October 06-12, 2014 1

Volume 3 l Issue No 40 l October 06-12, 2014 l Price: Rs 100An MMR, Braj Binani Group Publication

Infra delays due to design & planning, unskilled labour,

cost escalations: CBRE

RBI policy status quo leaves realty developers disappointed

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held the repo rate steady at 8 per cent in its recent monetary policy meeting. In line with easing liquidity conditions, the access to Export Credit Refinance (ECR) was brought down to 15 per cent of the eligible export credit giving greater room for banks to manoeuvre.

Real estate developer’s apex body Credai expressed disappointment over the RBI’s policy to keep key policy rates unchanged and sought a cut in interest rates to boost housing demand.

In a statement, i t said, “The Confederat ion o f Rea l Es ta te Developers’ Associations of India is disappointed with the status quo on the RBI policy rates and demands a reduction in interest rates to facilitate

lowering of entry barrier and spur demand for the real estate sector.”

The association said there is need to devise a formula to make rates independent of inflation, keeping in view the mission to provide housing for all by 2022 and exponential impact of the realty sector on triggering the growth.

“The real estate sector has been dabbling with high cost of land, labour, material, funds and high rates of taxation along with the moderate demand over the past few months. The industry was looking forward to a reduction in interest rates and improved liquidity to usher growth and development,” said Credai President C Shekar Reddy.

For the fourth time in a row, the RBI kept key interest rates unchanged,

maintaining that it will not cut them unless moderates to anticipated levels, disappointing borrowers and the industry in this festive season.

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & MD, CBRE South Asia, remarked, “The RBI’s move of keeping base rates unchanged was expected by the industry. Gradually weakening in f l a t iona ry p ressu res , a long with improving performances by the manufacturing, construction and services sectors have been encouraging signs for further economic improvement by the second half of the

year. Any reduction in base rates in coming months will be a positive indicator for the real estate sector.”

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, commenting on the fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy said that the RBI’s decision to maintain status quo on policy rates is not fully unexpected as in the growth-inflation dilemma, the concern is to guard against the anticipation of upside risks emerging from inflationary expectations.

“By all indications, the twin deficits – fiscal and current account are well

“Public Private Partnership (PPP) model should have a fourth P – People,” said Arun Maira, Mentor, India Backbone Implementation Network (IBIN) and Former Member, the Planning Commission of India at the 5th Regional Conference on Infrastructure Project Management organized recently by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi. CBRE South Asia P Ltd was the Knowledge Partner for the conference.

Maira further added that for manufacturing to excel in a country like in India, infrastructure development is the biggest hurdle; which is in turn related to effective project management. He called out to all project managers to ensure that all physical attributes must be well thought of and carefully put together across all levels of operations.

Pro jec t managers must be evangelists of the idea of holistic project management with a focus on quality and minimum wastage of resources and best practices of project management must be gathered and shared across the globe, further added Maira.

Anshuman Magazine, Conference Chair and Chairman & Managing Director, CBRE South Asia P Ltd, while delivering his remarks, said that it would not be possible to enhance India’s infrastructure without improving our project management capacity.

Magazine also said that CBRE recently conducted a survey on the ‘Industry Perception towards Project Management’, with participation from over a 100 companies.

The survey highl ights some interesting facts like apart from time and cost, lack of quality and safety management has an adverse impact on the delivery of a project. It showed that over 50 per cent of projects are affected in some way or the other due to health and safety issues. Another aspect highlighted is that cost overruns are a primary reason for delay in projects, and organizations need to look at effective methods of combating this.

According to the survey results, 85 per cent of the respondents employed professional project managers in their organisations while 90 per cent

of the respondents felt that there is a shortage of trained professionals in the industry.

Other eminent speakers at the conference were Bhumesh Gaur, Vice President-Global Real Estate a n d Wo r k p l a c e E n a b l e m e n t , American Express India; Purushottam Sharad, Facilities Services & Real Estate Leader, DuPont South Asia; Syed Moinuddin, Senior Director, Corpoorate Real Estate-APAC, Aon Hewitt; Dr Ananya Gandotra, Head-Technical Services Group, Taj Hotels & Palaces; Biswajit Ghosh, Global Head-Infrastructure Sourcing, Cognizant Technology Solutions; Chandranathan Udayakumaran, Head of Facilities-South Asia, Mentor Graphics Corporation; Amitabh Tyagi, Regional Director-Design & Technical Service-South Asia, Starwood Hotels Asia Pacific; Arun Khanna, Head- Corporate Real Estate & Logistics, United Health Group; and Ani l Dhawan, Executive Vice President Projects-Delhi International Airport, GMR Group.

(L-R): Arun Maira, Mentor, IBIN & Former Member, the Planning Commission of India; Anshuman Magazine, CMD, CBRE South Asia; and Ankur Singh Chauhan, CII

Developers euphoric with over 100 launches this

festive season

Real estate developers in India (well, those in top real estate markets) can truly look forward to a joyous Diwali this year. Their faces have been lit up this festive season with over 100 launches in the country’s top four real estate markets – Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune. Also, this time around prices have been dropped.

Omkar Realtors Director Gaurav Gupta observes that the frame of mind this festive season among developers is optimistic and cheerful. His two projects in Mumbai’s western suburbs of Andheri and Bandra Kurla Complex will be thrown open soon. Vishal Malik, Director, Coldwell Banker India, believes that this festive season could be the beginning of a revival in the real estate sector.

Knight Frank Executive Director (south) Satish BN thinks that stability in the IT/ITeS sectors, a booming equity market and steps taken by the new Modi government to lure investment will have a positive impact on residential sales in the festive season.

Some developers like Rustomjee, Marathon, Omkar, and Lodha are aiming at the residential market in Mumbai, while in the NCR, developers like Pratham Housing, Ajnara India, Ansal API and Godrej Properties have unveiled properties. In the south, Bengaluru’s Brigade Group has thrown open 540 units for sale in the micro-market of Jakkur. In Chennai, Mahindra Lifespaces is selling the affordable housing project ‘Happinest .

Abhishek Lodha, Managing Director, Lodha Group, is hopeful that demand for real estate will pick up in the next three to six months. “The market has already started showing strength,” he noted,

Vivek Kumar, Head, primary sales (Mumbai), Jones Lang LaSalle India, explained that if a two-bedroom apartment was priced at Rs 1 crore, buyers might get lured, but at a 20 per cent higher level, the product would be hard to sell. Rahul Nahar, Managing Director, XRBIA Developers, is looking to sell at least 3,000 units in the next three months.

under control and core inflation has been trending downwards. While on the other hand, industrial production has been muted. This could have been a good opportunity for the RBI to reduce rates. However, the CII does appreciate the RBI’s view that inflation needs to be dealt with once and for all,” said Banerjee.

The ratings firm Care Research expect the RBI to continue to spell caution before changing its monetary policy stance. Thereby, it expects a status-quo position on interest rates in the next policy announcement.

October 06-12, 2014 3IN PERSON

‘We’re committed to build sustainable infrastructure’

The Delhi-based BCC group has shaped the nation’s skyline both in terms of residential and commercial properties in Delhi and the NCR region. The group has about 6.5 million sq ft under development projects, and 2.5 million sq ft area that has been already developed. As a leading developer for over 30 years, it has successfully completed its promise of quality construction across all its projects.

The BCC has expertise in residential development services and delivered about 50 projects including prestigious Bharat Residency, Bharat Apartment and NBCC Town (a JV between NBCC and BCC) and many more.

The group has entered strategic alliances with established industry giants to cater to people in a larger way. The company’s vision of ‘People First’ is committed to build a sustainable infrastructure to address people’s needs across all verticals.

Real estate is one of the fastest growing industries in India with many reckoned players across the country. When did you foray and how is your experience in the industry so far?

BCC Builders is the leading name in housing townships and independent housing projects in Delhi and the NCR region. Since the start of our journey in the year 1980, the group has contributed both in terms of residential and commercial properties in Delhi and the NCR region.

Businesswise how are you placed in terms of developing projects, completions and timely delivery of homes?

As a leading developer for the past 30 years, we have successfully completed our promises with quality construction across our projects. BCC Infrastructures started Bharat City in October 2011 and the project divided into four phases is slated to complete by 2016-2017.

We are happy to announce that we are ready to give out possession of the first phase by September this year and have started work on the second phase with latest pre-cast technology that will further speed up the construction process. We are confident of delivering the ambitious project on time.

Tell us about your land banking terms of developed projects and those under development in real estate and commercial space. Are you considering exploring other places besides Delhi & the NCR Region?

In Delhi-NCR, BCC Infrastructures has about 6.5 million sq ft land under development projects, and 2.5 million sq ft area has been already developed in our portfolio. The 60-acre land in

Kumar Bharat, Director, BCC Infrastructures Pvt Ltd, in his interaction with Remona Divekar shares the importance on quality construction practices followed in his projects which strive to meet the highest global standards. BCC group’s mission and vision with its core values is ready to meet the challenges ahead. Excerpts:

IndraprasthaYojana where we are constructing Bharat City is completely freehold, which means that flat owners will have complete ownership of their properties.

The BCC group has successfully completed construction projects in Delhi over 30 years. What is the reason for keeping low profile amidst other known competitive players in the industry then and now?

Till now, BCC Infrastructures has primarily focused on providing quality to its customers. In pursue of this, we have missed the chance to make ourselves appear prominently in the public eye.

But seeing the changing scenario in the real estate industry we have realized that apart from delivering

quality construction, it is also utmost necessary to communicate with our customers. So now BCC has decided to constantly keep in touch with its valued customers.

For real estate and infrastructure developers, the Union budget brought in a much-needed clarification. How real estate developments like yours would impact investment trusts or Reits and Infrastructure Investment Trusts or InvITs for tax liability?

