Sundaram BNP Paribas Home Finance to raise Rs 3,800 cr

Chennai: Sundaram BNP Paribas Home Finance has proposed to raise Rs 3,800 crore during this financial
year through a mix of term loans, non-convertible debentures and refinancing from National Housing Bank, a top official said.

The company which would look at foraying into builder financing by end of this financial year, would also look at
ECB route to its fund raising plans, Sundaram BNP Paribas Home Finance Managing Director Srinivas Acharya said, a media report said.

Sundaram Home Finance will raise Rs 3,800 crore this year through a mix of term loans, NCDs, refinancing from NHB. The company could look at ECB route to fund raising but this would depend on the exchange rate fluctuation, he told PTI.

For the year ending March 31, 2014, Sundaram BNP Paribas Finance registered net profit at Rs 151 crore, up by 19 per cent from Rs 126 crore registered during the same period of previous year.

Overall disbursements of the company slipped to Rs 2,493 crore for the period ending March 31, 2014 from Rs 2,572 crore registered during the same period of previous year, he said.

Some loan disbursements,which is the core business of the company, grew by 13 per cent to Rs 1,740 crore compared to Rs 1,543 crore registered during the same period of previous year.

However, non-housing loan disbursements which include financing against mortgaged house properties slipped by 27 per cent to Rs 753 crore from Rs 1,029 crore registered during the same period of previous year.

Net NPA of the company stood at 0.46 per cent for the year ending March 31, 2014 as against 0.23 per cent registered during the same period of previous year.

The company has declared a dividend of 40 per cent for the year ending March 31, 2014.
"It has been quite a challenging year for us. The overall slowdown in the economy reflected in the lower demand in real estate space," Acharya said.

On the outlook for the current financial year, he said "We expect some revival in the economy over the next two
quarters and real estate sector should see an uptick in demand during the second half of this year," he said.
He said the company plans to open 20 new branches this year in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Celebrate the beginning of Utsav Lavasa

Lavasa: It was a day to remember for over 400 senior citizens from Delhi, NCR, Bhiwadi, Jaipur, Pune, Lavasa and Mumbai, who got together on the behest of Ashiana Housing to mark the beginning of handing over of homes to the owners of Utsav Lavasa, a senior living project by the developer.

 To make the occasion more colourful and vibrant, house owners of similar projects of Ashiana in other cities were also invited for a grand get-together and provided them with an opportunity to share their experiences and expectations post retirement life.

The event started with the performances by senior citizens from Bhiwadi and Jaipur to the old Hindi songs.

Ankur Gupta, JMD of Ashiana housing gave a presentation on senior living highlighting the USP of the project, had interactive sessions with customers and also listened to their suggestions.

Utsav Lavasa is the 3rd retirement housing project by Ashiana Housing, which has executed and managing retirement housing projects in Bhiwadi and Jaipur.

The idea of get-together by senior citizen customers of Ashiana was to introduce the future neighbours of Utsav Lavasa.  “The initiative will definitely help to turn neighbours into being supportive inmates and friends forever,” said Ankur Gupta.

The meet began with a group discussion about post retirement life at a senior living project and about the quality and affordability of LAVASA community. Adding to the fun was interactive games, which fascinated the seniors.

Appreciating the initiative, Col Madaan, one of the customers, said, “It always helps if you know someone at a new place you are going to move in and I thank Ashiana Group for creating such a platform for us where we could meet our future neighbours as well as get answer to all the unanswered questions.”

Encapsulated inside the mystic mountain ranges, the 30-acre Utsav in Lavasa is the third in row senior living project. The group had earlier launched Utsav at Bhiwadi (NCR), spread over 15.5 acres with 640 units and Utsav in Jaipur spread over 7.5 acres with 310 apartments. 

Nestled in Dasve Valley, Utsav is engulfed with emerald green mountains on three sides with the fourth opening into the fascinating Lavasa Lake. Utsav Lavasa has health clubs, swimming pools, computer centers, card rooms, dance classes, etc. There are more than 750 seniors at Bhiwadi and Jaipur who are enjoying the services and facilities of Utsav.

Architect Krishnarao Jaisim joins Advisory Board of ZingyHomes

New Delhi: ZingyHomes, the online portal for architects, interior designers, product designers, vendors and contractors, has announced the joining of eminent Architect Prof. K.Jaisim of the Jaisim Fountainhead, in their advisory board.

Architect Prof. K.Jaisim

One of the most reputable architects in the country and an ex-chairman of the prestigious Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Karnataka Chapter, Jaisim has received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of architecture in 2007 by PAA, Chairman's Award in 2008 by AYA and more recently, at the NDTV Design and Architecture Awards.

On Ar. Jaisim's joining the board, ZingyHomes CEO, Preeti Markan said, "It is our honour and privilege to have Prof.K. Jaisim onboard. With this association, ZingyHomes is confident of building a product that creates a win-win scenario for all stakeholders involved - architects, interior designers, product designers, manufacturers and contractors."

Ar. Jaisim graduated in Architecture from Madras University in 1966 and laid the foundation for his architectural firm "Jaisim-Fountainhead" after being inspired by the novel Fountainhead in 1970. The practice evolved over a period of five years and meanwhile he won a national Competition for his project Coachin Stadia, followed by Presidents nominations for small Industries Pavilion and not to forget - the "Taj Fisherman's Cove".

Over the span of next five years, during late seventies, he started exploring different horizons - taking up import and distribution of building materials, from running scheduled contracts to running a stone crusher and fabrication unit in Muscat.

Other members on the Advisory panel are Nilanjan Bhowal, who has a post-graduate specialisation in energy-efficient building design from the Istanbul Technical University and a Masters of Architecture from Catholic University, BELGIUM, specialising in Human Settlements. He has designed several urban design and urban conservation plans in India and abroad and is the principal architect at Design Consortium.

Zingy homes

ZingyHomes is an online portal, launched in December 2013 with an aim to connect professionals in architecture and design to their prospective clients. It provides Indian architects, interior designers, contractors and product vendors including showroom owners a platform to showcase their projects/products. It is free to join for interior designers, architects and contractors who can use the platform to upload and describe their projects. Currently, ZingyHomes over 2200 architects and 25000 homeowners registered on its website.

Godrej Properties to enter Noida, looks for JVs

Godrej Properties is keen on entering the Noida real estate market and is looking for a partner to develop a housing project, according a company source.

The real estate arm of the Godrej group is developing three premium housing projects in Gurgaon in joint venture with land owners and has already tied up for a residential project in Okhla, Delhi.

Godrej Properties has a strategy to develop real estate projects through joint ventures with land owners.

"Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bangalore are our major markets. We are looking at more projects in Delhi-NCR," Godrej Properties Managing Director and CEO Pirojsha Godrej told PTI when asked about expansion plan in the national capital region.

On plans to enter Noida market, he said: "We do not have presence in Noida which is a key market in Delhi-NCR. We are looking to add projects in this market as well."

The company is in talks with a few potential partners for developing a housing project in Noida, he said, adding "it is a good time to add new projects as real estate market is facing slowdown".

Asked as to when the company would launch Delhi project, Godrej said: "It will be in next fiscal. We are waiting for the approvals to start the project."

In June 2013, Godrej Properties had announced its foray into the Delhi property market by signing a development agreement with Southend Infrastructure for 5-acre luxury group housing project at Okhla.

The company is performing well despite the slowdown in real estate market, Godrej said, adding that it will launch more projects than last fiscal when it launched 10 new projects or new phase of existing projects.

He said the company will continue with the strategy to add projects through JVs and won't opt for outright land purchase.

On the overall realty market, he said: "Residential is bit slow at the moment. NCR in the last six month was the slowest."

Last week, Godrej announced an investment of Rs 150 crore to develop a new housing project in Gurgaon. The company would develop 306 apartments in this project, which is spread over 4.5 acre and has a saleable area of 5 lakh sq ft.

Mumbai-based Godrej Properties is developing housing, commercial and township projects in 12 cities with 100 million sq ft development potential, of which 20 million sq ft is under construction.

In 2012-13 fiscal, the company's net profit stood at Rs 138.4 crore on a revenue of Rs 1,047.6.

Ashiana to expand senior living projects in Chennai and Kolkata

Mumbai: Visualizing growing demand for senior citizens in the years to come, realty major Ashiana Housing is planning to launch more projects for retirement people.

The Delhi-based developer, who has already launched projects across India, will be  introducing one more in Bhiwadi and one each in Kolkata and Chennai, joint managing director Ankur Gupta said.

The company has projects in  three cities including Jaipur, Bhiwadi (Delhi NCR) and Lavasa in Pune, under the brand Ashiana Utsav.

"The concept of retirement homes is evolving in India, but not at a similar pace as it is in other countries. But as the demand is growing here, we plan to expand our presence in this space," Ankur told PTI.

The company expects to have a significant share of sales in terms of area from this segment, he said.

"This year we plan to sell around 25 lakh sqft of area. Over the next three years, by when these projects are expected to come on stream, we expect to sell nearly 30-35 per cent of the total area in this segment," he said.

According to property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle, the number of elderly population is expected to grow to 173 million by 2025, which is now being looked at as a potential real estate market.

"Given the scope of growing number of senior citizens who wish to spend a luxurious retirement life, this segment itself is lucrative business opportunity," Gupta said.

"We try to cater to the special requirements of senior citizens, including wheelchair-friendly campus, social,
medical and spiritual needs, recreation etc. They are also provided with facilities like restaurant, convenience store, library, TV hall, Internet cafe, auditorium, rooms to play cards and table tennis and follow hobbies," he said.

The firm will be launching the Chennai and Kolkata projects next year and later in Bhiwadi.

"We have a land bank in Bhiwadi where we already have one senior citizen living project and the new project will come in the same vicinity. In case of Kolkata and Chennai, we plan to do it on joint development basis," he said.

The company, which is also present in the middle income segment, has so far delivered 118 lakh sqft and nearly 97.3 lakh sqft is under development.

Lack of space restricts luxury brands’ growth: Study

Lack of quality space, environment and dearth of high street/super premium malls are the prime reasons for restricted presence of luxury brands in India, according to an ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study, which mooted for the need for modernised and dedicated luxury retail areas in protected vicinities like airports.

“Setting up stores in high streets affects luxury retailers’ profitability due to high rental costs. Also these high-end areas are cluttered, crowded and are unsuitable due to the absence of the exclusive ambience that luxury retail demands,” according to a study on ‘Challenges highlighted by luxury retailers in India.’

The Indian luxury market grew at a healthy rate of 30 per cent to reach $8.5 billion in 2013 and is likely to reach $14 billion by 2016 owing to rising number of wealthy people, growing middle class, affluent young consumers and other related factors.

Though, India currently enjoys just 1-2 % share in the global luxury market, it is the fifth most attractive market for international retailers.

Fragmented and diversified consumer base in India is another significant challenge being faced by luxury retailers in India as High Net Worth Individual (HNI) consumers are not easy to reach, noted the study.

Luxury brands need to strategically design their growth plans to tap demand across three categories of HNIs namely - the inheritors (traditionally wealthy) who are habitual spenders; the professional elite who are discerning spenders; a large segment of business giants (entrepreneurs, owners of small and medium enterprises) who have the money but lack appreciation for fine luxury goods because of no prior exposure to such products, it added.

“There is a need for luxury brands to focus on expansion in the type and nature of products being offered and increasingly adopt innovative marketing plans to tap rapidly evolving consumer behavioral trends,” said DS Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM while releasing the study.

“Luxury retailers need to plan out of the box marketing strategies and come up with products that are tailor-made to suit the whims and fancies of varied Indian customers,” said Rawatm adding, “Luxury is no longer a ‘status symbol’ but is now a lifestyle and the global brands need to fast evolve and learn ways to adapt within the local environment so that they can get accustomed to nuances of the market by understanding the cultural identity of Indian consumers.”

Lack of policy support is another prominent challenge being faced by luxury brands in India, noted the ASSOCHAM-KPMG study. “Despite strong demand momentum, Indian luxury market has not been viewed as policies and regulations friendly for the luxury retailers,” it said.

“Import duties (20–150 per cent) are relatively higher and this is considered as a key apprehension factor among the international players, who may resist them to frame aggressive growth plans for India,” noted the study, adding, “Clauses such as — 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in both single and multi-brand retail requires 30 per cent of local sourcing, announced in the liberalized FDI policy in luxury retail in November 2013 could be difficult for the international luxury players to comply with.”

Lack of trained staff is another well-acknowledged challenge facing Indian luxury retail industry which requires greater discretion and knowledge on the part of a salesperson, further highlighted the study.

Growing prevalence of counterfeit luxury goods and grey market are also hampering the growth of the industry, noted the ASSOCHAM-KPMG study. “Luxury players in India continue to face supply side issues such as legal loopholes pertaining to intellectual property rights, inadequate means to monitor various emerging channels, and a growing number of online portals, among other factors,” the study added.

“Measures in the form of effective intellectual property enforcement, plugging loopholes in the legal and judicial structure and higher conviction rates can help curb the growth of fake luxury products,” added Rawat.

