittings leave nothing to be desired.”
Arihant Cavetto
Jodhpur Park
C o n t a c t : 0 3 3 4 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 / 6 6 2 0 1 0 1 0 | E m a i l : s a l e s @ n k r e a l t o r s . c o m
October 2013 /real-ties/02
N. K. Realtors (P) Ltd.9, Elgin Road (4th Floor),Kolkata – 700020, IndiaTel: 033 4040 1030/6620 1010Web: www.nkrealtors.com
For feedback, write to us at [email protected]
DISCLAIMER
he publisher, contributors and editor
are not responsible in any way for the
actions or results taken by any person
or organisation on the basis of reading
information, stories or contributions in
this publication. he views expressed
are their own.
For all real estate queries, please call the
customer care at: 033 4040 1010/6620 1010 anytime between 8 a.m. to 10
p.m. (IST), 7 days a week.
Content published in Real-Ties is an
exclusive intellectual property of the
Department of Public Relations and
Corporate Communications –
N. K. Realtors Pvt. Ltd.
N.B. For free circulation, not for sale.
INSIDE
COVER STORy
Mudar Patherya explains how Sector V has emerged as a home for IT and non-IT companies in the last decade. With real estate becoming more expensive, he enquires whether the location has a future.
The great potential of
Sector V
Editor: Biplab Kumar
Co-ordinator: Sanjay Adhikary
Proof reader: Sandip Das
Distribution: Abhijit Kar and
Bandhu Sundar Ghosh
Database management: Sonti Nag
Advertising: Anuraj Dhar
(+91 9674107979)
Creative:
Cover photo: Roman Chakraborty
Q&A
President CREDAI Bengal Harsh
Patodia ofers an inclusive idea on
how to make the real estate’s growth
sustainable .......................................... 10
A Transforming pin code: Tangra
Raj Pasari explains how and why
Tangra has emerged on the map for
real estate developers ........................ 32
Riverside
Kirti Patodia explains why Unimark
Riviera is one of the most uniquely
conceived projects in Kolkata ......... 14
80-year old turns green and young!
How the heritage CESC House turned
the clock back ninety years through a
landmark green energy initiative .... 42
Interior Designer of the Quarter
Designer Swarup Dutta dissects
Jhaal Farezi, explaining how each
corner celebrates a vibrant Indian
culture................................................. 12
he great Bhubaneswar emergence
What makes Bhubaneswar the second
largest city in Eastern India? ............ 36
October 2013 /real-ties/03
Dear reader,
In Kolkata, there is always an ongoing struggle –
between a heritage quietly asserting itself and a future
that is strongly emerging.
his issue captures this reality faithfully.
here is Sector V that was once the exclusive preserve
of IT companies that is now evolving into a multi-
business commercial hub with exciting potential as
the region expects to get its irst metro link over the
next few years. he cover story of our issue not only
addresses this evolving character but also positions
Sector V as an economic driver of the future of the city.
here is a rich heritage presenting a case for heritage
properties, which is helping make Kolkata a distinctive
Indian city marrying diverse architectural inluences.
Is there a room for these properties in a Kolkata that
needs modernisation? Writer Amit Chaudhuri makes
an impassioned case for their preservation; in fact, he
goes to the extent to make a case for the preservation of
complete neighbourhoods.
Besides, CREDAI Bengal Chairman Harsh Patodia
presents an argument related to sectoral sustainability.
here is a growing focus on Tangra as an emerging
residential pin code which has been captured in
this issue. Do write in if you have observations or
suggestions at [email protected].
Wish you all a prosperous Diwali. Happy reading!
Team NK
Success Story: South City Mall
Man Mohan Bagree explains how
South City mall became the single
biggest Kolkata retail success story in
the last ive years ...............................46
Gossipwallah
What’s the grapevine in Kolkata’s real
estate sector? he proverbial ly on the
wall picks up interesting stuf .......... 50
Transforming neighbourhoods
Celebrated writer Amit Chaudhuri
explains how Kolkata is fast losing its
rich architectural heritage ............... 44
Freewheeling
Mudar Patherya ofers an interesting
choice for getting some excitement
back to life – active participation in
your building committee! ................ 54
Community Responsibility
MK Jalan talks about how electronic
surveillance has made Alipore Kolkata’s
safest pin code ....................................28
Leena Kejriwal’s old Kolkata
Ace photographer Leena Kejriwal
delves into the past and emerged with
beautiful images of a Calcutta long
forgotten ............................................ 16
Fire safety in high rises
How global building codes endure ire
safety in high-rises ............................ 20
Celebration time
N K Realtors honours its corporate
family members who have been a part
of its organisation over the last decade ..
...............................................................22
EDITORIAL
October 2013 /real-ties/06
SECTOR VT H E G R E A T P O T E N T I A L O F
October 2013 /real-ties/07
When a pebble drops in Sector V, the ripples are felt across Kolkata. For years, real estate pundits have
used this term to describe the inter-connectedness of
Kolkata with its principal sotware exporting pocket.
With good reason: it is estimated that 60 percent of
all real estate purchases in Kolkata are made by those
directly or indirectly associated with information
technology. Which means that as soon as a young
techie inds a job in Sector V or has been promoted, the
time has come to look for one’s own home. And sure
enough, the techie inds a mortgage inance company
to fund a large part of the purchase, a house (blueprint
really) is identiied, instalments addressed, construction
progressively completed and soon the techie has a home.
Over the last decade, a majority of some 70,000 such
professionals who have come to work in Sector V have
found themselves homes within this 432-acre pocket on
the Eastern fringe of Kolkata, creating a base for realty
in and around Sector V as well as across the city.
Something interesting has begun to transpire in the
last couple of years in Sector V. Realty prices have risen
signiicantly. Will this mean the gradual decline of
Sector V as a competitive export destination, gradually
slowing the realty sector? Will this mean an inlux of
more promoters keen to develop larger properties to
service the growing needs of the IT industry?
Read on.
Appreciation overdueSector V realty was priced at around ` 2,500 sq. t for
ownership and ` 25 a sq. t for renting about a decade
ago. By 2013, these rates had moved to ` 5,000 and
` 50 respectively.
hen came two triggers – the across-the-board increase
in realty prices in Kolkata, which made Sector V look
relatively cheap; the announcement that inally Sector V
would be connected by the proposed East-West Metro.
Suddenly, all those companies who had stayed away
from Sector V – on the grounds that the place was too
far – now began to consider this as the best emerging
place to work out of. “Sector V is already a mature tech-
town. In the next two years, the metro construction
should be complete, then it will deinitely be preferred
by companies for oices and the youngsters working
in the laSt deCade, SeCtor V in
KolKata haS eMerged aS a hoMe for
it and non-it CoMPanieS. With real
eState beCoMing More exPenSiVe,
doeS the PoCKet haVe a future,
aSKS Mudar Patherya
October 2013 /real-ties/08
in Sector V for their residence,” says Sushil Mohta,
Managing Director of Merlin Group of Companies.
In the last couple of years, there has been a convergence
of social and physical infrastructure in Sector V, which
has inevitably led to its reappraisal as a compelling
commercial destination. “here is an increasing
preference to work out of locations that provide places
to eat, relax and socialise, which has begun to happen
in Sector V of late,” says Ravindra Chamaria, Chairman
& Managing Director, Ininity Infotech Parks Limited.
“here is a greater recognition today among intending
corporates of the world-class assets that we established
a decade ago. As a result, those who engaged in cost-
beneit analyses vis-a-vis working out of Kolkata’s
central business district are more than willing to
relocate to Sector V now than before.”
Moving inhere are some compelling reasons that have swung
the argument in favour of Sector V. One, the Kolkata
IT pocket comprises at least eight buildings that have
been acknowledged as among the best in the country.
Two, the loor-to-loor distance of 4 m in each of these
buildings and loor-to-ceiling height of
four metres compares favourably with
4 m in the rest of Kolkata. hree, these
buildings provide a general span of 10 m
x 10 m which enhances space eiciency
compared with 6 to 8 m x 6 to 8 m in
Kolkata today. Four, these buildings
provide one parking lot for every 750
sq. t of built-up space compared with
Kolkata where most oices do not have
more than a handful of parking spaces.
Five, these buildings provide complete air-
conditioning, broadband, 100 percent power back-up
and cleaner air (on account of green building status for
most). Six, these buildings provide a 12,000 sq. t food
court, which serves the needs of the working population
compared with roadside eating in Kolkata’s CBD.
he result is that Sector V has now begun to draw
a diferent kind of customer: the non-IT company.
Bengal Shriram, the real estate company. Shyam Steel,
the growing steel and resources company. Lux Cozi,
the innerwear company from Burrabazar. “here is a
greater need for these companies to provide a superior
working environment to their people and Sector V
realty has been able to do just that,” explains Pawan
Agarwal of NK Realtors. “here was a time when the
Kolkata companies could not think beyond BBD Bag.
he transition has begun to happen.”
Losing character? Which brings us to next important question: Will the
growing inlux of non-IT companies in Sector V reduce
the availability of realty for IT and ITeS businesses? Will
the provision of 20 percent of realty space for non-IT
businesses be exceeded and consequently erode the IT
character of this Kolkata geography?
Two factors could protect the competitiveness of Sector
V, according to Ravindra Chamaria, the man credited
for having put Sector V on the map following his
landmark Ininity Tower One which was built in the
year 2000. “Even in a place like Topsia, the going rate
for commercial property is ` 85 per sq. feet while it is
` 40-45 per sq. feet in Sector V for considerably better
property, which indicates that the latter location still
provides superior value. Besides, a comparable place in
Bangalore is priced at ` 60-65 per sq. t, which makes
Sector V nationally competitive. In fact, I would go to
the point of saying that Sector V provides one of the
most competitive holistic sotware development costs
in the country - transport cost per Sector V employee
is not much more than ` 500 per month while the
corresponding igure for a place like Bangalore is
` 1,500; besides, employee remuneration in Sector V
is 15 percent more competitive than in Bangalore or
Hyderabad. Plus our workspace quality in Sector V is
much better than the national average. So there is a
strong case for Sector V to a preferred IT-
BPO workplace over the foreseeable future.”
Mr Chamaria is putting his money where
his mouth is. His company, Ininity Infotech
Parks Limited, owns four commercial
buildings (3.5 mn sq. t) in Sector V (two of
them are platinum rated green buildings).
“Looking at the brighter side, Sector V has
become a big business hub with various
IT and infrastructure companies stationed
there,” explains Pradeep Sureka, Managing
Director of the Sureka Group. “It is not
considered far because people are considering moving
to Rajarhat with the coming of the metro rail. he
preference for Sector V is better than Dalhousie now.
Even if there is an IT slowdown, the location will do
well as a working place.”
So if Sector V is to do better even as a non-IT location,
the immediate demand is that the cap on non-IT
companies in Sector V be relaxed. here is a growing
school of thought that indicates that a 40-50 percent
proportion of non-IT companies should be ideal.
“Currently, it is only 20 percent which is amongst the
lowest in India,” explains Sushil Mohta, Managing
Director of Merlin Properties. “he ‘IT only’ tag should
be removed and it should be open to all as the IT and
ITeS companies largely depend on non-IT companies. If
both are there, the area will get a illip.”
he blockers Wherever there is opportunity, can problems be far
behind? “Sector V is the new Dalhousie of Kolkata but
the large problem are the roads,” says Professor Jayanta
he Kolkata IT pocket
comprises at least eight
buildings that have been
acknowledged as among
the best in the country.
October 2013 /real-ties/09
Nath Mukhopadhyay, Dean, Globsyn Crystals. “he
roads are like a para ka gali. he power, net and other
basic facilities are good but the roads and encroachment
are deinitely an issue.”
his apathy is everywhere. It starts from the moment
you enter Sector V. A bus stops in the middle of the
road, bringing all trailing traic to a stop. Pavements
are dominated by hovels masquerading as eateries. It is
diicult to ind parking space. he policeman is almost
non-existent. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes to get across
100 m. “Sector V is Hong Kong inside the buildings and
the ghats of Benaras on the outside. One MNC customer
who came into Kolkata looking for IT property, saw
the mess, asked the driver to make an about-turn to the
airport and lew back,” says Ravindra Chamaria.
Sushil Mohta is more emphatic. “All you see are hawkers,
hawkers and hawkers! When entrepreneurs and overseas
companies come to see the oice spaces in Sector V, it
gives a bad impression,” says Sushil Mohta. “Any city or
urban infrastructure is like a showcase for the state. If you
go to a shop and see a good show window, you’ll enter
but if the show window is messy, you will think twice
before coming in. his is the image of Sector V. We need
to make our urban fabric nice and clean. We need clean,
well-maintained roads. Unless we take steps to correct the
state of the infrastructure there, it’ll be diicult to attract
the MNCs who will be reluctant coming into a town
whose basic amenities are shoddy!”