We are happy and welcome the steps taken for boosting real estate sector in Budget 2014-15. It does lay an emphasis on growth in the infrastructure sector. Encouragement of infrastructure debt funds will inspire potential buyer and investor to promote investment in the market.

Also, the Finance Minister’s move to give affordable housing a boost is a very positive step for home buyers. Now buyers will be able to get an additional interest benefit of Rs 1 lakh on first-time home loans up to Rs 25 lakh.

Reits will offer investors a viable option to include real estate in their investment portfolio. Reits may offer higher dividend yields which may be higher compared to other investments. As we know, rental yields on long term commercial office space and retail space tend to be much higher than rental yields on residential property, higher than dividend yields on stocks and are often in the range of returns that bank deposits offer.

An investor in Reit can thus look forward to reasonably high annual dividends as well as some appreciation in the long term from appreciation in the capital value of properties owned by the Reit. Investment in real estate will therefore be encouraged.

What is BCC group’s strategy to build sustainable infrastructure and eco-friendly construction and best-in-field marketing practices?

Bharat City is an environment-friendly township and comprises necessary physical and social infrastructure components. The master plan has been conceptualized principally by considering opportunities and constraints of the site with a sustainable and environment-friendly land use. We are using world-class

environmental factors like bad weather are also eliminated.

Buildings constructed using this technology are more robust and energy efficient than traditional brick and mortar constructions. We are also employing water treatment plants, rain water harvesting, waste disposal and solar powered lights for outside areas like parks and sports facilities for energy conservation and better natural resource utilization. Our pre-cast construction will follow laid out Green construction and safety norms.

Tell us about the mode of strategic alliances with established industry giants to cater to people in a larger way in terms of agility, financial prudence and meeting the highest global standard?

BCC Infrastructures has expertise in residential development services and delivered around 50 projects including prestigious NBCC Town which is a JV between NBCC and BCC. Presently, we are working on a 50-50 joint venture with industry leaders HDFC Portfolio Management Services (PMS) to construct one of NCR’s biggest residential townships – Bharat City.

Government is focus ing on creating smart cities development infrastructure and real estate. What is your take on that?

The decision to create smart cities is primarily to attract fresh investments and job creation. For the real estate sector it will provide immense opportunities to construct residential properties, office space, incubation space and warehouses, etc at inexpensive rates.

Establishing businesses at an early stage in these upcoming cities and creating a brand as a trusted organization and growing along with the city will provide long term prospects for real estate businesses.

Many of these smart cities will be

precast (prefabricated) construction technology which has already been used in Europe and the Middle East.

Though precast construction is still at its nascent stage in India, it’s rapidly coming to the forefront of the construction industry and thus, we have partnered with Germany’s leading precast construction company, Weckenmann.

Precast components are fabricated or assembled offsite, transported to the project site, and installed on a prepared foundation. As the construction is done in a controlled factory environment the harmful effects to the environment is minimized as well as delays and issues caused by

calling for bids for various development initiatives, which can provide recurring business. Many startups are in this space and can be valuable pilot projects.

What are your future business plans for the company, especially after the budget? What would be your prime focus now?

Presently, we are totally focused on giving timely delivery of our Bharat City Phase-1 apartments in coming months. We are committed to provide our customers with the best of living standards at affordable rates on time.

Bharat City

October 06-12, 2014 4INFRASTRUCTURE

UP-Thailand highway may miss 2016 deadline

The ambitious trilateral highway — connecting UP to Thailand -- is expected to miss its 2016 deadline due to delays at the end of Myanmar. According to sources, Myanmar has not been able to allocate land for construction of the stretch crossing the country.

Meanwhile, India is fastracking work at its end by involving the private sector. “Since feasibility is the first stage in the process, the government has roped in Egis India Consulting Engineers Ltd to prepare the feasibility report for the upgradation, design, cost estimation, etc for the highway in India,” according to sources.

A major stretch of the highway is to develop a 3,200-km linking highway from India to Myanmar and Thailand. This starts from the Indo-Myanmar border at Moreh in Manipur and passes through Tamu across the border in Myanmar to reach Mae Sot in Thailand after crossing various villages in Myanmar.

Myanmar has a major land which is covered by thick and dense forest. They are unable to provide environment clearance and do not want to cut the forest cover. But talks are on since there is an international commitment in place, sources said. For development of the stretch, India has already given Myanmar $500 million in loan, a part of which will be used to fund the project.

The route initially suggested for the proposed Trilateral Highway was Moreh (India)-Tamu- Kalewa-Chaungma-Yinmabin-Pale-Kyadet-Lingadaw-Pakokku-Bagan-Kyaukpadaung- Meiktila bypass-Taungoo-Oktwin-Payagyi-Theinzayat-Thaton-Hpaan Kawareik-Myawaddy- Mae Sot (Thailand).

This route is now to pass through Mandalay (Tamu-Kalewa-Yargyi-Chaungma-Monywa-Mandalay) rather than Bagan, given that the Mandalay-Yangon section has already been constructed.

Telangana fully backsHyderabad Metro rail project

Top Telangana government officials met the Union Cabinet Secretary as well as the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and conveyed to them that the Telangana government fully backs implementation of the Hyderabad Metro rail project.

Telangana Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and B V Paparao, Advisor to the Government of Telangana, met the Union officials in connection with the progress of the Hyderabad Metro rail project, the Telangana government said. The Chief Secretary briefed them and informed that the Telangana government fully supports the project and there are no serious issues pending with the Telangana government to implement the project.

Centre tells China to bid for highways

The Border Road Organization has completed half of nearly 9-km-long Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh. Construction of the 8.8 km Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh is under progress by BRO, wherein 4.4 km of tunnel has already been completed, said Defence spokesman Col S D Goswami.

Despite the hopes created about FDI inflows from China growing exponentially from the very low levels, following China’s president Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the country, the government has rejected China’s proposal to build and fund a host of highway projects.

The projects that Beijing asked for are in the engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) category, which is funded by the government through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and where the role of the private sector is restricted to that of job contractors.

China had specifically asked for award of nine projects — with a combined contract value of over Rs 9,000 crore — in Punjab, Haryana, Od isha and Andhra Pradesh. According to a senior government official privy to the development, “The investment proposals by China

The feasibility study of Zojila and Z-Morh tunnel in Jammu -Kashmir-Ladakh region is already completed, he said. The construction of Zojila-Z morh tunnel, which wil l ensure all weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh region, is likely to commence next year, he said.

A 592-meter-long cable-stayed

under the model suggested by them would not be feasible. We have told the China government that they can participate in the tenders to be floated for PPP projects being awarded on the build–operate–transfer (BoT) mode.

China proposed to take up construction of 890 km of highways

Tamil Nadu clears mega infra projects

Centre opts for cement over bitumen for

new roads

bridge is under construction on the river Ravi at Basohli in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. The bridge, which will connect Doda-Kishtwar-Kathua belt with Punjab, will be the first of its kind in northern India and will enhance connectivity between Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

(nine stretches) worth Rs 9,125 crore that the government was planning to award on the EPC basis during Chinese president’s visit to the country. It proposed that Chinese firms would pick up these projects, finance them completely and also bring their own contractors for construction.

The Tamil Nadu government has approved the project structure for the Rs 1.83-lakh crore Madurai-Tuticorin Industrial corridors and has decided to set up a new financial institution to support funding for large infrastructure projects.

The Board also approved plans to set up two large sea water desalination projects to the south of Chennai to augment drinking water supply to the city. The project structure of the Madurai-Tuticorin Industrial (MTI) Corridor will cover 29 projects spanning the southern districts of Madurai, Sivaganga, Virudunagar, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari. The total outlay envisaged for this mega project is about Rs 1, 83,819 crore.

The government has decided to abandon bitumen, the popular raw material for road construction, in favor of cement for all new road projects, in line with a proposal by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The detailed project reports for new road projects will assess the project cost factoring cement as the raw material, according to two ministry officials. The ministry has also changed the model for assessing the project cost.

The projects will now be evaluated on the basis of the life cycle cost of the project, against the current

In addition, there are plans to have an 800 mwthermal power project in Tuticorin, a Greenfield port in the Manappad region, and an entrepreneurship development centre for small and medium enterprises and a world-class medi-city at Madurai.

The Board also approved plans for two Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plants. One of the units, to come up at Perur, will have a capacity of 400 million litres a day at a cost of Rs 4,070 crore and another 150 mld at Nemmeli at about Rs 1,371 crore. Both will be built on design-build-operate (DBO) basis. The Central government grants are being sought for the project. The Infrastructure Development Board also approved Rs 556-crore water supply project for Coimbatore.

model of using just the cost of construction. “We have decided to now start using cement for all new projects that are in the pipeline as long as the cost of construction of a concrete road is not more than 20 per cent higher than that of a road made using bitumen.

“The idea is that using cement will bring down the cost of maintenance significantly,” said one of the officials. To be sure, cement will be used as the raw material for the project unless the government-appointed consultant for evaluating the project makes a case against it.

BRO completes half of Rohtang tunnel

October 06-12, 2014 5

Anchor by Panasonic unfolds ‘Colourful Moments’ for ‘Roma’

India’s leading electrical accessories manufacturer, Anchor Electricals Pvt Ltd, a Panasonic group company, since 2007 and India’s largest switch-manufacturer, unveiled its new theme ‘Colours Start Playing’ at the launch of Colour Plates for its flagship Modular Switch Brand ‘Roma’ at Chennai on September 24, 2014.

Takaki Oguri, Joint Managing Director, Anchor Electricals Pvt Ltd, mentioned, “We are proud to introduce a brand new assortment of colour plates, in assorted textures and finishes to give you 168 new ways to style up your home. I hope this range meets your expectations as we offer you a product catering to the tastes of the rustic, urbane, and elite.” He also mentioned about Anchor’s foray into the Energy Generation Domain through Panasonic’s Solar Modules under the brand ‘HIT’.

