MARG Karaikal Port bags best project award

Chennai: MARG Karaikal Port, a subsidiary of Chennai headquartered MARG Group, was selected as the ‘Best project’ under the category Port Development at the ‘D&B – Axis Bank Infra Awards 2012.’

GRK Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, MARG Group received the award from UPS Madan, IAS, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited in Mumbai at a glittering ceremony held on Wednesday where top performers from the Indian Infra sector were honoured.

The award to MARG Karaikal Port project is another feather in its cap and is in recognition of developing MARG Karaikal Port as a modern, hi-tech Port infrastructure within a record period of time with superior quality, modern technology and safety features, exemplary performance and social impact. MARG Karaikal Port is a premier, hi-tech, all weather port on the South East coast of India is notably the only all weather, deep water, multi-commodity port between Chennai port and Tuticorin port and is strategically located at the middle of this 680 km coastline.

Expressing happiness on receiving the award, GRK Reddy said, "We are delighted to have won this award which acknowledges our expertise in handling large infra projects with some of the best cutting edge technology, intellectual strength and strategic tie-ups with international majors. This award to MARG Karaikal project will definitely be a great boost for our future efforts and will spur us towards greater heights. This is a recognition of our capability, particularly in handling projects under Public-Private Partnerships.”

The Infra awards felicitate leading Infrastructure companies who have delivered exemplary performance. The winners for the prestigious recognition have been selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on pre-determined parameters involving independent jury.

The occasion also marked the release of the fifth edition of its premier publication ‘India’s Leading Infrastructure Companies 2012’ by UPS Madan, who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, while Sidharth Rath, President & Head – Large Corporation development, Axis Bank & Saugata Bhattacharya, Chief Economist, Axis Bank delivered special address.

About D&B – AXIS BANK INFRA AWARD

 
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), the world’s leading provider of business information, knowledge and insight and Axis Bank, India’s leader in Infrastructure Finance and the third largest private sector bank in India, jointly announce the second edition of ‘D&B-Axis Bank Infra Awards 2012.’ These awards were instituted to felicitate 18 leading infrastructure companies & projects that had delivered exemplary performance in the Indian Infra space.

Godrej Properties launches Godrej E-City in Bengaluru

Godrej Properties Ltd. (GPL), the real estate development arm of the Godrej Group, has announced the launch of its residential project, Godrej E-City, in Electronic City Phase-1, Bengaluru. 

Spread over 15 acres, this project will be launched in three phases, the company said in a release. Phase 1 will consist of eight 5-storey buildings and offer about 280 homes across 3.6 lakh sq. ft. Customers can choose from 2, 2.5 and 3 BHK apartments, ranging from 964 sq. ft. to 1,625 sq. ft. at prices starting from about Rs 37 lakhs. The entire development is expected to have approximately 800 apartments across 1 million sq. ft. of real estate, it said.

Pirojsha Godrej, Managing Director & CEO, Godrej Properties said, "We are very happy to launch our fifth residential project in Bengaluru - Godrej E-City. Bengaluru is an important market for us and we look forward to the successful launch of this project."

The location offers excellent connectivity due to its close proximity to NICE Road and the Elevated Expressway on Hosur Road. Major junctions like Sarjapur / ORR and Silk board can be easily accessed through the well-developed road network. Furthermore, major IT/ITes/Industrial work places like Infosys, Wipro, TCS, HCL, Bomassandra industrial area and Sipcot Industrial area, are located in the vicinity thereby making the location a vibrant economic hub for Bengaluru.

Godrej E-City will offer various amenities including a modern clubhouse, a well-equipped gymnasium, swimming pools, a health club, a conference hall, and a convenience store. Sports facilities such as an indoor squash court, a badminton court, a children's play area and a jogging track will be provided besides indoor game facilities like table tennis and snooker.

Godrej E-City is designed on the principles of sustainability. The project will use eco-friendly material and will integrate environment-sensitive passive architectural solutions to minimize the carbon emission associated with the development. Features like electric car charging facility, rainwater harvesting, solar heating, usage of hydrogel for water conservation, low VOC paints and water efficient fixtures will be incorporated in the project design. Also, 70% of the project will be covered in landscaped gardens and open spaces.