However, there is hope. he Nabadiganta Industrial
Township Authority (NDITA) has decided to repair
seven major roads in Sector V. “Repair work for seven
roads will be taken up for high-grade mastic asphalt
for which ` 15 crore will be spent. Tenders for the
road repair work will be loated within the next couple
of days and all the tenders will be e-tenders,” said
NDITA chairman Alapan Bandyopadhayay, adding that
repair work of other roads will also be taken up which
amounts to around ` 1 crore. All the important stretches
like the road leading to Rajarhat from Salt Lake Bypass
via SDF building and the one leading to Webel Bhavan
among others will be beneitted.
he take-of Interestingly, Kolkata’s IT-BPO industry is now waiting
for the clean-up to happen. It is proceeding to create
infrastructure in anticipation. Even though Sector V has
a 70 percent occupancy today with 70,000 engineers,
it has the infrastructure to house 200,000 engineers in
three years based on the reality that annual employment
growth in Sector V is a steady 20-25 percent.
his means that in a few years from now if Sector V
occupancy increases to 100 percent of the enhanced
infrastructure capacity, then exports, which took
more than a decade to get to nearly ` 7,000 crore, can
potentially treble in half that time.
Creating an unprecedented demand for new homes and
lifestyles catering to a new generation of knowledge
workers.
Seven changes that can graduate Sector V into the next league
By Sushil Mohta
Managing Director
Merlin Group
1 Clean the roads: What is needed is regular road
repair and maintenance.
2 Make proper parking lots for taxi stands and
buses.
3 Provision for Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRT)
in and around the E. M. Bypass with dedicated
bus tracks.
4 Forbid autos and taxis from parking on the
road.
5 Have some percentage of land dedicated to auto
terminals, bus terminals and taxi terminals.
6 Introduce signages indicating designated
parking zones.
7 Provide food kiosks to vendors and educate
them on health and hygiene. Create a hawkers’
corner like in hailand and Singapore.
Technopolis - Kolkata’s irst green IT park
October 2013 /real-ties/10
For decades, the crème de la crème of
Kolkata’s real estate industry marketed
properties for the crème de la crème.
he high-end catering to the high-end.
However, refreshing winds of change are
beginning to blow.
Harsh Patodia, Chairman and Managing
Director, Unimark Group and President
Credai Bengal has an inclusive idea to ofer
to make the sector’s growth sustainable. He
explains the idea in an interview.
Q What is the gist of your broad idea of
industry growth?
In two words – inclusive growth. For decades, the
largest real estate players in Bengal have marketed
properties for the high-end of customers. We inally
have a suggestion on how the largest can make
properties also for the bottom rung of the market
without that afecting their sustainability.
Q How is this likely to be
possible?
Bengal is one of the few states in the
country where the Urban Land Control
Regulation Act is still prevalent. Over the
decades, successive Bengal governments
have felt that the ULCRA has played
a responsible role in curbing speculative land
acquisition and pricing. he reality is that the Act
makes it diicult to acquire large land tracts. he
result is that the large low income housing projects
are virtually non-existent in West Bengal. he time
has come to correct this reality.
Q hrough what speciic initiatives?
A really simple idea. Let us say that I intend to
launch a project on a property that is larger than
what is speciied under the ULCRA. In
this case, I should be required to go to
the government for permission to build
on it. he government should be willing
to provide me with permission provided
I can set aside a certain percentage of
the area for low-income customers and
for social uplitment projects (vocational
training, crèche, heathcare among others).
his arrangement would ensure that the
interests of the high and low-income customers
would be jointly addressed within the same business
model.
he government should be willing
to provide me with permission
provided I can set aside a certain
percentage of the area for low
income customers and for social
uplitment projects (vocational
training, crèche, heath care etc.).
Q&A
October 2013 /real-ties/11
QWhy is this an idea whose time has
come?
For some good reasons. One, a large
percent of the shortage of homes in India
is drawn from the lower income segment.
Two, urban migration is increasing; the
proportion of India that lives in its urban
centres has increased from 21 percent in
2001 to 24 percent in 2011 (Source: IIHS
Analysis based on Census of India, 2011) -
and likely to rise further, which makes
it imperative for the country to be able
to provide homes to accommodate the
inlow. hree, it is increasingly evident
that one of the best ways to ensure
local safety is by empowering people to buy their
homes, so the moment one can solve this problem
for the population’s majority, you inevitably create a
foundation based on social security.
QWhy is this particularly relevant for
West Bengal today?
To answer this, one must be able to link
opportunities related to ULCRA with the low-
cost home problem. When you work without the
ULCRA, one is immediately able to create large
properties where it is possible to amortise focused
costs more efectively and hence price properties
more afordably. So the catch lies in being able to
weave a solution that makes it possible for builders to
ofer low cost housing in the state without removing
the ULCRA.
Q Is it possible?
Absolutely! Just consider: I want to build on a 50 acre
property, which would be much higher than what
would be permitted by ULCRA. All I would now
have to do is request the government for a relevant
permission. he permission could be as follows:
permission to be granted only if the builder promises
to leave aside a certain percentage of the area for low
income housing where the selling price is already set
by the government and a certain percentage of the
area for a social infrastructure project that enhances
vocational training or employment. his would be a
win-win proposition – for the government, consumer,
builder and community.
QHasn’t this been tried earlier as part of the government mixed-income residential
projects?
yes, it has but there were some handicaps
in the earlier model – this could only be
attempted on land that the government
owned, which was subsequently developed
by private builders in a collaborative
model. he time has come for this new
alternative, which makes the private
builder responsible for procuring the
land without government intervention and reserves
the government’s role to that of a policy-making
facilitator.
QWhy do you think this model has a future?
Because it is sustainable. No builder will like to
build properties and sell them for a fraction of the
prevailing value if there is an option to market them
at higher prices. But if there were an incentive – as
one that has been proposed - there would be a
greater builders’ interest in doing so. Besides, low-
income buyers would get good quality homes with
amenities they otherwise could never have imagined!
QWhat are some of the other advantages likely to emerge from this?
he one point that most people would not even
consider at irst is that this is perhaps the most
efective way of transferring a community from a
non-gated environment to a gated environment.
When people shit from residential paras into
standalone buildings, they lose a sense of
community. his proposal makes it possible to retain
the sense of community; just look at what happened
in Sherwood Estate where you now have 1,300
families within one vibrant complex - that is the
future for a state like West Bengal.
Advantages
of the model
Pioneering
model in India
Inclusive
model
Infrastructural
growth
Social
uplitment of
the locality
Addresses the
government’s
priority of
facilitating
residential
needs of lower
income buyers
Higher tax
collection
from such
properties
Strong
community
beneit
Permission could be granted only
if the builder promises to leave
aside a certain percentage of the
area for low-income housing
where the selling price is already
set by the government and a
certain percentage of the area
for a social infrastructure project
that enhances vocational training
or employment.
October 2013 /real-ties/12
Stainless Steel Commode. 1,700-Wine Bottle Chandelier. ‘Ay
Babua’. And Food...A conversAtion with designer And scenogrApher swArup duttA on the crAzy
10,000 sq feet JhAAl fArezi restAurAnt, winner of ‘the telegrAph AwArd’ for the best debutAnte KolKAtA restAurAnt.
People don’t go to Jhaal Farezi to eat; they go to stare at the walls. hey don’t just walk and get a table;
they need to book three days in advance at times. he ‘wow’ of a makeover of an old bungalow (one
usually didn’t look at twice) into a retro showpiece by architect Channa Daswatte was stewarded to its
logical conclusion by visualiser and interior designer Swarup Dutta.
he themeHarsh Neotia bought this old bungalow near the seven-
point Park Circus junction with the objective to create
a dining experience with a visual novelty. Since the site
for the restaurant was an 80-year-old colonial bungalow,
I was briefed to preserve the original structure and
recreate the interiors with diferent ambiences, blending
with the exteriors being restored by architect Channa
Daswatte. he research took two months
coupled with six months for restoration
and eight months for execution.
he unusual First, the theme. Seldom do spaces celebrate
the country and its folk culture. If you go
to an Italian restaurant in Kolkata, you’ll
see Italian artwork. Why not celebrate
our culture for a change? Most people
would have stuck with Bollywood but
India is more than just Bollywood. So we
concentrated on folk music and cultural
nuances generally ignored. For example,
the café has a number of posters with
Bhojpuri double-meaning songs; no better place than
Kolkata to celebrate this inspired by migrant labourers
from Bihar and UP staying together in their ‘mess’
(bachelors’ pad). So a lot of their songs and dances had
sexual overtones. We named the series ‘Rough songs
of the mango people.’ We juxtaposed these images with
images of Kalighat ‘patas’ from around the Kalighat
Temple of 150 years ago. We also developed a ‘signage
on platters’ stating ‘Khao Piyo Jiyo’. In the music room,
we used handcrated appliqué work from Odisha and
Barmer complemented with posters of Bollywood songs
and lyrics. hen we used neon lights reminiscent of
old Kolkata. We developed an artwork of neon letters
on multi-coloured wooden platter celebrating Ghalib’s
“Hazaaron khwaaishey aisi ki har khwaaish pe dum nikle.”
We created a chandelier comprising 1,700 recyclable
wine bottles. he exposed brickwork café décor was
inspired by the city’s industrial past.
Five crazy cornersTable for two in the café hidden from the
rest (intimate conversations!). Barber chairs
and poofs for a casual adda. Sitting hand-
in-hand in the music room. Fine dining in
the ‘mela room’ under the 1,700 wine-bottle
chandelier (objects from fairs, rustic tables,
Murshidabad geometric kantha upholstery,
ancestral portraits trivialised by quirky
dolls). Drama queen room for kitty parties.
Five whacky objectsSalacious Bhojpuri posters. Turn-of-the-
century drating tables used in ine dining.
We kept the old oxidised red looring and
stained glass windows. Old bottle jar light chandelier
in the mocktail bar area. he 1,700 recycled wine bottle
chandelier. he checker plate toilets with stainless steel
commode! he bar lightings made from buckets and
funnels put on industries pulleys.
Café, fine dining, music room and alfresco terrace garden with a sit-out.42, Circus Avenue, Kolkata, Phone: 6502 0202 www.jhaalfarezi.in
“We developed an artwork of neon
letters on multi-coloured wooden
platter celebrating Ghalib’s
Hazaaron khwaishey aisi ki har
khwaish pe dum nikle.”
– Swarup Dutta
October 2013 /real-ties/13
October 2013 /real-ties/14
RiversideAn enterprise by the Heritage Realty Group,
Unimark was founded by Mr. Harsh Vardhan Patodia
(President CREDAI Bengal and Vice President
CREDAI National). Unimark’s project portfolio of
over ten million square feet comprises projects such as
he Unimark Asian (Nominated for WAN Awards),
he Unimark Grand, Ramsnehi Unimark Tower,
Eternia, Sherwood Estate (CNBC Crisil Award for
Best Residential Complex in Eastern India), Trinity,
Heritage Mayfair (Brick and Mortar Award for Best
Property). We now would like to present Unimark
Riviera, a premier residential development located on
the banks of the Ganges River in Uttarpara designed
to completely surpass all expectations and present the
river to you unlike anything before.
Unimark Riviera �Address: 20 & 22 B Grand Trunk Road, Uttarpara, West Bengal - 712253
Apartments: Approximately 500
Towers (5): Affinia, Regalia, Marina, Luxuria and Oceania Options for sky terraces and private gardens
Promoter: Unimark
Contact: 033 4040 1010/6620 1010
Email: [email protected]
Kirti PatodiaDirector, Unimark
unimArK is one of KolKAtA’s lArgest reAl estAte development compAnies with proJects Across residentiAl, commerciAl, industriAl, retAil
And entertAinment verticAls.
October 2013 /real-ties/15
What makes Unimark Riviera unique?Unimark Riviera is a convergence of a number of
unique realities.
he location in Uttarpara is close to upcoming
infrastructure projects such as the Dakshineshwar
Metro Station, well connected via the Bally Bridge
and has a lovely view of the Dakshineshwar Temple.
his makes it one of the irst instances of a full-ledged
integrated high-rise riverside real estate ofering in the
area.
A distinctive value-for-money proposition comes with
Unimark Riviera: 2-BHK and 3-BHK apartments across
a variety of price categories and a residential club: River
Island equipped with seven-star luxury facilities and
amenities. hese amenities comprise a high-tech gym,
ininity-edge swimming pool, children’s splash pool,
spa/steam and massage room, yoga-cum-meditation
hall, indoor games area, sports area, club lounge,
riverside cycling and jogging track, outdoor games area,
riverside promenade, in-house cafeteria, mini-movie
theatre and an air-conditioned banquet hall.
Unimark Riviera enjoys over 500 feet of riverside
frontage, with over 90 percent of the apartments having
direct river views. his gives our homeowners the
opportunity to witness the sunrise every morning along
the banks of the river.
he unique international architecture by Mr. Stephen
Coates (of the award-winning Acta International based
in Singapore) and Mr. Raj Agarwal as well as landscape
design by Mr. Brendon Chamberlain (of WAHO
Design) complements the magniicence of the river.