Ashok Gangar, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, mentioned, “Roma is synonymous to a Switch! It is the largest-selling brand of modular switches in India. Since its origin, the brand has continued to add value to

the lives of millions of Indians and catered to the needs of assorted spaces.

“India is a young country and Roma has now brought in the youthful effervescence through its gigantic assortment in colour plates, which can help style up the premises in 168 different ways! Along with the colour plates, we have also added silver

coloured accessories to complement the aesthetic needs of new-age homes.”

From being a switch manufacturer to a complete low voltage electrical solutions provider, Anchor has come a long way. Today the company steers ahead with the manufacturing and distribution of products contributing to energy conservation and management.

ENvIRONmENT

Cool roofs in vogue The cool roofing options

already available provide great potential for energy savings and

conservation

The energy crisis the world over a few decades ago (and which continue to this day) impelled the roofing industry towards innovative modified bitumen roofing alternatives, and now, today’s energy crisis is already accelerating a new generation of roofing technologies.

Roofing manufacturers, power companies, government bodies and environmentalist organizations are collaborating on innovative ways to conserve energy. There is no doubt that cool roofing has become a hot topic the world over.

Vegetative systemsVegetative roofing and photovoltaic

technologies remain at the cutting edge of those efforts. However, they are not likely to gain substantive market share in the next decade without governmental intervention in the form of mandates or incentives unless energy costs rise high enough to substantially shorten the return on investment interval for such technologies.

In some urban areas, such as metro cities in India, this is already happening with vegetative systems, due to their combined benefits of energy saving and sewer-water run-off reduction. In the interim, however, the most likely scenario for the next decade is for the roofing industry to see its most significant growth in the area of cool roofing technologies.

A green roof or rooftop garden is a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop. Green roofs provide shade and remove heat f rom the ai r through evapotranspiration, reducing temperatures of the roof surface and the surrounding air.

On hot summer days, the surface temperature of a green roof can be cooler than the air temperature, whereas the surface of a conventional

rooftop can be up to 90°F (50°C) warmer.

Simple scienceGreen roofs can be installed on a

wide range of buildings, from industrial facilities to private residences. They can be as simple as a two-inch covering of hardy groundcover or as complex as a fully accessible park complete with trees.

The science behind reflective and emissive roof systems is fairly simple. Any traditional roof system is exposed to radiation produced by the sun. This radiation is either absorbed or reflected, based mostly on the colour of the roof system.

Traditional white roofs reflect more sunlight than darker roof systems. But light from the sun comes not only from visible sunlight, it also comes in the form of infrared radiation (or heat). The phenomena associated with absorbing or reflecting heat is known as emissivity.

Highly emissive roof systems reflect a large portion of the infrared radiation. As the surface of the roof system heats up, due to absorbed visible and infrared light, the entire roof sys-tem heats up.

Although the insulation layers in the roof system can help reduce the amount of heat that passes from the roof’s surface to the building below, the use of cool, reflective products on the surface helps to further reduce the surface temperature thereby reducing the potential elevation of the building temperature. There is therefore a

direct relationship between reducing PED and increasing the reflectivity and emissivity of the surface roofing product.

Reflective technologyUnlike vegetative or photovoltaic

solutions, cool roofing frequently can be achieved cost-effectively within the confines of traditional roof top app l ica t ions . Today ’s reflective technologies can be found in our industry’s most popular product categories such as coatings, mineral surfacings, single-ply thermoplastic membranes, metal roofing, modified bitumen membranes and many others. The adaptability of cool roofing technologies is a major reason why they are expected to dominate the sustainable roofing category in the decade ahead.

In addit ion, roofing material manufacturers are expected to develop original new approaches to achieving reflectivity and emissivity in response to the growing market demand for cool roofing.

Ultimately, the growth of the cool roofing category will be determined by the combined inf luences of energy and material costs, building envelope performance requirements, legislative mandates or incentives and advancements in roofing material technologies.

Great potential for energy savings

The cool roofing options already available provide great potential for energy savings and conservation. In

the decade ahead we will see even more exciting alternatives to increase the sustainability of the total building envelope in response to the volatility of today’s energy market.

What do cool roofs have to offer? Perhaps the biggest benefit is that they can get a more durable, longer lasting roof, without tearing off the existing roof. Other benefits include:

Reduced energy use: Green roofs absorb heat and act as insulators for buildings, reducing energy needed to provide cooling and heating.

Reduced a i r po l lu t ion and greenhouse gas emissions: By lowering air-conditioning demand, green roofs can decrease the production of associated air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Vegetation can also remove air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions through dry deposition and carbon sequestration and storage.

Improved human health and comfort: Green roofs, by reducing heat transfer through the building roof, can improve indoor comfort and lower heat stress associated with heat waves.

Enhanced storm water management and water quality: Green roofs can reduce and slow storm water runoff in the urban environment; they also filter pollutants from rainfall.

Improved quality of life: Green roofs can provide aesthetic value and habitat for many species.

Resourceful ERCsSpecially formulated acrylic-based

elastomeric roof coatings (ERCs) can turn almost any existing roof into a cool roof. ERCs establish a uniform, seamless surface with the elasticity to

expand and contract with the roofing substrate.

These roof coatings can also stand up to tropical climate, heavy monsoon, severe winter and other weather elements without cracking or failing.

ERCs, based on 100 per cent acrylic polymers, protect the roof surface from ultraviolet light degradation and degradation caused by extreme heat. Depending on the condition of the existing roof, ERCs can usually be applied directly over the old roof using spray, rollers, or brooms and brushes.

Cool roofs generally have a white or light coloured surface that reflects, rather than absorbs, sunlight. ERCs can be roller, brush or spray applied over a clean, still serviceable roof — usually in one day, depending on the size and condition of the existing roof. All acrylic ERCs are water-based and non-toxic, so there is no risk of fumes contaminating the HVAC system.

ERCs not only last longer, but they can actually protect the roof surface from ultraviolet light degradation. And because they extend the life of those materials, they can provide a marketing advantage through this very virtue. Over the past few years as awareness grew about Green buildings, the installation of cool roofs has become the single largest trend in the roofing industry. Due to heavy energy consumption in major metros and suburban areas in the country, besides environmental concerns, energy shortages and vastly improved life cycle costing, cool roofing is finally receiving the attention and treatment it rightly deserves.

Ashok Gangar (Vice President Sales& Marketing) unveiling he product

October 06-12, 2014 6PROJECTS UPDATE

Modi’s US trip gives Indian clean energy $1-b thrust

India’s clean energy sector will be one of the first sectors that would benefit from PM Narendra Modi’s visit to US. The sector expects investment worth nearly $ billion from companies in the US. To finance sourcing of components from the US for Indian renewable power project developers, the Ireda (the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) and the US Exim Bank would sign an agreement.

“The amount would be extended as tied loans on a project-to-project basis. There would be a fine balance for all kinds of renewable-based power projects. Though the major import

from the US is solar panels, loans are likely to give much-needed push to solar power project development,” said a senior official.

The rider, however, is that 30 per cent of the total equipment in the power project should be domestically sourced. Confirming the development, K S Popli, Chairman & Managing Director, Ireda, said, “The loan amount of up to $1 billion is extended by the US Exim bank to the Ireda for disbursal to grid-connected projects. Though there is no sovereign guarantee that comes with the loan, it would be extended to anyone who wants to set up a renewable energy-based power

project with equipment sourcing from the US.”

The country aims to add about 4,500 mw of solar power capacity during the current financial year to the existing capacity of 2,600 mw. The manufacturing capacity of solar panels in the country, however, is just 1,500 mw. To invite global players to the country, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy would also host the first-ever renewable energy global investment promotion meet in February next year. This goes well with the mega ‘Make in India’ plan of the government to boost manufacturing in the country.

Japan offers help to build roads in NE

Japan has offered help to India in building road infrastructure in strategically important North-East. The offer was made by visiting Japanese Minister for Land, Infrastructure & Tourism Akihiro Ohta during his meeting with Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.

Ohta said his country, which has expertise in constructing roads in mountainous regions, can “actively

con t r i bu te ” i n bu i l d i ng such infrastructure in the North-East.

“One of the issues that India is facing is the ageing of the road infrastructure. In that regard also I would particularly like to bring the topic of the northeastern road network improvement project. I understand that the northeastern part of India is very mountainous and that is very similar to Japan, so I feel Japan especially has the experience and the

expertise to make road infrastructure in mountainous region,” said Ohta.

“We have the technology of tunnel, also for reinforcement. We have also technology of making roads in very narrow spaces. I think that is one area where Japan can very actively contribute.... in fact, I understand that the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( Jica) is already carrying out a study from early this year,” he said.

Saudi’s Sabic ties up with ICF to modernize Mumbai railways

An Indian rail coach manufacturer has tied up with Saudi Arabia’s petrochemicals giant Sabic to develop new passenger-friendly and durable modular seating for Mumbai’s heavily-utilized railway system.

The Saudi Bas ic Indust r ies Corporation (Sabic’s) Lexan resin

will be used by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to produce seating for what is perhaps the most intensively used suburban rail system in the world, with added benefits of enhanced passenger comfort, easier maintenance and end-of-life recyclability.

With the necessary support, the

ICF has designed a seating system using injection-molded polycarbonate that will replace the conventional single thermoformed seats for the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC).

“Beyond supplying the Lexan resin, Sabic was pleased to work collaboratively with the ICF on a seating system that responds to rail industry trends toward greater sustainabil i ty and an increased focus on the passenger experience,” said Kim Choate, Director of Mass Transportation for Sabic’s Innovative Plastics business.