For Chennai realty, South grows while North wanes

It is ‘South-Side Ho’ as far as Chennai real estate is concerned. Unprecedented one may call it, but the city is growing at a phenomenal pace, albeit unevenly. There is a clear north-south divide as southern localities have been growing at a faster rate with newer locations frequenting on the realty map almost every month, while north city has been left to fend for itself.

Shocking it may be, but some of the localities in North such as Madhavaram, Puzal, Tiruvottiur, Avadi, Manali or Meenjur, which are within Chennai Corporation limits, do not even have basic facilities like tar roads, sewage and drinking water connection and streetlights, leave alone other amenities like parks and recreational facilities that their southern counterparts are endowed with.

The alleged step-motherly treatment to northern localities has indeed affected the real estate growth and investors and realtors seldom look for investing or launching new projects there, due to locational disadvantages coupled with poor infrastructure and lukewarm demand. 

 Static growth

According to a recent report, almost 90 per cent of the projects are presently concentrated on South and North Chennai localities, with more than 60 per cent of them are under various stages of development in peripheral areas.

“I bought a flat in Thiruvottiur four years back for Rs 15 lakh and when I tried to book profit, I was quoted somewhere around Rs 17 lakh citing ‘not much growth’ and lack of basic facilities. Had I invested this money in a property at any of the southern Chennai localities somewhere on GST Road, OMR, or even in Sriperumbudur, which is one the fast growing areas in Western corridor, I could have got atleast 40-50 per cent appreciation in capital value,” rued Sadagopan, a realty investor from Ambattur, who is now planning to shift his focus to OMR, ECR or GST Road locations.

Denying that there is any such divide, N Nandakumar, Managing Director, Devinarayan Housing and Property Developments, said, “As North Chennai developed to an industry-centric area much before South, the dominance of blue-collared community had paved way for the growth of residential, basic and social infrastructure to suit people’s necessities and affluence. However, unfortunately, one may call it, the presence of industries has failed to transform, modernise or upgrade North Chennai to a formidable region as the focus of development of the city had shifted to South and its peripherals areas for various reasons.”

 Key drivers of South

Explaining that the disparity in realty development between north and South was due to the key drivers the latter was enjoying such as employment, physical infrastructure, connectivity to important locations, access to social infrastructure, planned development, proximity to premium office spaces, accessibility to southern districts and vast land availability, WS Habib, Managing Director, Ramky Wavoo Developers and Treasurer of CREDAI Chennai, said, the IT/ITeS, manufacturing and automobile sectors are going to be the major driving force for overall growth in Chennai.

Over the next five years, 21 million sq ft of additional office space will be absorbed in Chennai with southern areas alone accounting for 18 million sq ft. This would further trigger the housing demand in this part of city, he explained.

Agreeing that IT boom has made all the difference for South Chennai, Nandakumar, who is also the Chairman of CREDAI, Tamil Nadu, said, “Dominated by white-collar segments’ affluence and IT boom, South Chennai has seen phenomenal development in tandem with the urban agglomeration. Having said so, in recent times, North Chennai too has started attracting developers as large land parcels are being transformed into residential and related social infrastructure development.” However, north has a long way to go to catch up with south, feel realty experts.

Change in sight

Arguing that physical and social infrastructure in North Chennai did not keep pace with growth in South Chennai leading to a widening of gap in preference of South over North among homebuyers, Sanjay Chugh, Head of Chennai, Residential Services, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) India, a leading real estate research firm, said, “North Chennai was the first commercial hub and home to traders and wholesalers who had established their business right from the British era. The area around the commercial hub also gradually developed residentially due the captive demand from the community that had their business interest in North Chennai. However, post 1960’s there was a gradual move towards Central and South Chennai and these areas witnessed development of social and physical infrastructure. With the IT boom in the 90’s there was a quantum jump in demand for commercial, residential and retail space in the Southern parts of the city and property prices saw a healthy appreciation.”

However, the gap between the North and South areas of Chennai is showing some reduction, thanks to the shifting of focus of some of the leading builders towards several areas of North and North West Chennai for the last 2-3 years.

Sanjay added, “Over the last few years prominent developers from Chennai like Prince Foundations, VGN, Arihant, TVH, Landmark, Chaitanya, Ganga Foundations and Navin’s have ventured into North Chennai in a bid to create quality living spaces. Metro Rail connectivity to North Chennai is expected to further stimulate growth prospects.”

Blaming the mindset and overall poor infrastructure for its current status, Habib said, ‘Even after several years, people still reminisce rickety buses, narrow by-lanes, overflowing sewers and mechanics and hawkers doing business on footpaths in north Chennai. Much of North Chennai is industrial land and has traditionally been the hub for industrial and warehousing facilities due to its proximity to the port. The residents are largely from labour and fishing communities. The purchasing power of these people is comparatively very less for a premium development.”

The traditional perception of north Chennai having high crime rates is also hitting the realty development, he pointed out.

On the other hand, South Chennai with its proximity to the IT parks is seeing high development due to employment opportunity, which drives the overall growth of the real estate sector here. “However, in the recent times, the purchasing power of lower and middle income groups in North Chennai has increased manifold. The second and third generations to those who worked in railways, industries here are moving up in the economic ladder. The increased purchasing power is changing the skyline with a number of large-scale properties setting up base there,” he reasoned.

About having even growth throughout the city, Habib added, “If IT zones and other industrial zones are notified in various parts of the city, rather than in one particular location, development would be evenly distributed.”

 Perceptions matter

Pitching his view on the uneven development in Chennai, Dr R Kumar, MD of Navin Housing and properties, said, “Actually, it is the chicken and egg question, and we cannot say that it is because of Governments’ intervention/inaction or it is because of the elite's preference, but the fact is, the combination of these two factors virtually created north-south divide. You can see parallels in the Hoogly and Calcutta divide as also the old Delhi and New Delhi divide, where it is more pronounced.”

“In addition, I also think there is a certain amount of cultural difference, in perceptions and in lifestyle, between North and south Chennai. I think, we have a responsibility to change these perceptions and lifestyle differences by physical intervention, by developing well-planned townships in North as well. At Navin's we are trying to do our bit by developing a integrated project, with all modern amenities, a project, which even South Chennai would be proud of!,” he added.

Price factor

Irony one would say, the distance from Chennai Central Railway Station to IT hub Siruseri on OMR and Katankulathur on GST Road is around 35 km and 43 km, respectively, while, the distance between the Central to Thiruvottiur and Manali is about 11 km. However, the real estate prices in the south locations are far higher than the two mentioned northern localities. While one could purchase a home for about Rs 2000 to 2500 per sq ft in Thiruvottiur and Manali areas, the price is more than double in areas near Siruseri and Katankulathur. However, people who buy a home in some of the northern Chennai localities have to face problems due to lack of sewage and water connection, frequent power outage, darker streets, uneven roads and lack of shopping facility. This tells the ambiguity of real estate development in Chennai.