Unimark Riviera is also integrated with Unimark
Square, which ofers over 70,000 sq. t. of premium
retail and commercial space with provisions for banks,
pharmacies, restaurants, cafes, entertainment and retail
outlets as well as general stores to provide a living
experience with amazing access to a number of facilities
at one’s doorstep.
What is the big message that you want to send out?hat this is the irst time that a world-class, high value
proposition is being extended to suburban Kolkata.
hat Unimark Riviera is a one-of-a-kind project with
a brilliant and innovative design, a luxury lifestyle
component and an amazing connection with nature.
Unimark Riviera has something
for everyone - a great choice for
homeowners.
Unimark Riviera has
over 500 feet of riverside
frontage, with over 90
percent of the apartments
having direct river views.
October 2013 /real-ties/16
Leena Kejriwal (b.1968) is one of Kolkata’s most prominent photographers
and installation artists. Brand ambassador for Fuji India. Artist-in-residence
in France. Her seminal work Calcutta: Repossessing the City was launched as
a book in 2007. Her work was a part of Sotheby’s Spring Asian Art auction in
March 2009. She also created a two-part photography installation called East
City for Birla Academy of Art and Culture in February 2010. he show was
displayed in New Delhi as Entropic Sites (January 2011), in Iran as I saw that
which remained unseen (June 2011) and its latest version in Berlin as When
violence became decadent.
Leena Kejriwal
LEENA KEJRIWAL’SOLD KOLKATA
he Sovabazar Rajbari.
October 2013 /real-ties/17
“i have put down a collection here which highlights Kolkata’s quirkiness to me, which i think is its main usp. i won’t exchange it for any glass and steel structure. to me, development is about cleaner and organised spaces within the basic character of a space. it’s not necessary to bulldoze down a existing structure, if not required, in the name of development.”
October 2013 /real-ties/18
October 2013 /real-ties/19
October 2013 /real-ties/20
Fire s afSince super tall buildings have high facades, worldwide building codes require the distance between an emergency vehicular access and fire service access point to be not longer than 10-18 metres. The
fire department of Pune Municipal Corporation inducted an imported fire tender (70 m hydraulic platform with capacity to douse fires at 100 m) at a cost of INR 110 million.
Fire safety in Hong Kong
he refuge loor concept was introduced in 1996. By
using an intermediate refuge loor (1.5x1.5 m) within
a certain number of loors, occupants can reach a
temporary place of safety within 10 loors.
he China Fire Safety Code requires a
refuge loor to be constructed in buildings
above 30 m.
he Guideline for Very Tall Buildings
(SFPE 2012) and the China Fire Code
state that a multiplication factor should be
used to estimate the Required Safe Egress
Time (RSET- the time required to escape
to a safe place) of super tall buildings
as occupants may require more time to
escape.
In Hong Kong, owners of ire service
installations are obliged to employ a
registered FSI contractor to inspect the FSI
of the building once every 12 months.
50-storeyed One New York Plaza
August 15, 1970. Two guards and an employee took an
elevator from the 32nd loor to the 39th loor to notify
occupants of a ire. Because the elevator was called to
the ire loor by the ire, the elevator stopped at the 33rd
loor. he two guards died.
Lessons: Revolutionised the automatic elevator recall,
resistance of elevator call buttons to ire or
smoke and facilitating elevators to the ‘home’
loor manually by a key-operated switch.
21-storeyed MGM Grand Hotel
November 21, 1980. A ire resulted in 85
deaths and 600 injuries Lessons: Protection
for seismic joints, combustibles for concealed
spaces in ire resistive and non-combustible
buildings, protection for vertical openings
(including the stairways and elevator shats)
to limit smoke and ire between loors,
protection for HVAC systems to curb ire
distribution, pre-ire emergency plans for
large assembly buildings and creation of
stairway doors to facilitate re-entry at no
more than ive loor intervals.
In Hong Kong, owners of
ire service installations
are obliged to employ a
registered FSI contractor
to inspect the FSI of the
building once every
12 months.
October 2013 /real-ties/21
ire s afetyAt 104 metres, the 27-storeyed Belair is not just the second highest structure in Kolkata housing
some of the city’s most affluent individuals. It is also one of the safest, considering the safety-related investments that have gone into it. Amrit Banerjee, Facility Manager, explains why the building is
technologically sound when it comes to fire safety.
Exit and entry: “Even as we have one entry and
one exit point, these are 26 feet wide. However, for the
basement, we have three entrance and exit points.”
Redundancy: “To facilitate the evacuation and alarm
system, we have two staircases as per the
ire norms. We have ire refuse areas on
the 6th, 11th and 16th loors. Besides, we
invested in four types of ire extinguishers
(water-based, carbon-dioxide, ABC and
mechanical foam). We have two ire high
hydrant points and one hose reel point.
Every lobby has a hose wheel (length 30
m) that is easy to use. We have a jockey
pump (75 HP), stand by pump, sprinkler
pump and main pump (110HP each)
which is checked during the ire drill.”
Alarm system: “Every lobby and every
service lit has an alarm system. When
there is an incidence of smoke, the alarm
is activated and shows which loor the
smoke is coming from on my panel.
Every loor including the basement has
sprinklers to address the ire immediately
well before the hose or extinguishers can
be activated.”
Fire training services: “Every month we have
a ire drill conducted by an agency called Dexter &
Consultants. Every four months we have ire drills
involving the residents wherein we light an actual ire
and ask them to counter it. he result? All our residents
and employees (light man, drivers, security guards etc.)
possess a hands-on training and experience to put out
ires.”
Experience: “here was a ire on the 15th loor a
couple of days ago. he staf put the ire
out in about 15 minutes even before the
ire brigade arrived. In another incident
involving an electrical short circuit, the
ire was put out in seconds. No panic.”
Brands: “All the extinguishers and
ireighting equipment are of the
renowned Ceaseire, Fire Shield and
FirePro brands. We purchased Ceaseire
equipment because it works wonders. On
every loor, you will ind a water-based
(Fire Shield make) and an ABC Ceaseire
extinguisher in addition to hoses reel and
hydrants.”
Investments: “We invested around
` 400,000 in top-grade ire extinguishers
(CO2, ABC and mechanical foam).”
Provisions: “We have three lits and if
there is a ire anywhere in the building,
the ire alarm goes of. We also have a
high pressure fan which sucks the smoke and releases
fresh air into the atmosphere so that no one sufocates.
We have six air fresheners in the basement and three
blowers in the building that helps us keep the CO2 level
at a normal level.”
“Our mantra at Belair:
Stay calm!”
October 2013 /real-ties/22
Celebration timeon 27th september 2013, nK realtors celebrated the achievements of its family members.
NK family members who completed 10 years with the organisation were honoured.
NK family members were awarded and appreciated for exceling in their respective spheres.
he developer speaks: “he biggest USP of the project is a big water body within the premises. his will be preserved, beautiied
and maintained. A pedestrian track maybe added around the water body for walkers and joggers. he size of the project is also a
diferentiator: no such mass housing projects are being undertaken within 3 kms. he project encapsulates highly attractive group
housing for home seekers in these suburbs. Situated in a densely inhabited area with a proper market place in the vicinity, it ofers
a rear entry from Kalyani Expressway, as well.”
Land area: 1,000 cottahs
Number of blocks: 30
(Phase I – 7 blocks)
Number of loors: G+11
Number of lats: 2,000-plus units
Unit size: 855-1,225 sq. t
Open space: 80 percent
Completion time: March 2018
Location: Old Calcutta Road, near Rahara Ram Krishna Mission School
Developer: Siddha Group
Khardah
C o n t a c t : 0 3 3 4 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 / 6 6 2 0 1 0 1 0 | E m a i l : s a l e s @ n k r e a l t o r s . c o m
October 2013 /real-ties/24
CURRENT MARKET TRENDS
Areas Price (`)
Garia 4,500 – 5,000
Boral 3,000 – 3,500
Narendrapur 3,000 – 3,500
Sonarpur 2,500 – 3,000
Jagaddal 2,200 – 2,450
Baruipur 1,800 – 2,000
Kamalgazi 3,400 - 3,900
EM Bypass, Kumrakhali 4,000 – 5,000
Bansdroni 5,500 – 6,200
Kudghat 5,500 – 7,000
Naktala 3,500 – 5,000
Kasba 4,500 – 6,000
Picnic Garden 4,200 – 5,700
Behala 2,350 – 4,500
DH Road 3,700 – 4,000
hakurpukur 2,300 – 3,800
Joka 2,800 – 3,200
Maheshtala 2,500 – 3,000
Areas Price (`)
Hatibagan 6,400 – 7,000
Laketown 6,000 – 6,500
VIP (Near Haldiram) 5,500 – 6,500
Sealdah 6,500 – 7,000
Barasat 2,000 – 2,800
Keshtopur 3,000 – 3,600
Madhyamgram 2,400 – 3,200
Kaikhali 3,000 – 4,500
BT Road, Dunlop 3,000 – 4,200
Birati 2,300 – 3,500
Dumdum Nagerbazar 4,200 – 5,800
Baguiati 3,000 – 5,000
Khardah 2,200 – 2,500
Areas Price (`)
Chinar Park 4,000 – 4,250
91 Bus route 2,600 – 3,750
Rajarhat Chowmatha 2,400 – 3,200
211 Bus Route 3,500 – 4,250
Kochpukur 3,900 – 4,100
New Town Action Area II 3,800 – 4,200
New Town Action Area I 4,800 – 5,700
New Town Action Area III 3,700 – 3,900
` 45 – 60 lac
Area: VIP Road
` 50 – 55 lac
Area: Salt Lake
` 80 – 100 lac
Area: Jodhpur Park
` 50 – 80 lac
Area: Jadavpur
` 35 – 50 lac
Area: Tollygunge
` 5,100 – 8,700Area: Tangra
` 4,700 – 8,700Area: Topsia
` 9,000 – 11,000Area: Park Circus
Category A+
` 4 crore aboveAreas: Gurusaday Road, B.C.Road,
Mayfair Road, Ballygunge Park Road,
Ballygunge Park, Queens Park, Sunny
Park, Ironside, Alipore, heatre Road,
Southern Avenue.
Category A
` 1.5-4 croreAreas: Ballygunge Place, Palm Avenue,
Palm Place, Ballygunge Phari, Gariahat,
Mandeville Gardens, Bhowanipore,
New Alipore, EM Bypass, Kankurgachi,
Tollygunge, Prince Anwar Shah Road,
Jodhpur Park, Topsia.