“The Rail Ministry and passenger responses to the new seats clearly signal a win. In addition, the ICF now has a new solution to offer to its customers,” he added.

The fresh designs using resin have performed exceptionally well under the intense crowds and heavy passenger loads in the rush hours during trials. The seats maintained their colour and gloss despite exposure to strong sunlight, heat and chemicals, he said.

Kochi Port invites EoIs for two mega projects

Repair roads in HP: CM to PWD, NHAI

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has taken a serious view of the poor road condition and asked the PWD authorities to repair roads within a month. Presiding over a meeting regarding the pending issues of the four-lane project of Kiratpur-Manali and Parwanoo-Shimla national highways, the Chief Minister made it clear that till the new four-lane project of the Kiratpur-Manali highway was not completed, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would maintain NH-21. It was obligatory on the part of the NHAI to maintain the old highway.

The NHAI also demanded the short-term permits for setting up crushers as lots of material would be required for construction of the road. Regarding compensation of the land to be acquired, it was decided that the DCs of districts would be the arbitrators for solving the issues.

He said the road width of the entire project should be same and the DCs should co-operate with the NHAI for giving certificates under the Forest Clearance Act. Both the NHAI projects, which were to be completed under the engineering, procurement and contract (EPC) basis, were to be expedited and all hindrances regarding the awards be solved soon.

A bridge in Manali would be made double lane and the Ministry of Surface & Road Transport would soon be releasing the amount to the PWD for undertaking the work on the bridge soon. While wind turbines in the country are mostly domestically sourced, 70 per cent of its solar capacity is based on imported content, mostly from China and the US. The government recently quashed the imposition of dumping duty on imported solar cells and modules from the US, China, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Kolkata Port seeks EoI for floating LNG terminal

The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has invited Expression of Interest for setting up of non-jetty based Floating Storage & Regasification Unit (FSRU) or terminal for LNG, after it was alleged that the port was offering the right on nomination basis to a private entity.

The KoPT on September 18 had sought EoI till October 24 for the LNG facility from interested parties meant for common use and a pre-proposal meeting had also been firmed up on October 13, said KoPT officials.

Haldia Docks Officers’ Forum general secretary Ramakant Burman has claimed that it was an attempt by KoPT to allow H-Energy of Hiranandani Group to set up the facility without any

tendering or auctioning process.“I had written letters to the shipping

ministry, Central Vigilance Commission and even Cabinet secretary about violation of CVC guidelines and MPT Act,” he said.

“The chairman, Kolkata Port Trust, has given water and land rights to H-Energy of Hiranandani Group of Mumbai for setting up of (FSRU) in the Bay of Bengal absolutely on nomination basis against the existing CVC guidelines in the matter,” Burman has claimed in his letter.

The EoI floated by the port did not mention whether the contract would be given through tendering or through auctioning.

To consolidate its position as a growing maritime hub in South Asia, the Kochi Port has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for two of its mega projects, Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) and Outer Harbour. The two projects are jointly worth Rs 22,000 crore.

Accord ing to Pau l An tony, Chairman, the Cochin Port FTWZ, is intended to leverage the potential of the port to emerge as a key node in the South Asian supply chain, taking advantage of its proximity to Vallarpadam Container Transhipment Terminal.

The port floated the global tender to select a partner who will be proposed as a co-developer under the Sez Act 2005.

The Rs 480-core FTWZ project will be developed on 40.85 hectares in Willingdon Island and the port will lease the plot for 30 years. Ready availability of the land is a big advantage and the selected bidder will have the right to allot it on lease for commercial purposes.

Kochi’s position on the rim of maritime highway connecting the Far

East to Europe offers good opportunity for logistics solutions innovations in a FTWZ, said Antony.

The presence of Vallarpadam Terminal, which is projected to handle 3 million teus annually, will give a further push to FTWZ to make Kochi a distribution hub for the South Asian region, he added.

Referring to the outer harbour project, the Chairman said expressions of interest have been invited to set up port- based business ventures in the project based on technical and feasibility studies suggesting construction of two breakwaters at the port’s mouth to reduce the dredging cost.

Studies conducted by IIT-Chennai and CWPRS, Pune, indicated that it would be possible to develop around 3,200 acres along both the southern and northern breakwaters which would facilitate shifting of all future port-related activities to the new area.

While the Indian Navy has shown interest in developing 650 acres of the southern breakwater, 2,600 acres in the northern breakwater would be put to use by the port itself, said Antony.

October 06-12, 2014 7

Geophysical Surveys for Subsurface Investigations

Method Sensitive To... Typical Applications Advantages Environment

Seismic Refraction

Changes in strata type (soil, weathered rock, rock), rock quality (jointed, weathered), elastic properties

Rock interface, overburden mapping, rock quality, degree of weathering/ jointing, faults, fracture mapping

Quick to apply, continuous information of subsurface, rock profile

Land or water

Resistivity Imaging

Moisture content variations, conductivity, water table, porosity

Soil-rock profile, water table determination, weak zone delineation, detection of weak zones under rock interface, buried channels.

Capability to see beyond rock interface, detects loose zones, cavities etc.

Land or water

ReMi (Refraction Micro-tremor)

Change in shear properties of medium

Determination of shear wave profiles (to determine liquefaction potential, earthquake response)

Determines shear wave profile without any boreholes. More advanced and easier than MASW/SASW

Land or water

Crosshole/ downhole/ uphole

Difference in elastic properties. Variations in S Wave or P Wave velocity.

Detailed analysis to obtain P and S wave velocities with depth for dynamic moduli: Poisson’s Ration, shear modulus, bulk modulus, Young’s modulus

Determines elastic modulus for even very thin layers. Able to detect small, thin layers in subsurface.

Land

Seismic Reflection

Difference in acoustic impedance (velocity x density)

Detects interfaces, maps faults/ fractures/ water lenses/ shear zones along tunnel routes

Detailed investigation of tunnel route. Penetration possible upto 1000 meters.

Land

Ground Penetrating Radar

Change in dielectric properties

Detection of buried pipes and cables, with exact location and depth. Also used for inspection of concrete structures.

Avoids costly mistakes (foundation over pipe)/ accidents/ damage to utilities

Land

Micro Gravity Changes in Density of Subsurface

Detection of buried voids/ cavities

Quick to apply, avoids costly mistakes Land

TECHNOLOGY

Achieving engineering excellence: Rapid subsurface investigations for mega civil projects

Advances in processing and imaging software have made it possible

to detect, display, and interpret small

geological features with great accuracy

(Part 1)

Modern major construction is inconceivable without high-level engineering explorations, which play a major role in increasing the economic efficiency of capital investments. For the design of structures it is indispensable to procure comprehensive high-quality information about the subsurface, within very short per iods. The study of diverse natural conditions predetermines a variety of methods and technical means which can be used for carrying out exploratory work.

Any major construction work like power plants, high rise buildings, bridges etc., calls for a well-considered approach in view of the restricted timeframe and finance. In planning and development of project adequate knowledge of the geotechnical conditions at site is important besides the other factors that are involved. Application of tools and techniques that are helpful in enhancing efficiency of the geotechnical evaluation study is therefore preferable.

Reliable knowledgeEng ineer ing geophys ics i s

an efficient means of subsurface investigation. The merit of application of this low cost aid lies in its ease of deployment and rapidity in providing a reliable knowledge of the underground over a large area, substantiating the requisite geotechnical evaluation studies thereby. Technological advancements and development of portable digital data acquisition instrument systems have increased the versatility in evaluating underground conditions and site characterization.

The state-of-the-art subsurface geophysical investigations are helpful towards minimizing involvement of the conventional direct exploration methods, aiding in accelerated and economical development of the construction projects.

It is an established fact that a single geophysical method cannot resolve all the problems associated with subsurface investigations. As an example, seismic refraction cannot ‘see’ low velocity zones under rock interface, which might be present under certain geological conditions. There is therefore need for integrated application of various geophysical techniques like seismic refraction,

resistivity imaging, ReMi, Crosshole/ downhole/uphole seismic and seismic reflection, to determine various properties of subsurface like bedrock quality and depth, low velocity zones (even under rock interface), fault/ fracture/ shear zones, water lenses, tunnel route geology, etc. Present paper discusses various geophysical techniques with emphasis on their integration to provide unique solutions to subsurface challenges. The paper also presents few case studies where integration of two or more geophysical techniques helped resolve complex problems.

Powerful tool Sub-surface imaging by means of

geophysical survey is a powerful tool for site assessment and mapping which historically has been under-utilized world-over. Continuing improvements in survey equipment performance and automation have made large area surveys with a high data sample densi ty possible. Advances in processing and imaging software have made it possible to detect, display, and interpret small geological features with great accuracy.

Some of the unique advantages of geophysical survey:

*Geophysical methods are quick to apply, saving in terms of time and money.

*Light and portable equipment allows access to remotest of sites.

*Provides information on critical geological features like faults/ fractures/ weak zones/ shear zones, not visible from surface information

*Large areas mapped quickly and inexpensively

*Researchers can assess site condit ions, and target specif ic locations for detailed investigations by drilling, while avoiding others.

*Geophysical methods can quickly produce subsurface geology avoiding delays during execution due to meeting the unexpected.

*Shear wave profiles can be quickly obtained for ascertaining liquefaction potential and earthquake response.

*Buried utilities, pipes and cables, can be detected before drill ing/ excavation, avoiding damage to utilities and costly accidents.

* C o n c r e t e s t r u c t u r e s c a n be quickly scanned to ascertain integrity and detect defects like voids, honeycombing, etc.

Critical issues A detailed survey plan is worked

out in consultation with the client, to address to critical issues. The right combination of various available tools should be chosen to resolve the problem in unique manner.