Since the transport connectivity is awfully inadequate, people from northern localities are finding it difficult to travel to their work place situated in south and other areas.

Though North Chennai areas are being consistently ignored and overlooked for many years, there is hardly any move from the government’s side to develop these localities at par with their southern counterparts. To break the ice, a few builders have recently launched residential projects in and around Ambattur (which is well connected to fledgling Annanagar), however, not many projects are in the offing to trigger realty growth there.  Sad, one may call it.

Investors in lurch as NOIDA officials seal Supertech towers

NOIDA: Homebuyers in Supertech's Emerald Court towers have suffered a double jolt recently as the company unceremoniously called off a press conference and virtually stonewalled buyers' demands for a refund even as the Noida officials sealed the project site, bringing construction to a grinding halt.

The press conference was expected to shed light on the company's strategy in the wake of the Allahabad high court's order to demolish two 40-storeyed residential towers at  for flouting building laws. The two towers, Apex and Ceyance, together have 857 flats.

According to media report, the developer, Supertech, merely issued a note telling buyers that their investments were "completely safe and secure" as the two towers were "being constructed in total compliance of all rules and bylaws of the competent authorities". The note was silent on refunds.

In its ruling, the high court had pulled up Noida Authority for allowing construction of the two towers and ordered prosecution of officials who had a role in it. It also asked Supertech to refund money to the buyers "with 14% interest compounded annually".

The two towers are at an advanced stage of construction. More than 21 floors have been built in Apex and 17 in Ceyane. The towers were to have 14 flats on each floor besides a penthouse each.

A team of Noida Authority officials, accompanied by security personnel, reached the project site along the Noida-Greater Noida expressway around 3 pm and sealed the four entrances and exits. "Following the high court order, we have sealed Emerald Court Phase-II so that no further activity takes place on the premises," said Manoj Rai, the authority's officer on special duty.

Asked if the authority would now demolish the two towers in accordance with the court order, officials said they were yet to receive a certified copy of the ruling. "We will decide our course of action only after legally examining it, but we will definitely file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the order directing prosecution of authority officials," Rai said.

For the buyers, these weren't good tidings. "On one hand, we need to pay EMIs while on the other, we don't have any hope of access to the new home. We were hoping to move to the new flat in 2012 when they were supposed to be handed over," said Nitin Shingla, who has bought a flat in Apex.

The project's financiers are IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank, Corporation Bank and HDFC bank. "All we had to do was fill up some forms and submit documents. Supertech roped in the financiers," said Sudeep Manchanda, another buyer of an Apex home.

The banks, too, are worried. "We have written to them. All four banks have put in Rs 30-35 crore in the project. We are waiting for Supertech's response," said an IDBI manager involved in the Emerald Court project.

For almost all the apartments, the banks have disbursed 90-95% funds. "There doesn't seem to be any answer coming from the builders about a possible refund. Worse, we have to keep paying EMIs," said Dharmender Singh, who is fronting a group formed by Apex and Ceyane buyers.

"If nothing else works, we might be left with no option but to file a criminal case against the builders. They have suppressed facts about an ongoing litigation for the last two-three years. And even when the litigation was on, they sold flats," said Sudeep Mandhanda, a buyer.

Oman to ban foreign workers for construction jobs

Construction workers seeking jobs in Oman from India, will have to think again as the gulf state is planning to ban foreign expatriate workers in construction and housekeeping. The new initiative is to secure more jobs for local citizens and boost the economy.

Most workers are from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and are part of the oil and construction industry.

Minister of Manpower Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bakri told media persons that expatriates will not be hired by private companies in the two sectors for a six-month period beginning May 4.

According to Gulf News, the number of foreign workers in Oman rose to 4.7 million from 1.53 million in February, government data reveals.

In contrast, the Omani workers had a meager number of just 184,485 in private sector.

The country has been spending billions of dollars on other avenues to expand its economy beyond oil and does not want to deprive them of labour as many domestic families are employing domestic help from abroad.

Luminous launches home UPS with power backup indicator

Mumbai: Luminous, the leading power back-up solution provider, has introduced ‘Zelio’, a new home UPS with power backup time display.

The state-of-the-art UPS providing pure sine wave output has been designed to work with the most sensitive home appliances that the consumers are using in their houses.

Zelio has power back up display in hours & minutes, which will allow the consumers to plan their day without any hassle and manage their appliances accordingly when there is a power outage, a company release said.

Zelio has been packed with multiple advanced features and can provide power back up for all domestic appliances with in-built protection features.

Announcing Zelio, Manish Pant, Managing Director, Luminous Power Technologies, said, "Year 2014 will be full of new opportunities and challenges and we are aiming high to establish the brand as the leading integrated power backup and electrical solutions provider in India and across the globe. Zelio is the outcome of our robust research and development focused on customer-centric innovation. It is an example of the cutting edge technology that we are bringing in the market and it will be a unique product for the consumers and will help them to manage the power outages more efficiently and comfortably."

This next generation architecture by Luminous comprises a Digital Signal Processing core that yields high performance. It has learning software that adapts to the different types of batteries and their current discharge status to predict the remaining back up time.

Some of the features of the Zelio include : Grid Power - pure sine wave electricity supply; Intuitive & Easy-to-Use interface; An intelligent Home UPS, Powered by 32 bit DSP processor; Hassle-free battery maintenance experience enabled by a digital electrolyte level indicator; Complete protection for connected appliances and Wide range of battery support.

Cricketer Rohit Sharma to bat for Rajhans’ projects

Rajhans (Desai-Jain) Group, the Gujarat-based (Real Estate, Entertainment, Confectionery, Textiles and Hospitality) conglomerate has chosen ace Indian batsman Rohit Sharma as its brand ambassador.

Rohit Sharma will spearhead the company's aggressive foray into new real estate projects and geographies in India. The Group already has an impressive presence in Gujarat, Maharashtra & Delhi and will enter Punjab and Madhya Pradesh soon.

The Group would now have the benefit of Rohit Sharma's star power and endorsement as they usher in global and many "first-time-in-India" concepts in real estate (residential, commercial and retail) and expand their significant presence in entertainment (targeting 100 screens by mid-2015 across India) and the hospitality sector (targeting 25 chains of restaurants by mid-2015 across India).