KOLKATA
lAnd – KolKAtA (rAte/cottAh)
residentiAl - centrAl KolKAtA
hi-end residentiAl
residentiAl - south KolKAtA
Location Rate/cottah (`)
Behala 25 – 55 lac
Garia 20 – 30 lac
Narendrapur 12 – 20 lac
Rajpur/Harinavi 7 – 12 lac
Sonarpur 3 – 15 lac
hakurpukur 20 – 30 lac
Joka 12 – 18 lac
Pailan 5 – 8 lac
DH Road ater IIM 5 – 18 lac
Kona 10 – 15 lac
Jessore Road 15 – 30 lac
BT Road 20 – 30 lac
Madhyamgram 12 – 20 lac
Baruipur 3 – 12 lac
Boral 5 – 8 lac
lAnd - other AreAs
residentiAl - north KolKAtA
residentiAl - rAJArhAt & new town
Location Lease rate/sq. t (`)
South Kolkata 250 – 450
East Kolkata 200 – 450
New Town, Rajarhat 175 – 250
Central Kolkata 350 – 450
Barasat 125 – 150
Narendrapur 50 – 80
Garia 90 – 100
Howrah 150 – 250
retAil – KolKAtA
Rental rates in malls
Location Lease rate/sq. t (`)
Park Street 300 – 450
Camac Street 250 – 450
Elgin Road 250 – 320
heatre Road 180 – 250
AJC Bose Road 170 – 220
Rajdanga Road 150 – 170
Rasbehari Avenue 180 – 250
Sonarpur 50 – 70
Narendrapur 50 – 70
Howrah 100 – 150
retAil – KolKAtA
Rental rates in high street
Location Price (`)
Uttarpara 2,600 - 4,500
Howrah 5,000 - 6,500
residentiAl - howrAh & hooghly
October 2013 /real-ties/25
Category CBD
` 80-150Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Dalhousie, Park Street, Camac Street, Elgin Road, Minto Park, Chowringhee, AJC Bose Road
Category CBD
` 65-85Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Park Circus
Category CBD
` 65-75Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Mallick Bazar
Category CBD
` 90-100Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: heatre Road
Category SBD
` 75-85Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Topsia, Ruby & Kasba
Category SBD
` 85-100Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Gariahat
Category SBD
` 80-100Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Harish Mukherjee Road
Category Business Park
` 42-50Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Saltlake Sector 5
Category Business Park
` 30-45Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: New Town, Rajarhat
Location Rate/sq. t (`)
Ullhas More – East Zone 2,800-2,900
Tikorhat – Central Zone 2,300-2,500
Radhanagar – Central Zone 2,800-2,900
Policeline More – East Zone 2,500-2,800
Renaissance – North Zone 2,150-2,350
zone-wise residentiAl rAtes zone-wise residentiAl rAtes
Location Rate/cottah (`)
Beside NH 2 Medical College
5 lac
Station Area 7 – 8 lac
Kanchannagar 3 lac
lAnd – burdwAn
` 45 – 50Rate/sq. t
Areas: Burdwan Town
retAil: rentAl rAtes in mAlls
` 40 – 45Rate/sq. t
Areas: Burdwan Town
retAil: rentAl rAtes in high street
` 225 – 275Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Janpath
retAil: rentAl rAtes in high street
` 26 – 28Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: Burdwan Road
commerciAl – burdwAn
commerciAl – KolKAtA
BURDWAN BHUBANESWAR
` 7 – 10Rate/cottah
Areas: NH 31 - North Bengal University
lAnd – siliguri
SILIGURI
Location Rate/sq. t (`)
NH-5 near Iskcon Temple 5,000 – 5,500
Patia 2,800 – 3,500
Ranga Bazar
(Nearer to NH-203i by pass)
1,600 – 2,200
Jatni Road close to Lingaraj
(Sunderpada)
1,600 – 2,100
Rasulgarh (Bhubaneswar
Cuttack NH-5)
2,100 – 3,500
Dumduma 2,900 – 4,000
Tankapani Road 3,200 – 3,600
Ghatikhia (Khandagiri
adjacent area-II)
2,700 – 4,100
Pipili (NH-203) 1,600 – 2,200
Andharua 1,600 – 2,400
retAil – rentAl rAtes in mAlls
Location Lease rate/sq. t (`)
Janpath 130 – 150
Pearl Heights at Jaidev
Vihar
80 – 100
commerciAl – bhubAneswAr
Location Lease rate/sq. t (`)
Shahid Nagar 35-40
VIP Colony 25-30
Khandagiri 20-25
Nayapalli 30-40
Barmunda 35-60
Kharvel Nagar 40-45
Jaidev Vihar 40-50
Janpath 60-85
he end-user’s search for the perfect home is driving the current real estate scenario. People are primarily driven by the infrastructural facilities. Previously, the middle class population had fewer options of commuting from the suburbs to the central business district, but not any longer. he improvement in transportation and communication in Kolkata has paved way for the real estate developers to think of building homes in areas beyond the city limits. Consequently, afordable projects have come up in various suburban areas.
October 2013 /real-ties/26
Location Rate/sq. t (`)
City Centre 3,100-3,300
Bidhan Nagar 2,400-2,650
Durgapur Station 1,900-2,000
Bamunara 1,650-2,000
Link road 2,200-2,450
Sobhapur 2,700
Muchipara 2,245
Location Rate/sq. t (`)
Dhadka Road 1,830-1,860
G.T. Road, Kumarpur 2,000-2,150
Senraleigh Road 2,250-2,350
Apcar Garden 2,200-2,300
Garai Road 2,050-2,150
Location Rate/sq. t (`)
Centrum Mall 50 – 80
Galaxy Mall 70 – 80
lAnd – bhubAneswAr zone-wise residentiAl rAtes
Location Rate/Cottah (`)
Suburb of Bidhan Nagar 3 - 6 lac
Bidhan Nagar 10 - 12 lac
City Centre (near Big Bazar)
15 - 20 lac
City Centre (near Junction Mall)
15 - 20 lac
Andal, Airport City 4 lac
lAnd – durgApur
zone-wise residentiAl rAtes
retAil – monthly rentAl rAtes in mAlls
commerciAl – AsAnsol
Location Rate/sq. t (`)
NH-5 Near Iskcon Temple 25 lac
Patia 12 – 14 lac (on main
road)5 – 7 lac
(areas 500m inside)
Ranga Bazar (Near NH-203i bypass)
3.5 – 5 lac
Jatni Road close to Lingaraj (Sunderpada)
2.5 – 3.5 lac
Rasulgarh (Bhubaneswar Cuttack NH-5)
6.5 lac
Dumduma 8 lac
Tankapani Road 3.5 – 5 lac
Ghatikhia (Khandagiri adjacent area- Infosys II)
6.5 – 13 lac
Pipili (NH-203) 3 – 5 lac
Andharua 5 lac
BHUBANESWAR DURGAPUR
ASANSOL
Location Lease rate/sq. t (`)
GT Road Near Gopalpur 16
GT Road, Murgasol 30
Rambandhu Talab 90
` 50 – 70Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: G.T. Road
retAil: rentAl rAtes in high street
` 32 – 45Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: City Centre
commerciAl
` 50 – 70Lease rate/sq. t
Areas: City Centre
retAil: rentAl rAtes in high street
` 50 – 70Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: Benachity
` 60 – 120Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: City Centre
retAil: rentAl rAtes in mAlls
GUWAHATI
` 80 – 100Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: Zoo Road
` 150 – 200Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: G.S. Road
retAil: rentAl rAtes in high street
` 1 – 2 CroreRate/cottah
Areas: G.S. Road
` 7 – 8 lacRate/cottah
Areas: Zoo Road
lAnd – guwAhAti
` 150 – 250Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: G.S. Road
retAil: rentAl rAtes in mAlls
` 200 – 250(Ground Floor)
Lease rate/sq. t/month
Areas: G.S. Road
commerciAl – guwAhAti
` 80 – 100Rate/sq. t/month
Areas: Paltan Bazar
` 180 – 200(Ground Floor)
Lease rate/sq. t/month
Areas: Zoo Road
Source: NK Realtors, Survey period: September 2013.
October 2013 /real-ties/27
October 2013 /real-ties/28
Alipore: Kolkata’s safest pin
code!
Q: Why is this electronic surveillance of Alipore at all necessary?A: here is a simple answer to this. Following the
abduction of a senior business personality and the
pursuit of one of the city’s leading industrialists, a
certain scare descended on Alipore. Every prominent
businessman or industrialist living in Alipore began
to feel insecure. he result is that most
of their homes became fortresses. he
message became increasingly clear: either
all those who live in Alipore recruited
dedicated security agencies to guard their
homes or invested in collective surveillance
with minimal security. Either all those who
live in Alipore did so in collective fear or
invested in a security provision that made
it possible for them to breathe easier.
Q: What is the nature of this security provision?A: his security provision comprises 116 electronic
surveillance cameras in strategic Alipore locations.
Q: What is the footprint of this surveillance
system?A: he footprint extends from the Police Training
School at the start of AJC Bose Road at the Northern
end to Majerhat Bridge at the Southern end covering
3.84 sq km. Nearly 70 percent of Alipore has been
covered by this footprint.
Q: How many hours does the system work?
A: he system works 24x7. here is no downtime
Q: What ‘memory’ does the system possess?A: he system retains a week’s recordings on its system;
excerpts can be extracted and saved on
the hard disk for an interminable period
thereater.
Q: How efective (or powerful) is the
system?
A: One can answer this from various
perspectives. he system is powerful
enough to locate residents sitting inside
a vehicle, ‘capture’ car numbers, identify
petty criminals and provide citizens with
a recourse that is as close to all-seeing on
the roads as one can ind. here is another perspective
as well. Now that the miscreants know that there is
surveillance, it acts as deterrence, which is a powerful
antidote.
Q: A number of residents might consider this
to be an intrusion on their privacy?A: he system does not enter people’s homes, so it
does not intrude on their privacy. Whatever images
hese cameras have been placed with the objective that where one camera’s footprint
ends, the other camera’s footprint begins. he result is an extensive coverage of
Alipore.
Alipore. Where the Viceroy once lived. Where the wealthiest of Eastern India now reside. The Alipore Citizen’s Forum along with the Kolkata police and Reliance Security Solutions Limited installed 119
outdoor CCTV to make it one of the safest pin codes in India. We engaged in a conversation with m
K Jalan who talks about how Alipore’s electronic surveillance plan is showing the country the way…
community responsibility
October 2013 /real-ties/29
are ‘captured’ on the streets are retained for a week, the
relevant images saved and the rest discarded. he system
is not directed to capture images relating to the vehicles
or movements of speciic individuals.
Q: Are the cameras pilfer-proof?
A: hey are not. However, the deterrents are that they
are placed at a height of 30 feet above street-level and
would be able to ‘capture’ images of thieves moving
up the poles by which time the police would be in a
position to reach the spot and apprehend them. So
while the system is not entirely pilfer-proof, there are
reasonable safeguards in place.
Q: What kind of cameras are these?A: he cameras that have been used are of
two kinds - one with a reasonable range of
vision and one with a 360 degree range of
vision. hese digital French cameras are top-
of-the-line. he ive-year warranty protects
users from operational failures as well as
technology upgrades.
Q: Is the solution in Alipore only for
security purposes?A: On the contrary, the technology-led
surveillance will start out with a security orientation but
gradually extend to a holistic rejuvenation of Alipore
covering culture, dependable public service delivery,
responsible citizenship, delivery of responsible civic
services, identiication of water-logging, apprehension
of traic violators and the creation of a vibrant
community. It might sound ironical but the upside of
impersonal technology will be leveraged to create a
personalised community; it might sound amazing but
a singular system can potentially achieve wide-ranging
beneits.
Q: Can you explain some of the points
mentioned above?A: Let us assume that you want to drive through
Alipore and are short on time. Today, there is no way
of knowing whether the roads will be congested or not.
We expect to create a portal that will make it possible
for people to log in and view which roads would be
most navigable, making it possible for them to select the
right road and save time. Or take another instance; you
need to ile an FIR and the usual response would be to
go to a police station and ile one. What if technology
made it possible for you to ile it online? So the broad
aspect is how one can potentially leverage technology
to get the beneit of public services quickly
and conveniently. hat is the vision with
which this technology surveillance has been
commissioned.
Q: How will it be possible to pay for
this expensive system?A: Let us consider that Alipore has 80,000
residents. If we can mobilise a mere ` 50
from each – average of ` 4 per month per
person – then it would be possible for this
subscription-based system to pay for this.
his is a model that can be applied in Alipore and every
other pin code of Kolkata. herefore, the responsibility
is to ‘market’ the Alipore model, generate a public
buy-in, draw the broad population into the subscription
model and treat every resident as a customer.
Q: What is the overall objective of the Alipore
Citizens’ Forum?A: To create a ‘Happiness Index’ across transparent
parameters that makes it possible for every Kolkata pin
code to calculate where they stand and then to establish
Alipore consistently at the head of that list.
If we can mobilise a mere
` 50 from each – average of
` 4 per month per person
– then it would be possible
for this subscription-based
system to pay for this.
The OC, New Alipore, Mr. NA Khan in the control room monitoring the CCTV cameras
October 2013 /real-ties/30
October 2013 /real-ties/31
October 2013 /real-ties/32
What makes Tangra an attractive residential destination?A: Let me start with Tangra’s
fundamentals:
Tangra is a large 14 sq km
pocket of Kolkata
Tangra possesses an estimated population of 70,000
people
By the virtue of being an old residential-cum-
industrial locality, Tangra attracted a number of
institutions (corporate and social) that provide a rich
cultural depth
Tangra is attractively positioned as a median between
Park Circus on one side and an emerging Kolkata on
its let
Q: How is this legacy pin code expected to transform?A: he implications of the word ‘transformation’ are
exciting. For decades, Tangra was an industrial suburb
of Kolkata. Because the tanneries generated chemical
eluents, Tangra was generally forgotten on the map
of Kolkata’s residential expansion. People saw it as an
industrial cluster, period.
However, two dramatic developments have transpired
over the last decade. One, the city has grown beyond
Tangra (Salt Lake, Rajarhat and EM Bypass) without
the development touching Tangra at all, which was
still facing a lux in the transition from industrial to
non-industrial use. Two, the West Bengal Government
directed the tanneries to cease their operations and shit
outwards to Bantala, which is really an inlection point
in the modern history of Tangra, opening the way to a
complete makeover.
Q: What kind of a makeover?A: When entire pin codes are statutorily required
to change their character, as in this case, there are
Q
for long, tangra served as calcutta’s chinatown. most of the standing structures were built by the industrious hakka chinese upon marshy and reclaimed low-lying land. As a result, the area was not on the map of real estate developers. until now. over the last five years, a number of real estate projects have emerged in that pin code making tangra a compelling residential destination. raj pasari, cmd of rajat group, answers questions related to tangra’s potential.
October 2013 /real-ties/33
“Tangra dramatic
transformation”
is at the cusp of a “Tangra
dramatic transformation”
is at the cusp of a
October 2013 /real-ties/34
emerging opportunities. Let me put it this way: Tangra
evolved into its existing character across more than six
decades. Until a decade ago, the ‘Tangra’ brand stood
for an industrial cluster and home to a speciic ethnic
community. When the government stipulated that the
existing tanneries would need to relocate, it created the
ground for the industrial units to be sold and residential
property developers to move in. Interestingly, the
transformation did not happen overnight. I would go to
the point of saying that its makeover has only just begun
and will continue for the next few decades.