Surveys which are both successful and cost-effective must satisfy a

Dr Sanjay RanaDirector, PARSAN Overseas Pvt Ltd

the quality of data while in the field is mandatory, and post survey data processing must be both appropriate and mathematically sound.

The chosen geophysical contractor should have experienced personnel and advanced instruments to carry out high resolution geophysical surveys for geotechnical investigations. The survey methodology and tools to be used should be decided in consultation with the client and depending on site conditions and objectives of survey. A technical report describing the work, including high resolution maps with detailed interpretation, should be presented to the client upon completion of analysis.

Geophysical methodsThe appropriate techniques for

investigations should be chosen based on:

*Objective of investigations; *Reso lu t ion requ i red; *Depth penetration required; *Physical property to be defined; *Geology of the area; *Nature of target & host material

It is a proven fact the in most of the cases, use of just a single

geophysical technique will not reveal unique results, as there is a vast overlap of any physical property for various geological materials. It is therefore recommended to use an integrated approach to uniquely resolve the issues.

number of basic requirements. They must be implemented using appropriate and properly configured survey equipment. The data sampling strategy and density must be matched to the spatial resolution and statistical requirements of the survey. Monitoring

Description of various geophysical methods common ly used fo r geotechnical investigations has been provided in following sections. Table hereunder presents capabilities and limitations of various techniques:

GMR to set up `750-cr convention centre at

Hyderabad The GMR Group will set up an

expo-cum-convention centre near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. It will invest Rs. 750 crore to build the facility on a 50-acre plot in the airport city that the company will develop near the airport.

A GMR de legat ion made a presentation to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao at the Secretariat on September 26 and sought his help in taking up the project.

The delegation included Group Chairman GM Rao and Chairman of Airports Business Srinivas Bommidala. The representatives told the CM that

the airport city project would provide jobs to 15,000-20,000 people.

The CM has asked the firm to build a new airport in the north of the city as well as a hospital at Shamshabad and a theme park. Earlier too, the CM had expressed the view that Hyderabad would require one or two more airports as it evolves into a major city.

Rao assured the GMR team that the government would ensure zero corruption in administration and offer single window clearance system too. Taxes, too, would be reduced when compared to neighbouring states, according to a government release.

(Part 2 continued in next issue)

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October 06-12, 2014 8REAL ESTATE

Ahmedabad real estate in Modi’s era

Towards 100 smart cities Pune: Harnessing the

boom at Dhanori & Charoli

The uninterrupted electricity and water

supply, the wider roads and the rapid bus

transit system have helped Ahmedabad to

cement its position as a manufacturing hub

Cities with an approved Master Plan or minimum 5,000 acres of available land for economic and

housing needs are to be considered Pune is a growing city that delivers new investment

hotspots with remarkable regularity

rapid bus transit system have helped Ahmedabad to cement its position as a manufacturing hub. In the past, despite the city being known for its industries, particularly its textile and pharmaceutical enterprises, it did not create a sector-specific demand for real estate, unlike the IT/ITeS sector did for Bengaluru and Pune. Up until recently, the city produced mostly blue-collar jobs and those employed preferred affordable housing, particularly in the unorganized real estate sector.

Well-rounded growth To attract the participation of

the organized real estate sector, affordable and well-connected real estate developments were on the checklist of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority. The planning resulted in well-rounded growth as Ahmedabad, unlike other cities, did not have any geographical constraints on expansion. Also, the committee refrained from giving any specific city node an undue advantage, due to which capital value appreciation was held in check for many years!

to be publicized, the national vision identifies creating these 100 cities as ‘satellite towns of larger cities’ and through modernization of ‘existing mid-size cities’. The government has so far announced just a few of these cities — Ponneri in Tamil Nadu, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Tumkur in Karnataka (all three in the

Over the past couple of months, no other Indian state has been talked about as much in the Indian media as Gujarat. Be it about Narendra Modi, former chief minister of Gujarat who is now Prime Minister of the nation or the growth model of the state.

This fast developing province has seen the decade-long efforts start to bear fruit in the area of infrastructure development, especially in Ahmedabad, the commercial capital of the state. In recent times, the city has become the symbol of the state’s progress story.

The uninterrupted electricity and water supply, the wider roads and the

Ever since the new government’s announcement of its intent to build a hundred smart cities in India, the nation has been abuzz with definitions of, fund allocations for, and city identification of such development. With good reason too, since the implementation of such ambitions would ultimately result in national wealth creation — to help our cities become sustainable and livable urban centres of growth.

Turning to the key steps needed to create one, a careful study of sustainable cities around the globe – from Copenhagen, Curitiba and Cape Town to San Francisco, Sydney and Singapore – would reveal the following points that are common to all:

Smart governance at the municipal level

Holistic urban planning approach for economic, social and environment sustainability

Smart policies being more effective in early development stages over investment quantum

Citizen involvementSmart technologyIntegrating green initiatives with

human development focusAddressing challenges of informal

urban settlements

Satellite townsAlthough a specific timeline and

implementation process plans are yet

Nonetheless, in recent quarters, noteworthy growth was registered in residential real estate prices. Residex, the index published by the National Housing Bank covering price movements in urban and semi-urban areas, showed that Ahmedabad residential real estate prices have grown faster than other major Indian

funding avenues. The opportunity of private sector

participation is being considered too, along with a Special Purpose Vehicle to execute the project. A first concept note prepared by the MoUD has estimated the project development cost over 20 years to be around Rs 6.86 lakh crore, of which it proposes

cities over the past four quarters.It is true that current market

sentiment has turned positive following the country’s recent general elections, but physical indicators have played a vital role too. The employment opportunit ies generated by the industrial/manufacturing segment have contributed most to the evolvement of

real estate activity in recent times.With improved infrastructural

facilities, many new manufacturers of automobiles, engineering and ins t ruments have es tab l ished themselves in the city and existing industries have been expanding their plants, especially on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in Sanand and Changodar. To support the manufacturing hubs, logistics activity has also been growing fast.

Newly generated employment has looked at organized real estate to fulfil its housing needs as prominent developers have been offering small ticket size affordable dwellings in the outskirts of the city.

Another growth driver relates to the fact that Gujarat is part of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), which is an ambitious project aimed at developing industrial zones.

to earn Rs 39,000 crore from a slew of ‘Green’ taxes.

To encourage the development of smart c i t ies, moreover, the requirement of the built-up area and capital conditions for Foreign Direct Investment has also been reduced from 50,000 sq m to 20,000 sq m and from $10 million to $5 million, respectively, according to Budget 2014–2015 announcements in July 2014.

The government for its part may deliver on the infrastructure front, but in the final count it is the city — complete with metropolitan administrative agencies and citizen bodies — that needs to initiate as well as sustain such ‘smart’ development.

Whether it is the use of smart mass transit systems and Green construction technology, the extent of water usage and energy consumption, the city’s air quality, its carbon footprint, or quality of life — citizens like us have to engage with municipal authorities to make our cities Green, economically and ecologically sustainable, and livable.

Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor region),

Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, the Greenfield Gujarat International Finance Tec-city (GIFT) and Guwahati in Assam —apart from other ‘industrial smart cities in seven states of India’ (presumably along the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor region).

The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), the Government of India, is expected to come out with a document soon to announce the names of existing cities (mostly those with an urban population ranging between 1-4 million, and a city each from the seven sisters in the north-east) that it plans to convert into ‘smarter versions’.

Cities with an approved Master Plan, or those with a minimum 5,000 acres of available land for economic and housing needs are likely to be considered by the ministry. Now it remains to be seen whether these key steps (mentioned earlier) for creating a smart city will be adhered to by the MoUD in India.

Funding avenuesIn terms of funding, the Centre has

allocated Rs 7,060 crore for initiating smart city development for the current fiscal. Meanwhile, options such as infrastructure bonds, public–private partnerships, and the municipal bond market are also being considered for

Anshuman magazine CMD, CBRE South Asia Pvt Ltd

vivek Sahasrabudhe Analyst, Research & Real Estate Intelligence Service, JLL India

Ahmedabad Bengaluru Chennai Delhi Hyderabad Kolkata Mumbai Pune

Location is everything in real estate -- and never more so than in Pune, which is among India’s most exciting and active housing markets. Pune has not only emerged as a IT-driven hotbed but also a powerhouse of manufacturing activity, even as the excellent education and healthcare institutes in the city consolidate its reputation as the most preferred ‘City to Live in’.

Naturally, Pune’s real estate market is in a boom phase which shows no signs of slowing down. The challenge for property investors who want to make their fortunes in this city lies in finding the right locations among the confusing array of options.

The areas that have seen the highest appreciation in previous years (such as Kalyaninagar, Vimannagar, Kharad i , Ko regaon Park and Magarpatta) are by now either over-priced, almost saturated or both. Price appreciation has slowed down in these locations after peaking out at very high levels, making them unaffordable to mid-income home buyers and retail investors alike. The time has once again come to widen the search net for areas which are still at the cusp of their growth trajectory.

Investment hotspotsLuckily, Pune is a growing city that

delivers new investment hotspots with remarkable regularity. With IT / ITeS and manufacturing still remaining the key drivers for property investment success in Pune, investors now need to identify locations that benefit from both while still being on the first lap of their growth cycle. Two of these areas are Dhanori and Charoli.

Dhanori in East Pune began its rise to prominence only a few years back. Apart from its proximity to the large industries and IT/ITeS firms located Yerwada, Vishrantwadi, Kalyani Nagar and Kharadi, it also had the advantage of being close to Pune Airport and having sufficient availability of land. By now, the area is already in a fairly

advanced stage of development. Despite the fact that Dhanori enjoys

good connectivity and access to the necessities of modern life, the entry points for property investment still remain attractive. Dhanori still has good availability of options in the mid- homes bracket, and demand is predominantly driven by end-users. Dhanori’s growth will also be helped by the coming of Pune’s much-awaited Ring Road, from which it stands to benefit directly.