As is the case for almost all Godrej Properties' projects, Godrej E-City is also being developed through a partnership model. The project will be developed by Universal Builders and Godrej Properties will act as development manager.

LICHFL to host Happy Home Grahapravesam in Chennai from Oct 13

Chennai:  India's largest home loan provider LIC Housing Finance Limited in association with B & C Expo - a popular Chennai-based property expo organizer, is conducting `Happy Home Grahapravesam - 2012' fair on 13th and 14th October at HPM Paradise Mahal, near Telephone Exchange in Ambattur.  

Supported by Flat Promoters Associations of Ambattur and Avadi, the expo is aimed at providing an interactive platform between the leading realty players and potential home buyers.

In a 4300 sq.ft space, under one roof the expo will house about 65 stalls of leading builders and developers displaying more than 200 projects, including lands starting from Rs. one lakh and homes from Rs. 9 lakh onwards. An exclusive loan counter of LIC Housing Finance will enlighten the inquisitive visitors on the suitable loan schemes for building a dream home.

Expected to attract thousands of visitors, the expo will feature an exclusive forum for the parents of NRIs, who will be provided with out-and-out details specific to buying property on behalf of their children residing outside the country, a release said.

Another informative feature is free consultation forum between 5 pm and 8 pm on both days of Expo. Here, the visitors will get an opportunity to interact with a panel of experts from building and related industries and get counseling on A to Z of property-related queries including legal issues, approvals, valuation, documentation, etc. On-the-spot LIC Home loan sanctions and lucky draw prizes every hour, are there to the visitors' excitement.

"Greater Chennai is fast evolving and as a result the suburbs are being largely developed as alternate dwelling areas. Ambattur is one of the major hubs of the greater city and is well connected with all the parts of the city. With the overwhelming response for our previous editions, we are happy to conduct our third edition of `Happy Home Grahapravesam expo' here.

This expo facilitating interaction with the housing and finance experts without the need for middlemen will help in seeking first-hand information on trends and developments of the Chennai realty and related services," said Arasu Alagappan, MD, B&C Expo.

The two-day fair is open from 10 am to 8 pm. Entry is Free.

V Corp announces launch of servies in Indian real estate

New Delhi:  V Corp, India’s first of its kind development management company, has announced the launch of its services across India. As a development management specialist company, V Corp will undertake the task of conceptualising, developing and managing projects on behalf of landowners. It will also advise clients during the planning, construction and operations stage to ensure that the project gets the best value and earns high returns for its stakeholders, a release said.

V Corp will add value and monetize assets for developers.

V Corp’s unique forte has the potential to attract the landowners and the investors. With help from V Corp, land-owners will recognize the maximum earning potential of their property without having to divest a stake and yet enjoy high returns. This is based on “on-ground” macro and micro level realities, de-risking projects substantially. In sync with this, V Corp. will assist the investors to scrutinize the funds already deployed in Real Estate. Such investors will also look at V Corp to assess the viability of a new project; viability not only based on financial figures but also on other project specific socio-economic factors.

The V Corp symbol will become the new hallmark of quality that investors and homebuyers will look out for before they invest in real estate.

The company also promotes pre-engineered, standardized products for the building industry. Stepping out of the clichés of consultancy services, it will assist and advise clients on the application of such products for their projects.

Marking the launch of V Corp, Sunil Dahiya, Managing Director, V Corp said, “Development management of land is a nascent concept for India. As the real estate sector plays a vital role in any economy it is important to unlock the true value of the project. V Corp will undertake the task of conceptualising and managing the development of a project on behalf of a licensed landowner. As a development management specialist company, V Corp will offer exclusive turnkey solutions for real estate projects.”

Group Advisor Dr. Kunal Banerji added, “Through its global associates from the international building and infrastructure industry, V Corp will offer 360⁰ services from land development, architectural planning, construction and marketing, right up to sales realization.”