Q: What could be the reason for this delayed transformation?A: here are a number of factors that accounted for
the stagger. One, real estate prices did not improve
immediately following the government order, as a result
of which there was no incentive for the old residents to
vacate. Two, the infrastructure required to connect and
sustain this transformation was still some years away.
hree, the recession of 2008 staggered the transformation.
Four, infrastructure projects are generally long-term in
their gestation and commissioning, so even though some
infrastructure projects began to be implemented a few
years ago, they are still work-in-progress and the beneits
of these are yet to pass through for people to consider
moving into Tangra.
Q: What gives you the optimism that the transformation is a reality and presently underway?A: here are some good reasons to
believe so. Over the last three years, some
attractive and deining real estate projects
have been initiated in and around Tangra.
One is Silver Spring, which was among
the irst residential projects to be ofered
on the EM Bypass around Tangra, setting
the standard for prospective pricing and positioning.
he other is Atmosphere by Forum Projects, which
is possibly the most expensively upmarket real estate
project attempted in Kolkata, coming up just behind
Science City. hen there are a number of other projects
like the 16.38 acre Active Acres (1,000 apartments), the
5 acre Ekta Floral (452 apartments) and the upmarket
Aqua Beaumont. It is not just that these projects are
bigger and better than the erstwhile standard; it is
that these projects have been promoted by various
prominent builders, which is a safe index of the fact that
more realtors are buying into the Tangra transformation
story.
Q: Do you see this transformation continuing?A: I think we are only at the beginning of the
transformation. Until now, the transformation of
Tangra has only touched stray pockets where landmark
properties have been built. Over the years (and
even decades), I foresee that the transformation will
extend wider and deeper. As real estate prices rise,
the weaker holders will be tempted to cash
in their holdings and move elsewhere; the
aggregation of properties will result in
larger and more modern properties to be
commissioned and when this happens, the
transformation of Tangra will accelerate.
Q: What is going to be the driver of this transformation?A: In one word: infrastructure. When
infrastructure is created, it serves to attract
people, buildings and companies. In our
experience, the most powerful driver of residential
growth is transportation infrastructure. In this instance,
two of the most attractive infrastructure investments
are coming up within the vicinity: one, the lyover from
the EM Bypass to the AJC Bose Road lyover through
the Topsia Road will shrink the distance between the
two terminal points from an estimated 20 minutes to
just 5 minutes. Besides, the metro rail from Garia to the
Kolkata Airport passing through the EM Bypass will
create the basis for robust growth along the hinterland
through which the train route will pass. he one area
that is common to both – lyover and metro rail – is
Tangra.
Q: Why is there an optimism that this re-rating will indeed happen?A: Simply because these two signiicant infrastructure
investments have already commenced with a growing
visibility on when they are likely to be completed.
Take the lyover for instance. he last blocker for this
When infrastructure is
created, it serves to attract
people, buildings and
companies. In our experience,
the most powerful driver
of residential growth is
transportation infrastructure.
Rajat Boulevard (54 units)
October 2013 /real-ties/35
important arterial network was the peaceful removal
of squatters from the Park Circus number four bridge,
which will accelerate construction to a point where
the lyover will be completed in a year and a half.
Besides, the construction of the metro rail has already
commenced and there is optimism that this will be
completed in the next four years.
Q: Is Tangra alone going to be re-rated?A: We feel that the entire area starting
from Topsia Road on the Southern fringe
and the Tangra Road at the Northern
fringe will emerge as one of the pockets
in Kolkata for some good reasons: JW
Marriott is commissioning a hotel project
in the area, ITC Sonar Hotel is expanding,
he Park is commissioning a hotel, Avani
Group is loating an upmarket residential
property, Atmosphere is already
constructing Kolkata’s most opulent
resident property and Ideal Group is
commissioning a prominent commercial
property. As a result, Rajat Boulevard
is being located in a space with one of
the most attractive investments that will
signiicantly transform its character over
the next couple of years.
Q: here is a fear of congestion following the sizable investment.A: his is precisely the point that needs to be made. We
feel that the pin code possesses an attractive ecological
foil as it is directly across the wetlands. In our opinion,
the wetlands will prove to be a sizable carbon sink.
Besides, the Ramsar convention now protects the
resource from commercial exploitation, which means
that this ecological balance will be sustained over the
decades, beneiting hinterland pockets like Tangra. As a
result, Tangra stands to beneit for economic
and environment reasons over the foreseeable
future.
Q: his brings us to an important concluding point. How attractively priced is Tangra?A: One needs to compare the prevailing
price of residential real estate in Tangra
with the prices prevailing in the adjoining
vicinity. For instance, the price of
residential real estate in Tangra is less than
half that prevailing rate for Silver Spring
and adjoining vicinity. In our opinion,
this diferential is vast. So hypothetically,
two things can happen: the rates around
Silver Spring can decline or the rates within
Tangra could rise. In our opinion, the latter
is more likely, given that real estate prices in
Kolkata have tended to be cautiously bullish
for the last number of years. As a result, it
is only a matter of time before prospective buyers
ind Tangra prices attractively low with a correction
process being set into action.
Rajat Boulevard (54 units),
Rajat Group
Arihant Viento (45 units),
Arihant Group
Ideal Niketan (133 units),
Ideal Group
Altius (101 Units), Space Group
Aqua Beaumont (40 units),
Space Group
Luxuria Heights (66 units),
Salarpuria Group
Ekta Floral (452 units),
Ekta Group
Alcove Regency (76 units),
Alcove Group
Rajat Boulevard campus with a play area and gym
October 2013 /real-ties/36
WATCHOUT! Here comes
Eastern India’s second largest city
BhuBANESWAR IS ThE SECoNd LARgEST CITy IN EASTERN INdIA. PoSITIoNEd FoR ALL-RouNd gRoWTh ACRoSS VARIouS INdICAToRS - ECoNoMIC, CuLTuRAL, EduCATIoNAL CAMPuSES, SoFTWARE ExPoRTS, REAL ESTATE VALuATIoNS ANd goVERNANCE.
focus on bhubAneswAr
October 2013 /real-ties/37
There are 33 big cities in India today with
each zone having a multiple number of
cities - North (Chandigarh, Jaipur, Delhi
and Gurgaon), West (Mumbai, Ahmedabad,
Surat and Baroda), South (Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi
and Hyderabad) and Central India (Gwalior, Raipur,
and Bhopal). Except for Eastern India where the only
really large city is Kolkata.
Until now. Bhubaneswar, the capital of
Odisha, has emerged as the second largest city
of Eastern India.
here is a speciic reason why Bhubaneswar
is not just growing its recall among planners
and developers; Odisha is attracting the
largest industrial investment in India today
constituting 3.19 percent of the total investment of
` 219,628 crore translating into a need for corporate
oices in the city and this, in turn, translating into a
higher residential traction. “Today, the simple message
passing through developers is that if you want to grow
in Eastern India, then Bhubaneswar is the only option
beyond Kolkata.” says Mayank Singh, Head Sales and
Marketing, Space Group.
A recent World Bank survey (‘Doing Business 2013’)
underlines this reality. Bhubaneswar was identiied as
the third most business-friendly location in India out
of a list of 17. his survey was conducted across factors
as diverse as the ease in starting a business, dealing
with construction permits, registering the property,
paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing
contracts and closing a business. What is
surprising was that Bhubaneswar performed
better than even India’s capital (number six) or
India’s inancial capital Mumbai (number ten).
What drives BhubaneswarSo what has made Bhubaneswar a much-
considered city when it comes to investments?
he success of the information technology initiative
is deinitely high on the list, say a number of
observers. For instance, when Infosys commissioned
Eastern India’s irst sotware development centre in
Bhubaneswar in 1997, brows arched. Bhubaneswar?
he Company will not be able to attract and retain
talent, they said. he city will have connectivity issues
Sand art festival in Bhubaneswar
October 2013 /real-ties/38
with other Infosys centres across the country. he state
will not be able to generate an adequate throughput of
professionals to sustain Infosys’ interest.
It is more than a decade and a half since Infosys put
down its roots in Odisha’s capital. And the verdict is
out: Infosys is so happy with its experience in the state
that it has embarked on an expansion in space and seats.
Clearly, Odisha’s largest IT company intends to take its
leadership ahead – for the beneit of the
company, employees, state and country.
Infosys’ decision to expand its sotware
development facility in Bhubaneswar,
according to insiders, is based on some
credible nitty-gritty: Low pollution,
short commuting time, organised traic
low, infrastructure development faster
than population growth and a positive
governmental stance on industry. Within
a decade, Infosys emerged as the largest
IT employer in Odisha with a campus
size of 50 acres (50 percent green), the
largest facility in Bhubaneswar. Employee
strength grew from a modest 90 in 1997 to
700 in 2002.
“hroughout Infosys’ presence in Bhubaneswar, the
Odisha government supported our company in every
possible way,” says Abhijit Sen, who heads the Infosys
outit in the city. “Whenever major roads needed to be
widened, the government would immediately invest
towards such projects, expanding roads before any
traic problems actually occurred. Problems related to
infrastructure development or electricity connectivity
would merely require a call in the morning to have the
problem solved by the very same evening. Government
sanctions were hassle-free and granted without any
unnecessary delays. Bhubaneswar set an example for
the rest of the country with proactive government
initiatives!”
Infosys’ success did something else for
Bhubaneswar. It created a new economic
layer – the young engineering graduate who
could aford a car and an apartment. his
inspired more engineering aspirants, in turn
triggering a demand for engineering colleges,
resulting in some 40 engineering colleges
being commissioned in Bhubaneswar in only
the last seven years, more than the number
created in the preceding 50 years!
he educational boomIn the last few years, Bhubaneswar has
emerged as one of India’s fastest growing
technical education centres, prompting comparisons
with Pune, says Jay Panda, Member of Parliament from
Kendrapara, Odisha. he education centres are likely to
enhance value to the local population and additionally
draw students from other states, many of whom are
Infosys’ success did something
else for Bhubaneswar. It
inspired more engineering
aspirants, resulting in some
40 engineering colleges
being commissioned in
Bhubaneswar in only the
last seven years, more than
the number created in the
preceding 50 years!
Bhubaneswer boasts of low population, short commuting time, organised traffic flow and infrastructure development faster than population growth...
October 2013 /real-ties/39
expected to seek employment within and stay back.
“Bhubaneswar is on its way to emerge as a
knowledge hub,” says Dr. Dhanada Kanta
Mishra, Chairman, Human Development
Foundation. “he city is home to several
national-level institutions like IIT (Indian
Institute of Technology), IIIT (Indian
Institute of Information Technology),
NISER (National Institute of Science
Education and Research), NIFT (National
Institute of Fashion Technology), AIIMS
(All India Institute of Medical Sciences),
XIMB (Xavier Institute of Management –
Bhubaneswar), KIIT (Kalinga Institute of
Industrial Technology) and Silicon Institute
of Technology and Institute of Physics,
among others.”
he impact on real estatehe trickle-down has been relected in the
city’s real estate sector’s growth. “here are
a number of reasons why the real estate
sector has grown attractively,” says Priya, correspondent,
he Telegraph. “I have been here for eight years. I came
here for my studies and did my course in journalism
from KIIT (Patia). At that point this city was not
that developed. he university grew and became a
successful venture as a result of which many people set
up engineering institutes and private universities, which
accelerated student migration from Andhra Pradesh,
West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. People thought it
would be wise to make new houses and give it on rent,
which led to an increase in real estate demand.”
On the realty map
Bhubaneswar is emerging on the country’s real estate
map. In March 2013, Tata Housing Development
Company announced the launch of Ariana, the city’s
irst integrated residential complex at Shankarpur.
“Over the last few years, real estate as an industry has
gained momentum across Odisha with improvements in
infrastructure like the new international airport here,”
said Managing Director and CEO of Tata Housing,
Brotin Banerjee. “Given its proximity and connectivity
to metro cities such as Kolkata, Bhubaneswar is
showcasing a great appetite for high-end living,” says
Pawan Agarwal of N K Realtors, Eastern India’s largest
realty marketing agency. Ariana, which would be a
luxury residential gated community with 12 towers
ranging from 14 to 19 stories, is expected to be one
of the land mark projects of international standards,
Banerjee said.
“Bhubaneswar as a city also ofers a much better
infrastructure and connectivity,” says Singh.
“Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are the most developing
twin cities.” Covent Garden, an English-themed luxury
villa housing project was launched by
Space Group, is nearing completion. “We
launched a residential villa housing project,”
says Mayank Singh. “his luxury project
was launched three years ago and was sold
out within two days! hereater, supply has
increased and prices have remained sluggish,”
he indicates. Besides, revenues from mines
and allied industries that was being invested
earlier in the real estate sector has declined,
staggering the real estate boom.”
he futurehe future holds promise for Bhubaneswar,
following the implementation of an IIT
KGP plan, whereby the city will assimilate
neighbouring clusters like Khurda, Peepli and
Cuttack, thereby transforming what is referred
to as a Tier-II city into a unique cohesive
structure. Meanwhile, the big news is that
Infosys Bhubaneswar is preparing for the next
league. Says Sen: “We are looking to expand facility space
in anticipation of growing our manpower from 3,000
to 4,000.” Sustaining prospects of growth- for Eastern
India’s fastest growing city.
“We launched a residential
villa housing project,”
says Mayank Singh.
“his luxury project was
launched three years ago
and was sold out within
two days!”
Covent Garden - a luxury villa project
October 2013 /real-ties/40
Land area: 25 acres
Number of blocks: 15
Number of loors: Tower size ranging from G+ 14; G+ 17; G+ 24; and G+ 29
Number of lats: 1,278
Unit size: 1,350 sq. t to 1,956 sq. t
Open space: 60 percent (approximately)
Completion time: Phase 1 expected to be completed by 2013
Location: Action Area 3, Rajarhat
Developer: Keppel Magus
Development Private Limited
he developer speaks: “he landmark Elita Garden Vista comprises high-end residences, ofering an international lifestyle like no other
in Rajarhat. With 15 towers (15-30 storeys) and options between 2/3-BHK apartments, Elita Garden Vista is a perfect blend of futuristic
design within a luxurious setting. Set in an oasis of foliage and lora replete with water bodies, boulevards, relax zones and a host of
amenities located on a one-of-a-kind podium at the irst loor level, this development is designed for the elite. he project replicates a
modern, functional layout, sleek designs, elegant inishing and space optimisation - hallmarks of any international home interior
created by Keppel Land.”
Elita Garden Vistanew town Action Area iii
C o n t a c t : 0 3 3 4 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 / 6 6 2 0 1 0 1 0 | E m a i l : s a l e s @ n k r e a l t o r s . c o m
October 2013 /real-ties/42
hoW ThE hERITAgE BuILdINg oF CESC houSE TuRNEd ThE CLoCK BACK ThRough A LANdMARK gREEN ENERgy INITIATIVE.
It is an irony – a positive one - that a company
created to encourage the greater consumption of
electricity should actually have embarked on the
exercise to reduce it.
And that is one of the most positive corporate electricity
consumption stories to be coming out of Kolkata in
recent years, especially among heritage buildings, most
of which appear to have convinced themselves that there
is no way they can rationalise their electricity bill.
So what makes this story diferent? “We are an 80-year
old building,” explains BL Chandak, Executive Director
“with brick on the outside and steel on the inside. here
are more than 500 heritage buildings in Kolkata, but
CESC House (once Victoria House) intends to emerge
as the irst to become a LEED - certiied Green Building
by 2014.”
Idea whose time has comeWhy was the exercise at all necessary? “From a number
of perspectives, it is an idea whose time has come,” says
Chandak. “One, in a resource-starved nation, CESC
stands for the responsible use of resources and there
was no better way of showcasing what we believe than
through demonstrating this ourselves. As a result, it was
not just important to rationalise the use of electricity
to save costs for the company; it was also important to
prove to every other heritage property in Kolkata that
what they invest in energy consumption reduction can
be paid back within four years. As a result, at CESC we
80-year-old turns green and young again!
October 2013 /real-ties/43
are not just interested in reducing our carbon footprint
but are interested in inspiring others to reduce their
carbon footprint as well - the most efective way for us
to make the world a cleaner place.”
And then there was the issue of rising consumption.
he bean counters at CESC discovered that even as their
oice space was not growing, the lagship building was
consuming more electricity every single year. A building
that consumed 29 lac kWh in 2006 now consumed 33
lac kWh in 2012. he annual incremental consumption
was a visible 2 percent; besides, the increasing
cost of electricity resulted in a higher notional
electricity cost being incurred by the company.
Objectivehat’s when the brains trust at CESC sat down to
work the math. If the company could modernise
its energy management systems at a cost of ` 1.8
crore, the annual savings would translate into an
estimated ` 52 lac – a payback of less than four
years translating into an IRR of 25 percent.
CESC’s brief to its vendor Johnson Controls (India)
could have been just this…achieve a reduction in costs
and thank you very much. However it went beyond
that: transform CESC House into a ‘Green Building’
with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certiication from the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC) under the Green Building rating
systems based on the ive major categories (sustainable
site, water eiciency, energy and atmosphere, materials
and resources and indoor environment quality). And
secondly, achieve a concurrent 25-30 percent savings in
energy consumption.
his obviously required the heart, lungs and kidneys of
the building’s energy operating system to be replaced or
retroitted. “We carried out nine facility improvement
measures,” explains Mr Chandak. “We replaced a legacy
357 TR chiller with a modern 340 TR high eiciency
chiller, which enhanced chiller eiciency by 50 percent.
his was just one of the improvements, which translated
into a saving of ` 25 lac per annum.” (For other
initiatives, see box)
In the numbersEventually, God lies in the details.
Ater six years of successive increase in electricity
consumption, CESC House had interesting numbers to
present for Fy13: a decline from 32.46 lac kWh
in Fy12 to 30.16 lac kWh in Fy13.
And during the irst two months of Fy14,
energy consumption declined 25 percent over
the corresponding period of the previous year
as against a projected increase of 2 percent.
“Now that we know what is possible, we are
going for the jugular,” says a delighted Chandak.
“I expect CESC House to consume 26 lac kWh
in Fy14 against what could have been a consumption of
34 lac kWh without the green energy initiatives, taking
our energy consumption to levels we had seen in 2005.”
he big surpriseSo what’s the big message? “hat you don’t need a new
building to be green,” says Mr Chandak. “When we
embarked on this exercise, there were a number of
people who said that nothing perceptible would emerge
since the building and its equipment were old. However,
what we amply demonstrated that you can rewire a
building, however old it may be. he rewiring is not
a cost but an investment and that even something as
passive as electricity cost can actually be turned into a
competitive advantage.”
Touche.
Replacement of an archaic 357 TR
chiller with a modern 340 TR high
eiciency chiller. Installation of an
energy-eicient 500 TR cooling tower to
replace the existing 300 TR cooling tower.
Result: enhanced eiciency by 50 percent.
Replacement of three ineicient
pumps with new primary and condenser
pumps. Result: increase in pump eicien-
cy by 40 percent
Installation of twelve new variable
frequency drives. Result: optimised air
handling unit (AHU) fan power
Replacement of 36W tube lights
consuming 51W (including ballast)
with 1,200 energy-eicient 28W T-5
tube lights consuming 30W (including
ballast). Result: direct energy savings of
117,000 kWh and indirect savings in A/C
load amounting to 21,623 kWh
52 occupancy sensors. Result: cabin
lights switched of within 20 minutes of
the occupant leaving the cabin.
State-of-the-art building automation
system which monitors the operation.
Result: 20 kW energy savings potential
available. With BAS control and monitor-
ing, 15 kW excess load is reduced.
CESC House had
interesting numbers to
present for FY13: a decline
from 32.46 lac kWh in
FY12 to 30.16 lac kWh in
FY13
INITIATIVES THAT MADE THE BIG DIFFERENCE
October 2013 /real-ties/44
You seem to be very passionate about the
issue of ‘Neighbourhood preservation in
Kolkata’. Why so?
he neighbourhoods in Kolkata have
architecturally rich buildings in which people are still
living and, ironically, without a care about the fact that
they are being destroyed. here will come
a time when this unawareness will lead to
a Kolkata beret of its cultural inheritance.
We will progressively destroy what we are,
as a result of our greed and ignorance and
then spending our precious fortunes to go
to some of the western cities of the world
to gaze in wonder at their architectural
richness. What an irony!
While I was travelling from Dubai to London, an air-
hostess told me she was from Montevideo and how her
mother lived in a 90-year old house which according to
regulations could not be destroyed. She also told me how
citizen groups and laws were strong enough in Buenos
Aires and Montevideo to see to it that distinctive old
buildings and neighbourhoods were untouched. here is
no inkling of this concern in Calcutta.
Why is this conservation now a passion for you?he two things that I continue to emphasise
is that not every city is fortunate to possess
an inheritance as rich as Kolkata; this
destruction is something that should be
countered. Interestingly, this distinctive
architectural ethos not only constitutes
colonial Kolkata buildings or the rajbaadis of
North Kolkata but also middle-class homes of hirties,
vintage houses in Bhowanipore and art-deco Hindustan
Park homes of the Forties and Fities. Hindustan Park
is architecturally rich but at least one of ive homes are
you hAve A lovely baari in A quiet neighbourhood And then one dAy, people stArt hAmmering it down to mAKe wAy for A modern showpiece. writer Amit chAudhuri explAins why KolKAtA could soon become Another pune if we don’t wAKe up to the
fAct thAt we Are grAduAlly stripping AwAy our ArchitecturAl heritAge.
Hindustan Park is an
architecturally rich area but
today at least one out of ive
houses are being destroyed
every month!
“Kolkata was the first great modern
city in Asia.”
October 2013 /real-ties/45
being destroyed every month. I must emphasise that
I am not interested in these buildings for reasons of
‘heritage’ or ‘nostalgia’, but because they are a part of
Calcutta’s lived fabric and memory.
Is this internationally relevant? Oh, absolutely. During my travels to Asian cities like
Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, I have seen how little
has been done to preserve their architectural heritage,
a model we are now mindlessly following. hese
international cities in Asia have completely destroyed
their architectural past. Or for that matter look at how
one of our most distinctive small towns, Pune (which
I used to visit once a year as a child), has completely
destroyed its architecture. It is now a Mumbai-style
suburb like Versova. So when you hear someone like
Dr Manmohan Singh say that ‘We must turn Mumbai
into Shanghai’ he probably has no awareness of what the
Chinese have done to Shanghai. If we were to do the
same to Mumbai it would be a failure of vision on
our part.
So how are some of the prominent global cities preserving their architectural heritage?
I also began to become aware, as I travelled
through Europe, that European cities like
London and Paris and American cities
like New york, have laws preventing the
destruction of old buildings. you can sell
the buildings but you can’t destroy them.
Of course new buildings come up in areas
which can accommodate them. New
buildings came up in Europe in place of old buildings
which were destroyed during the Second World War.
But post the War, laws ensured that the destruction
did not take place and their architectural inheritance
was preserved. he older buildings are much coveted
as properties there; their price is higher than new
properties. he diference is that these properties are
being bought to live in and not destroy them.
Are reforms in this area taking place anywhere in India?In Mumbai, they introduced a law two years ago
which protects old buildings from being destroyed, the
powerful real estate property lobby notwithstanding.
hen there is this model of Transfer Development
Rights (TDR) in, which when a person who owns an
old building, can be given a TDR to sell it to a promoter
commensurate with the property value of the building.
he result is that the old building inds resources to
sustain its growth and doesn’t have to be destroyed. It
has been used with some success in Mumbai. his is
something we should be trying to easily do in Kolkata as
well. It could be a good solution.
Coming to a basic question. Why is Kolkata unique?It was the irst great modern city in Asia. What
Kolkata was in the 19th century was an extraordinary
cosmopolitan centre; there were very few places in the
world like it. Kolkata’s amazing history makes it a world
centre of modernity and to have no understanding of
this fact is a tragedy.
If I were to compare it to other world class cities, I’d
say New york used to be a really interesting city when
it was performing badly economically in the Seventies.
he Berlin Wall collapsed and America became the sole
super power in the world. Rudy Giuliani cleaned it up
in the Nineties which led to its reinvention as a global
inancial centre for the free market. Earlier, it was a city
with a shady reputation, but that’s also when its culture
was very alive. It made us understand that great cities
can also be quite unsavoury on some level. he same is
true for Berlin, which had an ambivalent status because
ater the Second World War it occupied a place between
the East and the West. here was no investment in
Berlin, and it was for historical reasons a
bankrupt city, as it still is. But culturally it
was the capital of Germany which wouldn’t
have been possible without its artists and
intellectuals confronting, rather than
denying, Berlin’s neighbourhoods. Kolkata
is more akin to Berlin as its history is
imprinted on its architecture. People are
aware of this legacy and make the most of it
over there. My question: do only European
cities have the right to address their spatial,
architectural, and cultural legacies? What about the
people living here? he only way to re-imagine Kolkata
is not in the way of destroying old buildings and
building new shopping malls. hat is not the reinvention
we need.
Which parts of Kolkata are unique?he tragedy is that Kolkata is still synonymous with
the South. With developments proliferating in Rajarhat
and the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, no one is
concerned about the North Kolkata today. But all of
North Kolkata is unique. Some other areas include
Khidderpore which is steadily being destroyed, as are
Bhowanipore, Paddapukur, Hindustan Park and Bakul
Bagan and gradually losing their character. For instance,
I am sitting in Sunny Park which is considered to be a
‘privileged area’ but this entire lane has lost most of its
distinctive buildings to new developments.