Charoli in the Northern part of Pune is another location that has been attracting investor interest for various reasons. Firstly, it is located a mere 6 kilometres from Pune Airport. In previous years, before its emergence as economic microcosm in its own right, proximity to the airport was the most important trigger for the real estate boom on Nagar Road. Like Dhanori, Charoli benefited from being close to this key transport hub, which plays an important role in keeping the gears of almost every industry in Pune - Information Technology, manufacturing, retail and healthcare - well oiled. Also, Pune Airport is a massive employment generator in its own right.

Charoli is seeing an upsurge in property demand because it is advantageously located along the planned 170-kilometre Ring Road around Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. The connectivity that this road will provide to inter-connectivity to various workplace and logistics hubs will ensure that real estate growth in Charoli will be considerable over the next few years. The arrival of a massive 400+ acre township in this key location is also serving as a big profile boost to Charoli.

Arvind Jain Managing Director, Pride Group

Residential Price Trends

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Apr-Jun 2013 Index Jul-Sep 2013 Index Oct-Dec 2013 Index Jan-Mar 2014 Index

October 06-12, 2014 9EQUIPmENT

Zoomlion ElectroMech supplies flat top tower cranes to NCC

CASE announces new dealership for S K’taka

CASE Construction Equipment announced the opening of its new dealership Afro Asia Equipments for south Karnataka, which will market its earthmoving, construction, and material handling equipment.

The dealership was inaugurated by Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, during a ceremony at Afro Asia’s Corporate Office in Bengaluru.

Afro Asia Equipments Private Limited is part of MB Group, which is also a dealer for CNH Industrial in other countries.

“MB Group has been successfully d i s t r i b u t i n g C N H I n d u s t r i a l Construction products in South Africa and has now embarked upon further enhancing our association with their entry in India for the distribution of CASE Construction Equipment range in the territory of South Karnataka. The new dealership builds on the strong relationship that exists between CNH Industrial and MB Group, and aims to support a sustainable development of the earthmoving sector in the state,” said Piero Arrivabeni, CNH Industrial Brand Leader Construction Equipment, APAC Region.

With many development projects in the pipeline for the infrastructure sector, south Karnataka offers excellent scope for earthmoving and construction equipment. Considering

the large base of existing CASE customers combined with the demand for new equipment arising from these works, Afro Asia is ideally positioned to increase the value proposition to existing and new customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Abhijit Gupta, Managing Director CASE India, said, “With the appointment of Afro Asia, CASE brings a ‘One Stop Solution’ to South Karnataka customers. Buying construction equipment today involves b ig money, and top notch servicing by a professional hand and timely availability of parts are a must. Afro Asia will be close to customers in South Karnataka to provide them with professional sales and after sales support.”

Afro Asia will sell and support CASE backhoe loaders, vibratory compactors, skid steer loaders and other construction equipment from the brand’s wide product offering. Their territory will cover Bengaluru, Kolar, Mysore, Mandya, Tumkur, Chamarajanagar, Shimoga, Udupi, Daksh ina , Kannada, Kodagu, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Ramnagara and Chikballapur districts.

“CASE is an established brand, holds the market leadership in Vibratory Compactors and is a strong player in Backhoe Loaders in India. With our dedicated Sales and

Service team covering the entire South Karnataka territory, we aim to maximize uptime of machines with enhanced parts availability and timely service support, improving our customers’ profitability. We aim to become a true partner to their Business, meeting all their needs,” said T A Mugundam, Managing Director, Afro Asia India operations, at the event.

“In a short time we have established branches in critical points in South Karnataka viz. Bengaluru, Mysore and Mangalore from which we are covering other districts. With this network in place, we are geared up to offer timely, quality solutions to our customers,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by a wide gathering of people associated with the construction industry and key CASE customers. Following the inauguration, representatives from CASE and Afro Asia handed over keys to 25 customers who bought the new fuel efficient CASE 770 EX Backhoe loaders and company’s vibratory compactors.

CASE is recognized around the world as a leading backhoe loader manufacturer with over 600,000 units sold. In India, it is a major player in this segment leveraging its expertise and strong local manufacturing capabilities.

Metso offers complete fleet management,

automation systems Remote monitoring of crushing

data from quarries is becoming a crucial element in mobile crushing and screening applications.

Metso, one of the leading providers of process solutions, offers complete fleet management and automation systems, designed for all Lokotrack range mobile applications.

The Metso Fleet Management system consists of an IC process control system, a satellite uplink and a Metso DNA Report portal. It collects and presents a daily overview of the operating Lokotrack fleet including effect ive operat ing hours, fuel consumption, location of the units, alarms and parameter changes.

Metso IC process control system, a standard feature in all Lokotrack crushing plants, collects crusher data continuously. With the new fleet management tool, this information is being sent from Lokotrack uplink via satellite daily to be used in internet portal. The crushing data can be accessed via internet.

“Without this system, collecting operating hours and other data manually is time consuming. There are also delays before the numbers are at your fingers and the data can be inaccurate. Metso Fleet Management prov ides dai ly operat ing data automatically wherever you are, saving time and enhancing the accuracy of information,” comments Julius Mäkelä, Project Manager at Metso Mining and Construction.

“Maintenance, ordering the spares and wears and re-fuelling can be organized in a more effective way when you know the exact fuel consumptions and operating hours of individual units. Here, the fleet management tool can provide valuable assistance,” added Mäkelä. Parameter changes have direct effect on crushing and screening process. Data and parameter changes are collected by the Metso DNA Report portal and data can be accessed anywhere using internet.

In the Report portal, data can be compared between the units, days or weeks. Repeating alarms due to the misuse of the unit cannot be hidden anymore.

B e s i d e s a c t i v e p r o d u c t development, Metso has continuously developed new tools to ease customers

operations and make those more profitable. In addition to the fleet management, Metso launched last year the ICr remote monitoring system for Lokotrack plants, providing wireless real time operating data and unit control to the excavator cabin for the operator.

T h e I C r s y s t e m i m p r o v e s working safety and comfort while the operator can adjust all basic crushing parameters without leaving the excavator cabin, using a handy colour display.

For comple te mobi le p lan t automation, a Metso DNA automation system is available, featuring full process controls for feeders, crushers, conveyors, screens and hoppers. The system controls material feed rate, re-circulation and crusher loads, for example.

Target values for automatic controls are given in a control room and they are gathered as production recipes that can be easily created, edited and uploaded by operators. The Metso DNA control cabin with its displays provides real-time process information and camera images.

The first Metso DNA’s for mobile and portable crushing plants have been already installed and are in operation at North European crushing contractors in demanding operation environment. The feedback thus far is very positive: plant automation secures a continuous production of high quality end products and makes the operating environment safer and more comfortable.

Ribbon cutting by Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Agriculture, Govt of Karnataka and Piero Arrivabeni, CNH Industrial Brand Leader Construction Equipment, APAC Region at Afro Asia’s Corporate Office in Bengaluru

Inaugural address by Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Agriculture, Govt of Karnataka and from left Abhijit Gupta, MD CASE India; Piero Arrivabeni, CNH Industrial Brand Leader Construction Equipment, APAC Region on the dais

Zoomlion ElectroMech India Pvt Ltd (ZEIPL), one of the leading tower cranes manufacturers, supplied two high-end flat-top tower cranes to the Hyderabad-based Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) for construction of one of India’s largest cooling towers at a coal-based thermal power project at Nellore. Both cranes have been delivered and commissioned at the project site.

Two TCT7527-20 (Model Name) cranes, the high-capacity flat-top tower cranes from Zoomlion’s product portfolio, have been installed at the center of the project for the construction of two 170m tall Natural Draught Cooling Towers (NDCT). These NDCT are being built to provide cooling to the 1320MW coal-based thermal power project at Muthukur Mandal, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Zoomlion TCT7527-20 Tower Crane offers heavy capacity lifting of 20t and

tip load of 2.7MT at the 75m jib end, or 3.2MT at the 70m jib end, which helps in reducing downtime and improving efficacy. The tower cranes have several innovative features such as VFD motion in all drives, provision of soft anchoring (sling support), enhanced drum capacity, localized 415V 50Hz power connection, anemometer, jib & counter jib dismantling device and double trolley automatic reeving change system.

The cranes are especially finished with a unique ‘heavy anti-corrosion coating scheme’ developed by Zoomlion to endure hostile conditions at thermal power plant site. Additionally, the crane can dismantled in one section at a time, after the completion of the project.

The innovative TCT7527-20 Flat-Top Tower Cranes are specially designed for cooling tower applications. The biggest advantage they offer is that

once the cooling tower construction has been completed, the crane can self-dismantle one section at a time. This is very important, considering the fact that a 75m jib needs to be dismantled, whereas the top opening of the cooling tower in which the crane will be standing is 78m in diameter.

Tushar Mehendale, Managing Director, Zoomlion ElectroMech India Pvt Ltd said, “Indian infrastructure construct ion market has been expressing great interest in heavy capacity tower cranes of late with renewed focus on infrastructure development.

“Zoomlion ElectroMech is in ideal position to cater to this potential demand and our solutions are best-suited for the infrastructure industry. We are happy to partner with NCC group, which is a name synonymous with infrastructure development in the state of Andhra Pradesh.”

capability along with spare stock of consumables to guarantee crane performance.”

To support NCC in this project, ZEIPL has provided on-site training along with a consumables spare stock to guarantee crane performance and develop customer specialty. The Indian infrastructure construction market is expressing great interest in heavy capacity tower cranes.

With successful execution of the Tower Crane for the NCC’s power project, Zoomlion-ElectroMech has made it amply clear that it offers an excellent solution to the emerging Indian infrastructure industry.