Commenting on the new partnership, Jayesh Desai, Chairman, Rajhans (Desai-Jain) Group states: "We are thrilled to be associated with Rohit Sharma - the rising, young star of Indian cricket. I have always believed that the power and boundless energy of youth fuels growth and success. We wish to always be a young, agile company – because only as a youngster does the world and the future seem full of possibilities. Rohit, for me, epitomizes that power and motive force of youth that Rajhans believes in.”

‘I do think both Rohit and us at Rajhans are the new era in our respective fields of work - be it him in cricket or us in real estate and want to become the stalwarts of the future. And both of us want to make millions of Indians happy’ says Sunil Jain, Director – Realty at Rajhans.

“It is not just an intention – we have already begun to deliver delightful experiences and keeping our commitments. After receiving the prestigious CREDAI Award in 2012, we were recognized as the ‘Best Fully Completed Luxury Residential Project from Surat City’ by CNBC AWAAZ Real Estate Awards – 2013,” he further stated.

Rajhans has seen a meteoric rise in consumer acceptance and is today one of the leading builders from Gujarat with an impressive built up area of millions of sq.ft. in just 15 years. They are now restive for further, aggressive growth and have plans for developing 10 millions of sq.fts. of built-up area by 2016 using advanced technologies and by offering modern amenities leading to customer contentment.

The Group is highly consumer driven in its approach, which is epitomized in its tagline "Wings of Happiness". An entire organization vigorously oriented to customer satisfaction and keeping commitments.

Khushboo Rai, Sr. Manager – Media & Communications, Rajhans (Desai – Jain) Group said, "We are driven by unstinting customer commitment. All our communications from the Rajhans brand seeks active engagement from consumers in two-way conversation. A conversation about their lives and how we as a Group, through our offerings, can bring them happy experiences and moments. Rohit Sharma is a brand ambassador we think our customers, both current and prospective will love. He represents youth, our aspirations and our values and we think it will be a memorable association both for the brand the star".

ITSA, founded by Emmanuel Upputuru and Anirban Mozumdar, based out of Gurgaon, will be working on the new campaigns for Rajhans Real Estate. These would be appearing in the next few months, Rai added.

Construction boom opens new vistas for MEP service market

Mumbai: The growth of the construction sector in India is heralding wider opportunities for the Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing (MEP) services market.

Increasing investments from commercial (IT and retail), industries, residential, hotels, and hospitals, etc. have given the required impetus to the growth of this market. The value of Indian real estate projects that touched US $100 billion in 2010 is expected to touch $265 billion in 2020.

According to analysis from Frost & Sullivan, if the total construction projects are valued at $265 billion, then at least 25 per cent of them can be attributed to MEP design and works. This represents a potential opportunity of $67 billion in the next 10 years. The market is witnessing a growth rate of around 9 percent in 2013.

The commercial segment, particularly office and mall space, has remained flat and showed signs of slowdown in the recent past; however, new office space, malls, hospitals, hotels, and construction projects are expected to be back on track once credit rates and inflation lessens.

According to industry sources, the area for the commercial building sector in India is expected to reach 1.9 billion square feet by 2030, as against the present 659 million square feet. Of the real estate projects, about 75 per cent of the value is contributed by the residential segment, which include not only single homes, ground (G)+2/3/4 floors, but also taller and increasingly complex structures touching up to 30-40 storeys.

“Current MEP projects are not only large in size but are also complex. Complexity arises due to revisions or amendments in building codes that call for mandatory installation of certain products and systems. Apart from standard services like plumbing and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R), the Indian construction industry is undergoing a sea change with respect to the installation and usage of extra-low voltage/low voltage (ELV/LV) systems, keeping in mind the design and safety aspects of the electrical equipment,” says Sasidhar Chidanamarri, Industry Manager, Environment & Building Technologies Practice, Frost & Sullivan

Increasing penetration of green buildings is also creating a requirement for high quality and reliable MEP work because of the complexity of designing and constructing a green building. Presence of multiple unorganized participants who cater to small, commercial, and residential buildings, make the market highly cost competitive.

This along with low awareness about integrated MEP offerings, shortage of qualified, skilled, and competent manpower serves as challenges for the growth of this sector. At the same time, absence of codes and standards for MEP works in India allows easy entry for the participants, but it creates an environment where quality is often neglected for sub-standard work. Globally and in India, there are an increasing number of smart city initiatives that are witnessing more usage of information technology (IT) in buildings, transforming them into smart buildings.

This will be a trend in the real estate and construction sector in the coming years. The study finds that with the advent of convergence of technologies, such as pre-casting, building automation, energy management, etc., MEP players will be dealing with a whole new competitive environment and may have to partner with companies from different industry verticals as never before.

“MEP players have to adapt business models and value creation to work with other industry sectors. There is also a strong possibility that MEP players will find new verticals (end-user segments) and markets that were never before part of their strategy. As a result, they have to bring in new competencies, new products, and solutions to reach out to the rapidly evolving needs of the future customer,” notes Chidanamarri.

By 2030, it is expected that the competitive landscape will become more organized and large MEP players will seek out new and technologically complex opportunities.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the growth partnership company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

Premia’s Corporate City offers hosts of sustainable features

New Delhi: Premia group is developing the first of its kind Corporate City at Greater Noida incorporating a host of green features. 

The eco-friendly project 'Premia Corporate City', which is coming up on a 15 acre plot, will offer a complete corporate city experience to the inhabitants that includes Corporate Offices, 5-Star hotel, retail mall, service studios, an amusement park, golf course, theme based restaurants, clubs, cultural food courts and an endless list of one of a kind facilities and services.

The state-of-the-art designed boundary wall with the beautifully designed gate has been constructed to ensure the safety and cleanliness during the construction phase, according to a company release.

“Premia Group has adopted eco-friendly practices and materials that reduce its impacts, before we reach a point of irreversible damage to our life supporting systems for construction of its project. It is using new and improved energy efficient equipment, following the standards of the eco friendly construction. chemical pollutants from paints, solvents, plastics and composite timbers, along with biological pollutants such as dust mites and moulds are known to cause symptoms such as asthma, headaches, depression, eczema, palpitations and chronic fatigue syndrome,” it said.

The eco-friendly construction eliminates these problems through good ventilation design, breathable walls and use of natural, non-toxic products and materials. To make the building sustainable, the contractor has been instructed to implement smart energy strategies like works commissioning, taking care of efficient design and construction, use of efficient appliances, systems and lighting etc.

As buildings are considered to be the main consumers of potable water supply, the group has taken seriously to use water efficiently. “Normally, we see huge wastage of water during any building development, so, recycled water is used in the construction of the building to save the environment. Apart From this the use of environmentally preferable building materials and specifications can save lot of wastage and pollution.  The waste and toxic chemicals generated while constructing a building can be reduced by Reuse, reduce and recycling of the building material,” the company said.