“We hope to be working for reputed developers of commercial & residential projects in India. Through our escrow account system, we will ensure timely construction of the projects and keep an eye on the quality as well. We are happy to announce having already signed up projects worth RS1000 croes in Gurgaon/NCR and expecting some other projects in the pipeline to mature and a CAGR we shall reach RS 5000 croes and above in the next 2 years. We have already invested RS 250 cores in two projects in Gurgaon/NCR.” Sanjay Kumar, Director (Finance).

V Corp has arrangements with specialised and strategic partners who will bring in their experience and expertise to ensure the timely and successful development of projects across India.

Indiabulls inks pact with Doha Bank for NRI home loans

Dubai: Indiabulls has entered into an agreement with Qatar's Doha Bank for offering mortgage loans to latter's NRI customers for acquiring properties in India. The agreement was signed by Doha Bank Group CEO R Seetharaman and Indiabulls Group Executive Director Ajit Mittal.

"The tie-up with Indiabulls will provide an opportunity to Doha Bank NRI customers to approach for Housing Loans to purchase property in India... Doha Bank is only bank in Qatar to have such arrangements for its NRI customers," Seetharaman said.

Indiabulls Group Executive Vice President Kubeir Khera was also present on the occasion. Commenting on the alliance, Mittal said the partnership with Doha Bank marks an important milestone in Indiabulls' quest for a global footprint.

"We are very proud to have partnered with Doha Bank, which is one of the largest retail banks in Qatar - we would serve the growing demand from expatriate Indians for home loans and property acquisition. Our housing projects have evoked a tremendous interest among the NRI community," he said.

Indiabulls Group is one of leading business houses in India in the areas of housing finance, real estate and infrastructure development. Indiabulls Housing Finance Company has presence through 180 branches in 100 cities across India.

Property Fair Living Spaces at Chennai Trade Centre

Property Fair 'Living Spaces' which ended at Chennai Trade Centre on Tuesday.

Asian Paints Unveils New Brand Identity with Soha Ali Khan

Asian Paints launch by Soha Ali Khan

 Mumbai: Asian Paints has unveiled its new brand identity and logo, with Soha Ali Khan at “Colour with Asianpaints”, the Asian Paints consumer experience and décor consulting store in Bandra West, Mumbai. 

The new logo reflects a more meaningful and personalized engagement with the increasing number of interior décor consumers in the home, retail and commercial segments across India. Asian Paints is now a complete décor and design solutions company, having also launched the first branded home painting service in the world under the brand name ‘Asian Paints Home Solutions’ and the colour inspiration concept store.

The new identity and logo is expected to be rolled-out over the next month at all the 5277 critical retailer stores followed by the rest of the network. The change was inspired by research insights that revealed that:

-- Upward mobility of the urban middle class has been rising quite rapidly over the past several years – which has resulted in a higher involvement and willingness to invest in home aesthetics.

-- The emerging professionals group consisting of double income professionals or younger influencers such as teenagers/young adults prefer design and décor companies that assist the makeover process through color guidance, paint process guidance and related services.

-- The home makeover process that includes tiling, upholstery, furniture etc. cuts out a significant portion of the home owner's budget. Hence, the paint category has immense potential to use color in an innovative and creative manner to provide more design and decor solutions than ever before.

Unveiling the new logo, Soha Ali Khan said: “The Pataudi family has had a long association and deep affinity with Asian Paints. I am honored be a part of this momentous occasion and watch the brand go from strength-to strength and evolve as more than just a paint company. I have had the opportunity to use the brand and services of Asian Paints and I can vouch for the same being a hassle free experience.

Commenting on the new brand identity change initiative, Amit Syngle, Vice-President Sales and Marketing, Asian Paints Limited said: “The change in our brand identity signifies our intent to establish a deeper connect with our customers as well as ensure that the Asian Paints brand is able to stir the consumer’s imagination, ignite their creativity as well as expand their vision to a new vista of possibility. Our new logo conveys those elements with the flowing ribbon formation that creates the ‘AP’ design highlighting the easy flow, smoothness, dynamism and possibility that our solution and offerings will provide. As part of our effort in creating and managing inspiration, we go the extra mile in enabling consumers to design the home of their dreams.”