Further, M Madhu, Senior Manager (P&E), NCC said, “We choose our vendors and suppliers on merit after thorough scrutiny, and we are satisfied with our preference for Zoomlion ElectroMech on the back of their professional service. We appreciate that Zoomlion has also provided on-site training to strengthen our

October 06-12, 2014 10REAL ESTATE

Lotus Greens to build realty projects in NCR

The Pride Group has launched Pride World City (PWC), a mega township at Charoli, near Pune. Spread over 400 acres, it involves a total investment of Rs 6,500 crore. “Charoli’s unmatched environmental attributes prompted us to create Pride World City here,” said Arvind Jain, Managing Director,

Real estate firm Lotus Greens Developers will build four new projects in the national capital region (NCR) with expected sales of Rs 4,400 crore over the next four years. Lotus Greens was founded last year by Nirmal Singh, one of the promoters of the realty firm. It has acquired 925 acres in Delhi-NCR for real estate projects.

Private equity firm Red Fort Capital has invested Rs 365 crore in Lotus Greens’ projects and plans to pump in up to Rs 1,000 crore. It had infused Rs 365 crore in form of unsecured non-convertible debentures (NCDs).

“We are coming up with four projects at one go in Gurgaon, Noida and Yamuna Expressway comprising over 5,000 apartments. These projects are worth Rs 4,400 crore in terms of sales value,” said Lotus Greens Vice Chairman P Sahel.

The company would develop 300 plots and over 1,000 flats in Noida, while another 3,200 flats would come

Pride Group. The city is divided into 14 sectors and will have 25 million sq ft of built-up area of which 20 million sq ft has been allocated for 20,000 residential units — 1-4 BHK ultra-modern apartments in towers ranging from 12-30 storeys, as well as marina-facing bungalows.

up on Yamuna Expressway. Lotus Greens would also construct a mixed use project in Noida comprising 300 serviced apartments, a 5-start hotel and 2.5 lakh sq ft office space. In

PWC’s first phase will be ready for possession in two years’ time. “PWC will generate employment for 15,000 people per year and will house 1.5 lakh people, 80,000 of whom will be residents while the others will be working professionals,” Jain said.

Gurgaon, the company would develop 1,000 flats. Noida-based Lotus Greens also has plans to develop hospitality, healthcare and education projects, said Sahel.

Next housing boom to happen in Narela

Pride Group to launch township in Pune

Narela could be the next major housing hub in the capital with the DDA focusing its resources on developing over 20,000 flats here over the next 2-3 years. The Authority has listed more than 6,500 flats of the total of 25,000 flats offered in its current scheme in Narela. Now, in a presentation made to the urban development minister, DDA has offered to construct 25,522 flats. One half of that number will come up in Narela.

In a recent presentation made to Urban Development Minister, Venkaiah Naidu, the DDA listed 12 locations where they plan to construct these flats. Of them, 12,753 flats will be built in Narela. 3,393 will be meant for the economically weaker section or EWS category, and there will also be 9,360 two- and three-bedroom flats.

Construction at some of these locat ions has a l ready begun.

According to DDA Vice Chairperson Balvinder Kumar, Narela will be the best bet for flat aspirants in years to come. “Most of the land elsewhere in Delhi is already occupied. So we have decided to put in all efforts to exploit options in developing Narela.

Of the 6,500 flats offered in DDA’s

current housing scheme, most new ones -- 6,422 -- have been offered in Narela’s G2 and G8 sectors. From the old inventory, there are 12 two-bedroom flats, 41 one-bedroom flats, 89 expandable Type A flats, and 19

Parsvnath sells 140 acres to Supertech

for `665 cr

N e w Yo r k ’ s M e t r o p o l i t a n Transportation Authority (MTA) has published a five-year, $32 billion (£19.5 billion) capital programme, which includes $5.5 billion (£3.3 billion) to expand the network.

T h e p r o p o s e d $ 3 2 b i l l i o n programme is designed to renew, enhance and expand the MTA network, which moves 8.7 million customers every day. “The MTA network is $1 trillion asset, and it needs constant investment so it can serve everyone who relies on it now and can grow to serve more people in future,” said MTA Chairman & CEO Thomas Prendergast.

The largest element is a package

of safety and reliability projects worth $22.2 billion to renew MTA’s transportation network. The programme also proposes investing $4.3 billion in new technology, communications systems and rail infrastructure.

The $5.5 billion for expansion includes $1.5 billion to begin the next phase of the Second Avenue Subway from 96th Street to 125th Street, $2.8 billion to complete funding for the East Side Access project to bring the Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central Terminal, and S$743 million to begin the Penn Access project to bring Metro-North New Haven Line service into Penn Station and build four new stations in the Bronx.

Centre to ease norms for FDI in 100 smart cities

The Narendra Modi government is set to substantially ease norms for foreign investment in the construction sector, hoping to drum up interest in the Prime Minister’s plans for 100 smart cities as well his affordable housing initiative.

The government is considering the removal of all restrictions on size and minimum capitalisation for smart cities as well as affordable housing projects. The proposal could be moved for the Cabinet’s consideration in early October. The new foreign direct

investment (FDI) regime may allow developers to exit after completion of the project or through approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) against the three-year lock-in period currently imposed a condition that has been a big deterrent to foreign investment in the sector.

Developers will be exempt from restrictions related to minimum capitalisation and exits if they commit 30 per cent of the project cost to affordable housing. “The thrust will be on affordable housing and smart

cities. The proposal is that they be exempted from the conditionality to attract more foreign investment. There is a need to channelize investments in the affordable housing segment,” said a government official.

The minimum built-up area has been proposed to be cut to 20,000 sq mt from 50,000 sq mt while the minimum capitalization requirement will be halved to $5 million from $10 million. The sector attracted $1.2 billion in FDI in 2013-14, down 8 per cent from 2012-13.

Janta flats at various areas. In the new project, THE DDA is

planning to take up construction of 12,753 flats in Narela’s sectors A1 through A4. This would take the number of total flats coming up in Narela alone in the next two to three years close to 20,000.

30 Indian firms showcase products at

Kuwait expoAn India pavilion had been set

up at the international construction technology exhibit ion in Kuwait where 30 leading Indian companies showcased their products and expertise.

The exclusive ‘India Pavilion’ at the International Construction Technology & Building Materials Trade Exhibition, held from September 22-24, had been placed at the ‘The Big 5 Kuwait’ section by the Confederation of Indian Industry, with support of the

Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The Ind ian Ambassador to

Kuwait Sunil Jain inaugurated the ‘India Pavilion’ at the Mishref Fair Ground. The 30 leading companies, representing the India Pavil ion, displayed a wide range of products, including building materials and construction equipment; bathrooms, kitchens and sanitaryware; marble, ceramic and stone; decorat ive products and facilities management services, among others.

Lodha Group eyes `9,000-cr revenue on

luxury housesRiding high on growing demand

for its high-end luxury residential offerings, city-based Lodha Group is expecting nearly Rs 9,000 crore revenues this fiscal. The company launched ‘Lodha Estrella’, a 55-storey tower designed by Kelly Hoppen for Yoo at New Cuffe Parade in Wadala in Mumbai area of northeastern fringe of the megapolis, which will have 2- and 3-BHK apartments.

“ W e h a v e b e e n o f f e r i n g international standard designs to our customers in most of our projects as they are expecting nothing less than a truly world-class product. Considering the growing demand for our products, we expect to clock at least Rs 9,000 crore in sales this f iscal,” said Managing Director Abhishek Lodha.

In August, Lodha along with Donald Trump launched the ultra-luxury 75-storey Trump Tower, at

the Lodha Park in the central part of the city at Worli. “We have already launched two super luxury projects -- Lodha Estrella and the Trump Tower. We will be launching another 7-8 million sq ft and construct around 6,000 units this fiscal,” he said, adding the development will be funded by internal accruals. Last November, the group made foray into the overseas market by buying the iconic Macdonald House of the High Commission of Canada in central London for Rs 3,000 crore.

Lodha further said the company will also continue to scout for properties in Mumbai and Pune. “We foresee growth in Pune as it is emerging as an IT and manufacturing hub. Apart from this, many infrastructure projects are also coming up in the city making it an attractive destination for real estate development,” added Lodha.

October 06-12, 2014 11INTERNATIONAL

Morocco, infra hub for N Africa

Morocco (Marrakesh remains the name for Morocco in Persian) possesses the most highly developed infrastructure in Africa and will be one of the countries of focus during the North Africa Construction Week 2015 -- the leading construction event organized by Global Event Organizers IRN and Oliver Kinross, taking place on March 25-27, 2015 in Tunis.

A Chinese electric firm recently announced its plan to invest $2billion in the country over the next five years to construct solar power plants, proving once again that Morocco has become a major infrastructure hub in the North

African region. The investment is part of its $16.5 billion commitment to seven countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Planning, economy, transportation, housing, power, water and infrastructure will be sectors that the exhibition will showcase from the construction industries in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Libya and Mauritania. Visitors will get first-hand information about the industry, network with peers and forge new business relationships in North Africa.

Highlighting the potential of the construction industry in North Africa,

the event will feature a premium conference with presentations, panel discussions and workshops run by ministers, governmental officials and leading industry figures. The conference will examine topics such as PPPs and tendering processes, securing investment for projects and achieving success in the region.

Taking place at the Expo Centre Tunis-La Charguia, Tunisia, the exhibition will host 100 exhibitors, inc lud ing g loba l const ruc t ion companies such as Hill International and BBR VT Network and will showcase the latest technologies.

Twisted design unveiled for Sydney tower

Danish architect 3XN has won the design competition for AMP Capital’s landmark Quay Quarter Sydney development in Sydney. The winning design is for a series of stacked, juxtaposed forms – or ‘vertical villages’ - which are rotated to maximize views of the surrounding area, including the iconic Sydney Harbour.