Premia Corporate city is planned in a way to give world-class facilities. The first corporate city will fulfill the entire needs of urban class consumer with new definition of luxury. The Unique feature, design and architecture would differentiate this city from other players and products from market.

The project is a commercial venture that would have dedicated corporate towers with different category of offices as per the consumers choice and satisfaction. The space and required facilities are planned in all corporate offices and Business Centre.  Star attraction of this corporate city would be, exclusive lobby, conference room, convertible work stations, theme restaurants, banks and ATM, coffee shop, spa, international gym, bar, multiplexes, business centre etc.

Special care of kids has been taken and so kids’ zone and crèche are beautifully designed keeping in mind all requirements. Premia Corporate City will also have its door open for masses, as it would be a complete corporate and shopper's destination with unmatched range of services, facilities and amenities of world-class standards.

Premia group is a 2800 cr. business conglomerate with diversified business interests in real estate, healthcare, infrastructure and hospitality sectors with a pan- India presence. All the projects are strategically located in areas where fast development is taking place with international quality infrastructure.

Infra sector to face huge shortfall of professionals

India’s infrastructure sector is in peril, it seems. If the recent reports released by a top industry body and a leading international consultant to be believed, the sector, where billions worth projects are underway across the country, is facing a significant dearth of skilled workers, which includes project management professionals, engineers, safety experts and planners.

While industry body ASSOCHAM has estimated that the sector needs one million project management professionals, a joint report by Project Management Institute (PMI) and global consultants KPMG, said that the sector should add three million worker force, from project managers, planners to civil engineers, surveyors and safety experts by 2022.

The ASSOCHAM report, ‘Road Sector Role in Futuristic Development of India’, gave a thumbs down to the existing staff in the sector as most of them, according to the survey, in infrastructure construction space are not trained properly to handle big projects..

“Infrastructure sector is a project-oriented industry and has cost runs in several billions of rupees. So, project management should be high importance which connects all concerned department of the construction industry for a smooth execution of projects,” said DS Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM.

He also said, “As the projects in infrastructure sector are becoming increasingly complex they require optimizing allocation of resources and coordination with multiple vendors which require professionals having project management skills.”

With dozens sub-contractors and contractors, thousands of workers and hundreds of vendors spread across miles of project site, some should be there to coordinate with all of them and in the absence of such system, the projects face unique set of challenges that generally lead to severe delays and cost overruns.

Blaming that severe skill shortage and the growing demand-supply gap for qualified construction professionals are affecting the sector, PMI India’s Managing Director Raj Kalady said, “The dearth of qualified white collar professionals is a challenge to the infrastructure sector as they prefer alternative career options in lucrative industries such as IT and financial services."

According to the government sources, over 550 infrastructure projects across India are facing huge escalation in overall project costs to the tune of about Rs two lakh crore due to a series of factors like land acquisition, environmental rules and regulatory approvals and shortage of well-trained, skilled, certified, and competent specialists in infrastructure sector like engineers and other such professionals.

In its study, the ASSOCHAM has suggested that India should enhance the quality of vocational education and training as per the demands of infrastructure sector.

To meet the talent crunch for highly critical jobs, many companies are now hiring foreign professionals. Many organisations are also looking at short-term training programmes to enhance the skill sets of their project teams.

"The Government, too, realises the urgency of meeting the skill dearth. During the 12th Plan (2012-17), the Government plans to focus on improving project management skills across the country. But at the same time, there is also a pressing need for industry and academia to introduce project management into their curriculum," he noted.

How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market

Selling home at a time when the real estate market is showing downward trend or at consolidating mode is a painful decision. Those who buy home for investment purposes will not do this mistake as it will incur them huge loss in profit margin or increase the losses when the current prices were lower than the purchasing price.

For those genuinely want to sell their property to meet some urgent personal needs like medical emergency or family functions will have no option but to choose the best possible offer in the slow moving market. This is also the time when buyers will have the say and try to dominate buyers by offering lowest possible price than the prevailing market price.

If one has time, say one month or two months, to sell the property to raise funds, he or she should carefully collect basic information about the property such as prevailing market price in the area, brokerage charge (if one goes through a broker), guideline value, stamp duty and registration charges, etc.  One should also understand the nuances of preparing agreement papers and for that an advocate should be kept for reference.

Now-a-days online property websites are the most popular option to advertise about the property on sale or rent. One should upload the photos or videos of the property, whether it is flat/independent house/land, and provide vital information such as amenities, facilities, proximity to markets, educational institutions, medical centres and banks. One can save on brokerage if the deal is through from these websites.

One should not give any fictitious or false information about the property as there is a chance that he may lose out genuine home seekers or buyer can sue him in the court of law against the seller if he had provided false information in the net, which can go against him in the court.

If one wants to sell the property in shortest possible time, relying on genuine brokers in the respective area will not be a bad idea. But since the market is filled with unscrupulous people and fly-by-night brokers, it is essential to check the antecedents of the brokers. As the real estate regulation bill is still a distant dream, which once implemented, would make the brokers accountable, it is mandatory for a seller to check the past records of the broker/s before handing over the copies of the document to him.

“I had a property in Vasundara in Ghaziabad. Since I was transferred to Mumbai, I wanted to sell the property. I did not know anyone in the locality nor am I a net savvy to advertise about the property on net. I knew one sub-broker, who was doing real estate business as a part time job in my complex. I told him about my requirement and expected value of my flat.

“Within a month, he brought five people to me and ultimately, I got a good deal. Though I sold it at a marginally lesser value compared to the existing market value, I could raise money for my urgent family need at a shortest possible time. Since I knew the broker, I did not have any apprehension about cheating or malpractice,” says Kumar Gaurav, an engineer from a PSU in Kurla. So, are you ready?

Chennaiites are landing on right plots!

True to the saying that ‘the best investment on earth is earth’, Chennaiites are now more inclined towards investing in land notwithstanding the strained economic condition and stagnancy the real estate sector has been witnessing for the last few years.

With buying homes becoming increasingly difficult for lower and middle class segments, people who could invest as low as Rs one lakh to 10 lakh are increasingly looking for land on the outskirts of Chennai for investment purposes and what more, land promoters are jumping into the fray to tap the God sent opportunity offering land in newer locations around the southern metropolis at affordable prices.

However, real estate experts warn that the overwhelming rush towards buying land would encourage fly-by-night promoters to cheat the gullible land seekers.