How are you taking this subject ahead?What I am looking for is a solution where these
properties will be recognised as an important part of
our cultural inheritance. I am working with the Heritage
Commission to gradually bring about a law that will
stop the destruction of the buildings that form the
visible ethos of Calcutta.
In Mumbai they introduced
a law two years ago which
protects old buildings
from being destroyed, the
powerful real estate property
lobby notwithstanding.
October 2013 /real-ties/46
South City Mall’s average
monthly footfall of two million
is estimated to equal the footfall
of the next two malls combined
in Kolkata.
Starting from the previous decade, an
interesting churn began to transpire in
Kolkata: even as an increasing number
of the aluent Kolkatans were moving
Southwards, most mall shopping options
were still located in Central and Eastern
Kolkata.
he promoters of South City Mall perceived
an opportunity to not merely plug the gap
that existed but also commission a facility
that would catalyse the city’s consumption
appetite. It is with this perspective that
South City Mall was created at 375 Prince
Anwar Shah Road in 2008 - to address new
age South Kolkata consumers with rising
disposable incomes, modern mindset and
aspirational lifestyle. Besides, the mall was
built as part of an integrated mixed use
development comprising ive residential
towers (1,675 apartments), an international
curriculum school (2,000 children capacity)
and a club; hence, some of the consumption
south city mall was the.. first mall to install cctv surveillance with around 200
cameras all over the mall in 2008, covering every corner including the car parking area.
first mall in india spread over a million sq. ft.
first mall in india with a scientific zoning system.
first mall in india with a multi-level roof top car park facilities with a capacity of 1,500 car parks and 700 parking space for two-wheelers.
first mall in india with a collection of four anchor stores (largest in their own field) – shoppers stop (84,000 sq. ft), pantaloons (74,000 sq. ft) inox cinemas (58,000 sq. ft), spencer’s (72,000 sq. ft) and 3 mini-anchors – time zone (18,000 sq. ft), starmark (20,000 sq. ft) and urbano (17,000 sq. ft).
first mall in india (when launched) with six movie screens (inox cinemas).
first mall in india with the largest food court spread over 40,000 sq. ft with a 850-person seating capacity.
s o u t h c i t y m A l l
SUCCESS STORY
October 2013 /real-ties/47
would be driven from within.
Over the last ive years, South City Mall has lived up to
its promise. “It is not in the numbers but in the overall
impact on Eastern India that South City Mall’s biggest
inluence lies,” explains Man Mohan Bagree, VP, South
City Projects (Kolkata) Limited. “Before South City
Mall, no large global retailer was interested in coming
to Eastern India. But our management persuaded
respected global brands like Marks & Spencers, Next,
Guess, he Body Shop, Lacoste, Lladro, among others
to enter Eastern India and the trend still followed with
Timberland and Forever New opening their earliest
Indian retail outlets - Forever New’s third outlet and
Timberland’s second outlet in India - in South City Mall.
he success that they encountered prompted an array of
renowned international brands like FCUK, Jack & Jones,
Vero Moda, Nautica, Sisley, Tommy Hiliger, Chicco, US
Polo, among others, to take the plunge. he
result is that South City Mall has enhanced
respect for Eastern India as an important
retail destination, beneiting not just itself
but the entire retail community.”
So the big question: what is the reason
behind the unusual success of South City
Mall?
A number of reasons. “Principally, South
City Mall is a one-stop shop. you can
get everything under one roof - from a
needle to an airline ticket, from salon/spa
to gym equipment” says Bagree. “Besides,
it has something for everyone in the
family – while the wife shops, the husband
can spend time at the bookstore and the
children can spend time at Timezone and
ater they have inished, they can have a
meal followed by a ilm – without stepping
out. South City Mall represents a balance of
scale and sophistication...just right.”
here are a number of other reasons why South City
Mall is a destination of irst recall. he mall caters
to all budgets – from the premium to the aspiring to
the afordable across products. hen the zoning which
makes access convenient. “We zoned our mall like
a departmental store - diferent zones for diferent
products complemented by proper placement of
brands (premium to medium range),” says Bagree.
“For example, when you talk about formal brands,
there is Raymonds, Giovani, Louis Phillippe, Zodiac,
Blackberry followed by Turtle, Hofmen, Success, Peter
England and Siyarams... from premium to aspiring. All
fashion footwear is zoned together. Sports wear on one
side, with leather next to it. It was the irst mall in the
country with 97 percent successful zoning, which set a
benchmark. he result is that all retailers get the same
kind of footfalls and South City Mall is possibly the only
mall in the country with uniform rentals on all three
loors; where our retail stores on the upper loors deliver
equal returns as those on the ground loor whereas it is
the opposite everywhere else.”
And then there is attention to detail. Bentel Associates
International of Johannesburg redesigned what the
promoters had initially designed: the common passage
inside the Mall is six metres wide in comparison to
the standard practice of three metres, by malls across
the country, the driveway in the parking area gives the
customer a seven metres wide passage on a single lane
as opposed to the usual ive metres.
he results: nearly 98 percent retailers at the time of
the mall’s launch in 2008 continue to be active tenants;
South City Mall has been rated as the number one in
Eastern India and among the top ive Best
Performing Malls in the country. South City
Mall was the sixth largest mall till a year
back. he prosperity is coming down to
its tenants. In a single day, Pantaloons and
Shoppers Stop reported sales of
` 1crore-plus in its August 2013 end-of-
season sale, setting Indian records for
the highest otake in a single day from a
departmental destination inside a shopping
mall. Both Pantaloons and Shoppers Stop
outlets at South City Mall still igure in
their top three outlets all over India. Even
six years following launch, South City
Mall attracts around two million visitors a
month, peaking at a staggering 2,75,000 on
Christmas Day 2012.
he result is that South City Mall has
evolved in a sub-economy driver. “We
have six anchors and 134 vanilla retailer
establishments within, which provide
employment to more than 3,000 individuals directly and
other thousands indirectly, having an annual business
turnover in excess of ` 900 crores with an annual
exchequer contribution of a few hundred crores,” says
Bagree. “We are not just an economic island; we are
contributing to the city, state and country.”
So what of the future? “It has just been ive years since
South City Mall was commissioned,” says Mr. Jugal
Khetawat, Director, “but we are planning to ofer a new
experience to our patrons - not out of necessity but out
of passion - which no mall in the country has attempted,
to beat the boredom and sameness yet.
south city mall in numbers Working staff 3,000
one million sq. ft area Seven specialty fine dining
options 40,000 sq. ft. food court 20 escalators and eight
elevators
200 closed circuit cameras, 200 security guards and three
sniffer dogs Average monthly footfalls:
two million-plus
Mall occupancy: 100 percent
October 2013 /real-ties/48
The ‘freewheeling’ on house thets in the last issue
struck a chord deep inside. his is what I have to say:
we are responsible for our actions. We are anarchic, provide
luxuries to our children, show our wealth of and ignore
those who do not have enough. My prescriptions: keep our
valuables in a safe place, refrain from showbaazi, care for
the ‘extended family’, value everyone’s work and remunerate
appropriately. Only then can we expect to be paid back in
kind.
Rajesh Kumar Bagri
The write-up on domestic thet in
the last issue was like someone had
articulated what I have always felt. he
best way forward is to be as practical
as possible. Our interaction with the
domestic helps should be open; we
need to address their grievances to the
maximum extent. his man-management
issue needs to be tackled with vigilance
and humanity.
Praveen Baid
Goodbye beams, welcome slabs!
FoR dECAdES, BuILdINgS WERE dESIgNEd uSINg BEAMS ANd CoLuMNS ANd ThE RESuLT WAS INEVITABLy PILLARS IN ThE MIddLE oF LIVINg APARTMENTS oR BEAMS juTTINg ouT oF
CEILINgS. ThE SuRPRISE IS ThAT PEoPLE LIVEd WITh ThESE AddITIoNAL MEMBERS oF ThE FAMILy WIThouT CoMPLAINT, CoNVINCEd ThAT ThERE WAS No ALTERNATIVE.
But now there is an alternative to
ugly beams and slabs.
he time has come for this
construction system, marked by
ineiciency and disproportion, to
be replaced. he solution lies in
beam-less ‘lat slabs’ where one doesn’t need to worry
about ugly beams (12-18 inches thick) protruding from
the ceilings and walls (5-10 inches thick).
For long, construction companies inlicted
this pain on their customers because
customers themselves were tolerant. But
over the last decade, some interesting
developments have emerged: commercial
loor plates have got larger and clearer with
no intervening pillars; as an extension,
residential spaces have got larger and there
has been an increased need for pillar-less halls.
Since necessity is the mother of invention, the result
is a modern construction development that does away
with both. In this technique, lat slabs and shear walls
eliminate the need for ungainly columns and proiles.
he beneit is more than aesthetic; this improves the
construction quality and makes the structural design
simpler. Besides, in a three-year construction cycle,
one can potentially save up to nine months through
this cutting-edge construction development, which is
oten a huge diference in the economic viability of the
proposed development.
“his futuristic trend is already a reality in our Hiland
Sapphire project in Ballygunge Park Road” says Sumit
Dabriwala, Director, Riverside Developers Pvt. Ltd.
“We’ve used lat slabs and designed the
interiors in such a way that one gets a
sweeping seamless sense of 1,000 or 2,000
sq. t space, emerging as the irst in Kolkata’s
residential segment to use this cutting-edge
technology in line with the global practice
where conventional beam column frames
have become obsolete.”
Dabriwala feels this an idea ready to be
embraced. “I have absolutely no doubt that one will
ind such a diference striking when one enters such
a place; there is an even bigger conviction that this
construction practice has huge positive implications for
the psychological well-being of those who live within.”
A small diference but it goes a long way…
We’ve used lat slabs and
designed the interiors in
such a way that one gets a
sweeping seamless sense of
1,000 or 2,000 sq. t space.
- Sumit Dabriwala
Readers speak
Su Casa TwinsCharaktala, Dakshin Jagatdal, Rajpur
he developer speaks: “Su Casa Twins is located at Dakshin Jagaddal, Rajpur, Kolkata. he project is barely a minute away from
the upcoming E.M. Bypass Extension and 10 minutes from Garia Metro, thus one can reach any part of the city in a convenient
manner. ‘he most afordable’ project ofers a nice and cozy feel at home, in a community of well-designed 110 lats. It also ofers
modern amenities like AC multi-gym, swimming pool, AC community hall, indoor games amongst others. Welcome to Su Casa
Twins and experience a life of convenience and comfort!”
Land area: 55 cottahs (Approximately)
Number of blocks: 2
Number of loors: G+4, Proposed G+5
Number of lats: 110 (Approximately)
Unit size: 2 BHK (791-1,039 sq. t);
3 BHK (945-1,188 sq. t)
Open space: 54 percent (Approximately)
Completion time: March 2016
Location: Charaktala, Dakshin
Jagatdal, Rajpur
Developer: Rupayan Construction
Pvt. Ltd.
C o n t a c t : 0 3 3 4 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 / 6 6 2 0 1 0 1 0 | E m a i l : s a l e s @ n k r e a l t o r s . c o m
October 2013 /real-ties/50
Gossipwallah O for a butterly! Are butterlies disappearing
from our lives? Looks
like. Findings from the
Environmental Survey 2013
by he Energy and Resources
Institute indicates that around
55 percent of interviewees in
its survey felt that they now
encountered fewer sparrows
and butterlies. Some 37
percent felt that water in lakes
and ponds has deteriorated,
afecting biodiversity. So my
question is: it is easy to crib,
but how many will venture to
fund an NGO (Nature Mates,
for instance) that is actually
seeding butterly habitats across
the city? Eco Space did. he
result: the Rajarhat location
has begun to attract butterlies
from within kms. Or for that
matter even Raichak, which has
seen an increase in butterlies
‘by thousands’. So while it is
easy to crib that the world is
going from bad to worse, is
anyone willing to spend some
simple money in greening
neighbourhoods?
Finally!When it rains, it pours.
Slowdown or not, Kolkata has
got two new malls in the space
of four months. Lake Mall on
Rashbehari Avenue. When
launched in 2004, Lake Mall
was positioned as a test case
of how one can modernise a
traditional market without
afecting the interests of its
tenants. Some said that the
old tenants would be afected.
Others said that one needed
to do things to take the legacy
into the modern. his is the
result: a number of old tenants
rehabilitated into the new
property, six storeys, 100 retail
spaces, four-screen multiplex
and a 40,000 sq.t. Big Bazaar
hyper market. you may be
haggling on the side of the
street shopping for groceries
while avoiding a speeding car
and all the related sights and
smells in the name of nostalgia,
but there is always an excuse to
move on…
Red loorsWhy doesn’t someone talk
about the lost art of making
lovely polished red mosaic, so
typical of Calcutta? Where have
the artisans gone? Why have
we given up our heritage for
modern glitzy tiles? And oten
monotonously inelegant marble
or mosaic? Can someone write
in to this magazine on how
we can bring this art back into
circulation? Can someone
write in on which homes of the
city still have lovely polished
red loors so that we may take
pictures before these buildings
are torn down to make way for
some glass-cum-stainless steel
high-rises?
What the media reported Delhi leads world in real estate price rise!
“India has witnessed the
sharpest appreciation in real
estate prices in the last couple
of years, according to data
from the Global Property
Guide, an organisation which
collates real estate data from
across the world. Property
prices in Delhi witnessed
the steepest appreciation of
roughly 60 percent, when
compared to cities from
43 other countries. Delhi’s
60 percent rise in property
prices over the past two years
is nearly 20 percentage points
higher than Brazil’s Sao
Paulo, which is the second
fastest rising international
property market.”(Source: he Times of India,
05.08.2013)
202 storeys in four months!
“China is home to 60 of the
world’s 100 tallest buildings
now under construction!
Broad Group, a manufacturer
based here in Changsha,
has been planning to erect
the world’s tallest building
(202 storeys) in winter 2013
- in only four months using
factory-built modules of steel
and concrete.”
(Source: he Economic Times,
29.08.2013)
Buying homes in US
“Indian buyers accounted
for nearly $3.5 billion of the
$68.5 billion that foreigners
spent on purchasing homes
in the United States during
the 12 months ending March
31, 2013. he Chinese
accounted for 18 percent of
all realty sold to foreigners in
2012-13. At a median price
of $425,000, the Chinese
also bought more expensive
homes than other foreign
buyers, who spent a median
of nearly $276,000 on US
homes.”
(Source: Times of India, 09.07.2013)
Digitisation, inally
“A big chunk of the stress
associated with buying a
piece of property could be
eliminated if a government
proposal to amend the
registration Act goes through.
Under the amendments
proposed by the rural
development ministry and
due to be taken up by the
cabinet soon, all records of
future property transactions
will be digitised and made
easily available for any
potential buyer to access. his
means that ownership would
be clearly established, as also
prices at which the property
changed hands, making it
easier to value in years to
come. he changes, which
could be the most signiicant
in the 105-year history of the
Act, will beneit buyers in
both rural and urban areas.”
(Source: he Hindustan Times,
16.05.2013)
October 2013 /real-ties/51
RTS Power Corporation Ltd has been the lagship
company of the Bhutoria Group, providing power
conversion and power quality solutions for 38 years.
he Company is one of the leading manufacturers of
power, distribution, extra high voltage and dry type
transformers.
RTS has always believed in optimising its product
portfolio with the evolving user demands. In a bid to
cater to the burgeoning real estate residents in and
around the city, RTS has come up with a state-of-the-
art Unitised Substation (USS)/Compact Substation.
Unitised Substation or Compact Substation is a
transformer with all substation switchgear components
attached in a single modular structure. Its outward
appearance is similar to a silent generator; it is easy to
install, saves time and is portable.
At this juncture, a few pertinent questions pop into
one’s mind, namely the ‘where’, ‘what’ and ‘why’ of it all:
Where can this product be used?he product inds multiple applications in oil and gas
installations worldwide as well as factories, airports,
railways and metro stations. All this vindicates the
safety proposition that the product brings to the table.
It suits the residential set up because of its adaptability,
which ensures that it can be installed outdoors,
indoors, on rootops as well as in basements.
What are the USPs of this product?What this product brings to the fore is superior power
generation capabilities and it does that by occupying
a fraction of the space that the other run-of-the-mill
transformers do. his unique ofering from the RTS
pipeline utilises state-of-the-art equipment with SF6
gas technology and is a testament of the cutting-edge
R&D capabilities at our disposal. And RTS is the one-
stop-shop for any access or maintenance-related issues.
Why choose this product above others?he Unitised Substation combines the transformer
with a control panel and that too at an afordable price
compared to the products of its kind manufactured by
multinational conglomerates like Schneider Electric.
he Unitised Substation is thus all set to turn the power
distribution and transmission landscape on its head
from the perspective of the booming real estate scene
in the city.
the product comprises of three
compartments- ht side panel, lt side panel and transformer.
ht side protection comprises a rmu,
with sf6 vcb which makes the sub
station compact.
transformer can both be oil-cooled as well as dry type.
lt panel comprises
all lt side protection equipment including mccb, the same can
be customised as per requirement.
Unitised Substation POwERfUL. COMPACT. VALUE-fOR-MONEy.
Finally a puja where
the aesthetics extended
from the pandal to
the community. The
Badamtala Ashar Sangha
puja organisers painted
neighbourhood doors
and windows so that
they gelled with the
pandal aesthetics. So
long after the pandal
has been dismantled, the
fragrance of this puja
will linger – and enrich
the neighbourhood.
one coat of paint made
architectural features
come alive. If only all
pujas had a similar
element of sustainable
improvement…
Mud
ar P
athe
rya
One coat of paint...
October 2013 /real-ties/52
places and monuments of indiafind places and monuments of india hidden in this grid
(horizontal, vertical, downward and reverse)
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1. Erstwhile state that currently
forms the Vidarbha region of
Maharashtra.
2. State that joined the Indian Union
in 1975.
3. Judiciary capital of Kerala.
4. Darga of the Sui Saint Khwaja
Moin-Ud-Din Chisti
5. Prayag of ancient times.
6. Town in Gujarat associated with
milk production.
7. Aurangzeb’s tribute to his wife
Begum Rabia Durani.
8. he ‘City of Dawn’ designed by
French architect Roger Arger.
9. Site of the famous Gol Gumbaz, the
second largest dome in the world.
10. Siddhartha Gautama became ‘he
Buddha’ here.
11. City founded by Job Charnock in
1690.
12. Vasco-Da-Gama landed near this
city in 1498.
13. Busy market in old Delhi built
by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s
daughter Jahan Ara.
14. ‘Manchester of South India.’
15. Place in New Delhi that was
renamed as Rajiv Chowk in 1995.
16. Important tea growing region of
South India.
17. City where the Falaknuma Palace is
located.
18. Place in Assam considered sacred
by Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists.
19. Humayun’s tomb built by Bega
Begum in 1565 A.D. served as a
model for this later day monument.
20. Famous war memorial of India’s
capital.
21. Winter capital of Maharashtra.
22. Ancient name of Odisha.
23. National Park in Assam famous for
the great one-horned rhinoceros.
24. Small town in Bihar known for its
famous folk paintings.
25. he ‘City of Joy’ associated with
Rani Roopmati.
Send in your answer at
Please keep sending your answers and we might just feature you in the next Real-Ties.
FUN ZONE
October 2013 /real-ties/53
NUMBERS WHAT THEY SAID...
C K Prahalad
Management guru
“Every minute during the next 20 years, 30 Indians will leave rural India for settling in urban areas. here is an imperative need for India to create 500 new cities to accommodate and provide a better quality life to its migrating people. Otherwise every existing city will become a slum when India becomes 75 in 2022.”
Donald Trump
“he growing demand for luxury products in India is a well-known fact and India has always been an important growth market for Trump. We believe that India holds great potential on many levels and are excited about the many opportunities here. We have set the standard and will continue to exceed expectations with all of our developments, including Trump Towers Pune.”
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Fashion designer
“Professionally, Kolkata has helped balance my ambitions; it keeps me culturally inclined and slows me down so I do not burn out. If you lose your way in the city and ask somebody for directions, he or she will drop you all the way to your place. In return, the person will make sure you don’t leave his or her home without a cup of tea. hat’s how warm people in Kolkata are.”
Winston Churchill
Former Late Prime Minister, UK
“Land monopoly is not only monopoly, but it is by far the greatest of monopolies; it is a perpetual monopoly, and it is the mother of all other forms of monopoly.”
Robert Kiyosaki
“If you do not like real estate, all you have to do is make hamburgers, build a business around that hamburger, and franchise it.”
Mizoram Chief Minister
“Out of 221,077 households, 65.8 percent live in their own houses and 31.8 percent have rented accommodation, while the rest live in staf quarters, which makes Mizoram a state with virtually no homeless people.”
Lal hanhawla
Businessman, author and inancial commentator
Real estate tycoon
Million sq. t, the inventory of unsold housing stock in the major cities (Source: Mint, August).700Escalation in urban Indian land costs prices in the last two years (Source: 10 August 2013).40Decline (in percentage terms) in commercial/residential property demand in the last two years (Source: 10 August 2013).20
Number of operational malls in India (as of May 2013) with a total area of 180 million sq. t compared to just 225 malls ive years ago (Source: TOI, August).
570
$bn worth realty bought by Indians in US in 2012-13 (Source: Times of India, 9 July 2013).3.5Number of units launched in the mid-end segment in 2012 priced between Rs 36 lac and Rs 60 lac. 83 Percentage decline in the supply of luxury homes in 2012 - from 280 (2011) to just 23 in 2012 (Source: HBL, January 2013).92Number of malls that opened in India in the last year (Source: TOI, August 2013).60
he annual apartment demand (in terms of units) in Kolkata
10,500
Total area (acres) developed for residential purposes on either side of Kona Expressway and National Highways 6 and 3.
1,000
October 2013 /real-ties/54
My wife did.
She became the secretary in a
challenging year. he building
repairs and repainting were
warranted ater eight years.
In most high-rise buildings,
this would have been simple.
Convene a meeting. Share costs.
Propose a vote of thanks. Go
home.
Not so in ours. Even though we
are a high-rise building with
a Rabindra Sarobar frontage,
we have a fairly middle-class
residents’ proile (blessing).he
challenge: try marketing a
` 25,000 per apartment
renovation outlay to a diverse,
multi-ethnic, multi-age and
multi-income neighbour proile
without smelling salts.
Point: “We don’t need repairs or
repainting.”
Counter-point: “But if some
block falls and someone is
seriously injured, there could be
a police complaint and each of us
would be held responsible.”
Point: “I don’t want any
labourers to walk through my
room. What if one of them
comes back to murder me a few
months later?”
Counter-point: “We have
reinforced security so this would
be pretty impossible.”
Point: “I refuse to pay until the
ceiling leakage problem is irst
addressed.”
Counter-point: “We must get
her neighbour to sweet-talk her
to relent.”
Point: “I want to pay across 24
months at the rate of ` 1,000 per
month.”
Counter-point: “We will
introduce you to a bank to
inance you with a loan.”
Point: “We will be away in
America. We don’t want anyone
to be working near our verandah
while we are away for three
months.”
Counter-point: “We will skip
your part of the verandah which
can get painted at your expense
when you return.”
he upshot is that my wife
spent precious hours convening
meetings, screening contractors,
chasing paint companies,
maatha-maaroing with the
building’s manager and
intellectually seducing each
resident before the collective
verdict could be a ‘yes’.
he wife now carries herself
with an authoritative air on how
to crack the subject. Here is the
‘manual’ she dictated to me:
“Write that no building repairs
can ever be efectively concluded
without a three-way agreement
between the paints company,
the contractor and the building
committee. If the contractor
plays hookey, complain to the
paints company and he could be
delisted.”
“Write that people must
speak to the other buildings for
which the contractor has earlier
worked.”
“Write that they must negotiate
paint costs directly with the
Asian Paints or the Bergers of
the world – for genuine material
without the contractor’s mark-
up.”
“Write that the contractor must
provide a weekly scheduling of
what he will achieve. hen share
this with the building residents.”
“Write that if they can
cross-check the worklow with
someone who understands
construction. he moment you
have a counter-opinion, the
contractor will know that you
cannot be fooled.”
“Write that it is imperative to
keep about 10 percent of the
contractor’s payment as retention
money for three to six months
ater the work has ended.”
“Write that the building must
photograph each labourer; if
any labourer is changed, the
contractor must inform the
manager immediately.”
“Let the repairs cure for 15 days
before the paint can inally be
applied. Don’t rush this.”
“Communicate, communicate
and communicate with the
residents. Otherwise, the
building’s secretary will be
treated as a vendor with residents
trooping in with various private
demands (‘Khetey-khetey rojgaar
korechi. Jaana uchit na?’).
he latest is that work has
commenced. he money is
trickling in. Some residents have
extended bridge loans. Life goes
on.
PS. he wife wants to convince residents to start a computer training programme for the underprivileged in the manager’s ground loor room in the evening (ater he has let). here she goes to speak to ‘seduce’ residents once again…
(You are most welcome to
dissent... send mail!)
freewheelingwAnt some excitement in life?
become the secretAry of the residents’ committee of your building.
Mudar Patherya, [email protected]
he developer speaks: “Shree Sai Plaza is an inspiring workplace in the heart of Kolkata. It is situated
at a glorious location on the AJC Bose road providing an extraordinary location advantage!”
Land area: 12 cottahs
Number of loors: B+G+ 7
Number of oices: 28
Unit size: 888 sq. t onwards
floor size: 4,433 sq. t
Completion time: February 2014
Location: 89, A. J. C. Bose Road opposite Entally Market
Developer: Sri Sai Group
S a i P l a z aA. J. C. Bose Road
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