“The city has been dotted with posters of various sizes informing people about the availability of land in various places like Redhills, Chengelpet, Oragadam, Avadi, Periapalayam, Sriperumbudur, Madurandagam, Melmaruvattur etc from prices ranging between Rs one lakh to Rs 10 lakh. Some even offer DTCP approved plots of 600 to 1200 sq ft for as low as Rs 6 lakh. People have a good chance to invest in properties at low price as land has less chance of depreciation unlike homes,” says Sathish Kumar, Managing Director of Anandam Foundation.

Though investment in land properties would be ideal considering the present slowdown, care should be exercised in choosing the property under one’s budget. 

What made people to go after land in Chennai? S Stalinraja, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing of Omshakthy Homes Private Limited, says, ‘The present market condition guarantees more value appreciation for land properties compared to flats. For the last few years, some of the areas of Chennai have witnessed depreciation in capital value for flats whereas prices of land have been increasing steadily.’

Agrees Mayank, a property investor from South Chennai. ‘I bought a DTCP approved plot measuring 2400 sq ft in Madurandagam for Rs 6 lakh in 2012. It was sold to me at Rs 250 per sq ft. Presently, developers are offering land at Rs 450 per sq ft in the same area, almost 100 per cent appreciation one can say in one year,’ he says.

In the recent years the state government has been focusing on the infrastructure of Chennai and the surrounding suburbs. Adding to market growth, south Chennai suburbs are experiencing heightened activity as multi crore companies are changing the skyline.

Chennai City has grown and expanded exponentially, embracing what was once known as the outskirts, Guduvanchery, Singaperumal Koil and Oragadam, now becoming the hot hubs of Chennai with multi national companies investing in crores. With industries booming and the demand for real estate escalating, areas of south Chennai will continue to grow, no doubt the investment on land property will double in few years from now, says Sathish.

Of the promising investment hotspots for land around Chennai, Chengalpet on GST Road remains on top, offering varied investment options for middle class and upper middle class people. The reasons for those choosing Chengalpet for property investment are many with some of them being, close proximity to manufacturing & IT hubs and Mahindra World City, the business township of TIDCO.

Being the southern gateway to Chennai city, Chengalpet has been one of the fastest developing municipalities in recent times and situated just 30 km from the city center. Apparently termed as ‘New Chennai’, it is the metro’s first integrated business city and India’s first operational Special Economic Zone.

Air, road and rail networks have been expanded to provide handhold service to the public in South Chennai. New master plans have been proposed by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) in terms of rail route that includes laying of the second lane between Chengalpet and Arakonam, which is about 60 km from Chennai. According to some front-line developers, Chengalpet will become a well-equipped metropolitan city in the next four years.

Chengalpet also has both quality education and medical facility under its belt. The district is equally endowed with top autonomous and affiliated educational institutions in the state.

“Apart from Chengalpet, which provides short-term gain for investors, other places which offer quick appreciation of land value are Oragadam, Sriperumbudur, Singaperumal Koil, Poonamalle, Madurandagam and up to Thiruvallur. One should also look for transport, educational, medical, employment facilities before choosing a land for either investment or residential purposes,” feels Badal Yagnik, Managing Director – Chennai and Coimbatore, Jones Lang LaSalle India, a leading real estate research firm.

Making a pitch on southern and western outskirts of Chennai to get fast and consistent appreciation of land value, Bala however, cautions against buying land in northern and north eastern localities such as Redhills, Periyapalayam, etc, which he feels, have less chances of appreciation in short term. ‘Even for long term also, compared to southern parts, these areas will have less appreciable values. So, one must be very careful from the road-side advertisers offering plots in these areas at affordable prices with hosts of freebies such as free patta, registration, EC, gold coins, scooty etc,” says Badal.

On the percentage of appreciation, southern Chennai areas can appreciate between 30 per cent to more than 100 per cent depending upon the location with in 3-5 years, people who are investing in other areas can expect appreciation between 30-50 per cent in the span of 5-10 years.

The price also varies depending upon the appreciable values, which depend on the infrastructure facilities available and future prospects in the area. For example, a person having a budget of Rs one lakh can look for a land at far off places near Thiruvallur or Arakkonam and can wait for ten years to get a decent appreciation, where as those who look for a fast appreciation of their money can buy a land measuring 1200 sq ft for Rs 10 lakh at places like Oragadam or Sriperumbudur and book profit within three to five years, says Stalinraja.
Legal side

Though there has been a landslide rush towards buying land in Chennai, legal experts believe that buying land through reputed promoters and verifying the documents through a lawyer would save them from being cheated.

It is always not true that lands bought through prominent developers would have less chances of having title deed-related problems. “Before buying any property, it is always better to verify the documents through a competent legal authority,” feels K Ramasamy, advocate, Madras High Court.

Explaining further he says, “We generally check thoroughly the sale deed and other types of deeds registered in the name of present owner/s, parent documents, EC for fifty years, patta, chitta, adangal, competency of the vendor, and at the end we also check the original documents before issuing the clearance certificate.”

While purchasing land, one should also see for appropriate approvals from local panchayat, DTCP or CMDA authorities for using the piece of land for residential or commercial purpose. Encumbrance certificate gives the details of liabilities, if any, on the property to be purchased. Transition of legal heir/s should be thoroughly screened for any anomalies in subsequent property sales over the years.

Lack of awareness drives people to buy land from unscrupulous developers without checking the documents, feels advocate Ramasamy.

Most of them do not even ask for a copy of documents for legal verification. They simply pay the advance money and give the rest at the time of registration. If any problem arises after few years at the time of building home or selling the property, landowners seldom find those who sold the property to them. So, it is better to check the documents before registering a land.

Places to ponder

Areas for short term gain (3-5 years)	Areas for long term (5-10 years)
Oragadam, Sriperumbudur, Singaperumal Koil, Poonamalle, Madurandagam, Kanchipuram, Thiruporur, Sholinganallur, Chengalpet, Padappai, Mahabalipuram, Guduvanchery, Chungavarchathram, Melmaruvathur, Walajabad, Karapakkam	Dindivanam,  Marakkanam, Periapalayam, Redhills, Paruthipattu, Tiruvottiyur, Thiruvallur, Kalpakkam, Uthiramerur, Putlur, Minjur, Athipattu, Thirumazhisai,

Property buyers! EC too can deceive you!

K Ramanathan

CHENNAI: Property buyers beware! Your most authentic document for judging the ownership and also to find the liability factor of a property you want to buy, may deceive you. Confused?

If the recent submission made by the state’s registration authority before the honourable High Court in Chennai is to be believed, the Encumbrance Certificate (EC), which has been considered as the most reliable document by property buyers, will now have to search for some other means to authenticate the genuineness of a property they are buying.

To escape from land grabbing bids by using all available illegal means, realty buyers and investors in the state solely believe on EC while making purchases. But their hope was shattered recently when the state registration department told the Madras High Court that ‘It is difficult to issue encumbrance certificates without any fault.’

An EC is the most basic document, which tells about the current status of an immovable property. It contains the details of ownership and whether the property has been mortgaged or encumbered in favour of a bank or any individual.

Responding to an anticipatory bail petition of a landowner who purchased another person's property, as the EC did not reflect the latest ownership details, the inspector-general of registration told the court that, "The ECs are prepared by making search based on survey numbers, boundaries, extent, period, etc. It is because of mismatch in present survey number and old survey number and boundaries, encumbrance certificates, at times, do not reflect all the details relating to a property."

Piqued by the submission, Justice S Nagamuthu, told the registration authority that he could not agree with the argument that ECs could be faulty. Observing that there has been a rise in the number of cases related to improper ECs issued by the registration authority, the judge said, "Due to advancement in technology, it could be possible to evolve an error-free mechanism by which ECs could be issued flawlessly, reflecting all liabilities.”

The State registration dept told the court that though issuing an accurate EC was difficult with the present set up, it would soon come up with a better system.

However, one should understand a fact that unless the mortgaged or encumbered documents are registered properly, the chances of getting it reflected on EC is remote,’ said Rathnagiri, a property consultant in Thiruvanmiyur, who further added that property buyers should get an ownership and ‘no-due’ affidavit from the seller/s before registering a property. This will save them from future embarrassments.

EC can be applied for 25 to 50 years, depending upon the availability of information pertaining to a piece of land with the concerned registration authority. In some cases, the EC would be required for a tiny piece of land, segmented by land developers from a huge parcel of land, owned by a single entity. In such cases, the EC should take care of the survey number/s of the requisite property along with the surrounding ones and present and previous owner of the immovable property.

Tekla comes out with Tekla Structures V20

Jaipur: Tekla India, a leader in bringing Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to the engineering and construction markets, today announced the availability of Tekla Structures 20 at its 7th Annual User Meet here.

 

The newest version of Tekla’s BIM software can improve construction workflow efficiency by providing the means to better organise models, manage tasks and avoid structural clashes. It can also incorporate more detailed information than ever before, according to a press note from Tekla.

Over 300 participants from industry’s leading companies such as L&T Engineering, Prothious, ICAD, Structure Online, Simon India, B G Shirke, M N Dastur and Alstom Engineering were at the meet.

With the new version launch, the event also aimed at bringing together its customers to discuss the latest developments and technologies in the rapidly growing sector and laying the foundation for BIM (building Information modelling) adoption to this space amongst the huge potential education market in India.

One of the main highlights of the event was Tekla India Model Competition, which is arranged yearly and facilitates as a platform for Tekla customers to showcase their success stories worldwide.

The model competition winners were chosen amongst total of 62 entries across five categories:

• Best Best Complex Steel Project was awarded to Insteel Engineering Pvt. Ltd. - Mexico Football Stadium
• Best Concrete Project was awarded to L&T EDRC Kolkata - Sinter Storage Building
• Best Special Project was awarded to Simon India Limited - Sulphuric Acid Expansion Plant
• Best BIM Project was awarded to FLSmidth Pvt. Ltd., Chennai - Windbox GSA Tower    
• Tekla BIMagician was awarded to Design Excellence  - Chemical plant Dismantling   

The People’s Choice award went to Eversendai Construction Pvt. Ltd., Chennai who made ‘TCS Signature Tower.’

  

Recently, Tekla India along with Trimble Buildings, a part of the Engineering Construction segment of US-based Trimble Navigation Ltd., strengthens its presence in India with end-to-end Design-Build-Operate (DBO) lifecycle.

Speaking on the occasion Nirmalya Chatterjee – COO & Business Director, Tekla India said, “Our continuous effort is to introduce new developments and technologies for the infrastructure industry, this year it’s Tekla Structure Version 20. The Tekla India User Meet gives us a platform to communicate with our customers in India as well as in the neighboring countries, and exchange trending ideas with latest technological updates. The user responses that we have garnered year on year has been simply incredible, witnessing the highest number of participates from top companies in the space”.

Chatterjee further added that, “Trimble’s launch in India through Tekla has been remarkably successful as it has proved to be of great relevance to its growing construction and real estate market. India is a very important market for us as we see great potential here. Our technologies enable industry professionals such as Architects, Structural Engineers, MEP Trades, General Contractors, and Building Owners to do their jobs better, while achieving greater accuracy, efficiency, and cost management”.

These new technologies include a portfolio of synergistic software and hardware helping companies to digitize workflows and minimize rework across the Design-Build-Operate lifecycle (DBO). They are focused on optimizing collaboration so that managing the moving parts of complex building programs becomes easier and smarter.

As BIM penetrates construction industry processes, architectural trends produce increasingly complex shapes, and buildings include more refined technology, information exchange becomes progressively more important. While information management remains at the core of BIM, building today’s structures requires more information than ever before. Tekla Structures 20 meets this requirement by expanding the capacity of constructable Tekla models to easily handle the large amounts of information needed to accurately reflect the detail contained in complex build structures.

“Tekla Structures 20 contributes to the essential processes of today’s information-intensive construction industry,” said Risto Räty, Executive Vice President of Tekla and General Manager of Trimble Buildings’ Structures Division.

“Ultimately, construction is about collaboration. When information is missing it is hard to work effectively with other construction team members to avoid preventable delays and cost overruns. Tekla Structures 20 dramatically improves project team communication and collaboration by providing the detail needed for building complex structures, offering process-improving tools, and effortlessly working with other software applications, thereby delivering on the promise of BIM for the construction industry,” Räty said.

New Tools for Better Information Management

Tekla Structures 20 brings even more detailed information and flexibility to modeling, while reducing the need for manual data transfer. Information now flows more efficiently from design, purchasing and production to the shop floor. Tekla also provides more links to analysis and design (A&D) solutions to remove the technical and compatibility barriers that compromise workflow between project teams and subcontractors using different types of applications.

To ease the management of the massive amounts of constructable building information needed for contemporary structures, Tekla Structures 20 also offers several improved tools:

Organiaer delivers more efficient model information management and increased automation. Task Manager offers a systematic way to plan detailing, fabrication and erection on site.

Clash Check Manager allows communicating, assigning, coordinating and avoiding structural conflicts before they appear on site to help save money and time.

About Tekla Structures

Tekla Structures is the most advanced BIM (Building Information Modeling) software on the market. The construction industry utilizes it for creating, combining, managing and distributing highly detailed, accurate and information-rich models of all structures and all materials. The software interfaces with other solutions and manufacturing machinery, allowing the users to achieve efficient and error-free collaboration.