The 200m-high tower comprises a series of shifting glass volumes stacked upon each other. By dividing

the building into five separate volumes and placing atria throughout each volume, the spaces become smaller, more intimate social environments, encouraging building occupants to connect and interact.

Six architectural firms, including three Pritzker Architecture prize-winning architects, were invited to participate in the competition that has run for five months from the initial briefing in April 2014 to the winner

being selected this month by a panel of six jury members.

Arup has been working with AMP Capital since project inception, providing a full multidisciplinary engineering service for the 110,000m2 precinct development. It will continue to provide all engineering consulting services to AMP Capital and the architects through to completion, including the environmentally sustainable design of the development.

Ramboll lands Stockholm subway expansion design

Lovell wins £50-m contract for London project

Stockholm’s council has awarded a SEK250 million (£21million) contract for investigation and planning of an expansion of the city’s new subway line between Akalla and Barkarby stations. A team of Ramboll and architectural firms Tyréns & White has been appointed for the assignment, which includes conceptual design, rail and environmental assessments

Lovell has inked a £50 million deal with London Borough of Enfield for a mixed-use regeneration project in Ponders End, North London.

Dubbed the Electr ic Quarter Scheme, the development wi l l lead to the creation of new homes, which include about 160 homes for open market sale and 88 homes for

and production of construction documents.

The project kicks off immediately with construction to begin in autumn 2016, and the new line is scheduled to open to traff ic around 2021. Tyréns regional manager east Cecilia Granath added, “An important part of this assignment is the coordination of the consultation process and the

affordable and intermediate rent. The residences will be built to

comply by Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes specifications and will be highly energy efficient. The property will also comprise non-residential area spanning 1,050 sq metres with new commercial and retail space off the High Street

municipal process to ensure that they run parallel. It is an important task in terms of planning and communication.

“We will identify and address the major issues in early stages to enable and clarify important decisions that will be of great significance in creating the best opportunities for this important construction project.”

and Queensway. The project will involve revamp of the High Street frontage, creation of new small-scale retail units as well as a new High Street home for Ponders End Library. Construction is expected to commence by 2015, subject to the proposals completing the full planning and public consultation process.

New York plans $5.5b transport expansion

N e w Yo r k ’ s M e t r o p o l i t a n Transportation Authority (MTA) has published a five-year, $32 billion (£19.5 billion) capital programme, which includes $5.5 billion (£3.3 billion) to expand the network.

T h e p r o p o s e d $ 3 2 b i l l i o n programme is designed to renew, enhance and expand the MTA network, which moves 8.7 million customers every day. “The MTA network is $1 trillion asset, and it needs constant investment so it can serve everyone who relies on it now and can grow to serve more people in future,” said MTA Chairman & CEO Thomas Prendergast.

The largest element is a package

of safety and reliability projects worth $22.2 billion to renew MTA’s transportation network. The programme also proposes investing $4.3 billion in new technology, communications systems and rail infrastructure.

The $5.5 billion for expansion includes $1.5 billion to begin the next phase of the Second Avenue Subway from 96th Street to 125th Street, $2.8 billion to complete funding for the East Side Access project to bring the Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central Terminal, and S$743 million to begin the Penn Access project to bring Metro-North New Haven Line service into Penn Station and build four new stations in the Bronx.

Plans okayed to build 500 new affordable homes in UK

The planning committee of East Hampshire District Council has approved the Homes & Communities Agency’s (HCA) plans to build 500 new and affordable homes and around three hectares of employment space at its Louisburg Barracks site in the UK. The decision supports the plans to build a new construction skills training centre as part of the development, to help create around 500 jobs in the local area. The plans also include the phase-1 of a new relief road which enables access to the site and eases congestion around the town. Work is expected to start on the road by next spring and is supported by around £10 million investment from the HCA. This project is an early phase of local plans to build around 3,500 new homes and create up to 5,500 jobs as part of a sustainable new community in Whitehill and Bordon.

Eric Wright Group chosen for £18 m UK regeneration project

Portergate Properties has chosen construction company Eric Wright Group for the £18 million Friargate regeneration scheme in Preston, Lancashire, UK. Designed by architecture practice Leach Rhodes Walker, the mixed-use development is touted to be the biggest building project in the city, and will be located in close proximity to the University of Central Lancashire. Under the project, a 1.5-acre site will be transformed to create two new retail premises, and a 253-bed boutique hotel-style housing for students at the University of Central Lancashire. The complex will also include open garden areas.

Anthony Jackson, Chairman of Portergate Properties, stated, “The appointment underlines our commitment to utilizing the skills of local companies wherever possible during construction work, helping to create and secure local jobs in the sector. That is very important to us as a North West company. This will be the biggest building project in Preston and the development will play a key role in our continued expansion plans in the North West.” The project is expected to be completed within 12 to 14 months.

HH NYC breaks ground on housing projectHabitat for Humanity New York City has broken ground on a residential

development in Ocean Hill-Brownsville in New York City (NYC). Located at the corner of Dean Street and Mother Gaston Boulevard, the development will feature 15 two-bedroom apartments. The residential units will comply by Enterprise Green Community specifications, which will make them eco-friendly and reduce operating costs.

Neil Hetherington, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City, said, "Habitat for Humanity is pleased to play an ever-increasing role in creating homeownership opportunities. This development is aligned with Mayor de Blasio's plan to build and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing, and we will continue to do our part in ensuring safe, decent and affordable housing.”

The project has been funded by the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and the New York State Housing Trust Fund, along with private support from the Estate of Renee Rojahn and Plymouth Church. Work is slated for completion by April 2016.

October 06-12, 2014 12

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EvENTSNovember 6-8, 2014

ConMac 2014Khanapara Grounds, Guwahati, Assam In order to provide a platform for the construction equipment industry and to showcase the technology available for accelerating infrastructure development of North-East India, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will present ConMac 2014, a construction equipment & construction technology trade fair. The Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (ICEMA) is the sector partner for the event. Contact: J I Mahesh Kumar Tel: +91-9789814046 j.i.maheshkumar@cii.in www.conmac.in

November 13-15, 2014,World of Concrete India 2014HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad Business opportunities, networking services, one-to-one meeting with potential customers and presentation of some of the important products like aggregate processing, aggregates, anchors & fasteners, batching equipment, cleaning materials & equipment, coatings inspection, measurement, coatings, stains, sealers, computer hardware, software, cranes, cutting & drilling, decorative concrete, demolition equipment & materials by the exhibitors will be some of the highlights of this event. World of Concrete India will be attended by construction engineers, technical and professional experts related to concrete industry. Contact: Vivek Tyagi, Project Manager, Inter Ads Exhibitions Pvt Ltd. Tel: +91-124-4524207, +91-124-4524219 (M) +91 9871367808 Fax: +91-124-4524234 vivek.tyagi@interads.in http://worldofconcreteindia.com

November 25-28, 2014 Bauma China 2014 Shanghai New International Expo Centre 7th international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, construction vehicles and equipment. Contact: Ms Kim Kumer Tel: +49 89 949-20256 Fax: +49 89 949-97-20256 kim.kumer@messe-muenchen.de www.bauma-china.com

December 3-6, 2014IMME 2014Salt Lake Stadium Grounds, Salt Lake, KolkataThe event provides an ideal forum for miners, planners and policy makers to discuss various issues affecting the mining industry in the Asian region in particular, and also in the rest of the world. The event provides an excellent business opportunity for manufactures of mining and allied industry to showcase their technologies, new initiatives, products and services to global audience.The event is a unique platform for entrepreneurs, government officials, investors, traders, equipment buyers & suppliers, miners, engineers and son. Contact : J I Mahesh Kumar Mob: +91 9789808994 Email: j.i.maheshkumar@cii.in

December 5-7, 2014Zak Glass Technology Expo 2014Pragati Maidan, New DelhiZak Glass Technology is the most important event for the glass industry in India and South Asia. It is the leading fair for glass and glazing technologies. As the most important communication platform for the glass industry, the show provides with everything that a special fair has to offer. It is an ideal place to find new, innovative and exciting products related to the glass industry. Contact: Samrendra Kumar, Asst Manager, Zak Trade Fairs & Exhibition Pvt Ltd, F-25, Ground Floor, Kalkaji, New Delhi 19 Mob: +91 99530 02884 samrendra.kumar@zakgroup.com www.zakgroup.com

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Royal DSM opens Solar Technologies Demonstration Center in Pune

Showcasing the benefits of current & future solar technologies

solar panels a performance boost utilizing smart 3D structures in a thin plastic foil.

Oscar Goddijn, Vice President, DSM Advanced Surfaces said, “We aspire to be a world leader in materials based solutions for solar photovoltaic technologies. Our newly commissioned solar energy plant in Pune is the first of our demonstration facilities to showcase our technologies to customers and stakeholders around the world. The demonstration centre validates the performance of KhepriCoat®, DSM’s best-performing anti-reflective coating technology as well as our new light trapping technology and will test and demonstrate future technologies from our stable.”

With demand for energy increasing around the world, DSM recognizes the need to use alternative energy solutions for its own use. As an example of this approach, the DSM Engineering Plastics site in Pune now meets 50 per cent of its total electricity requirements from renewable sources,

of which 25 per cent from the Solar Technologies Demonstration Center at the site and 25 per cent already coming from wind power.

“The inauguration of the solar energy plant in Pune marks a milestone for DSM. This is a great example of how we continuously work towards achieving our ambitious sustainability targets, and, set important benchmarks in lowering our own environmental footpr int . This is an excel lent opportunity to encourage the use of sustainable Clean & Green Power and help support the ‘reenergizing’ of our environment,” said Bharath Sesha, President, DSM India.

“These latest improvements in Pune are a reflection of DSM’s ongoing efforts to reduce environmental

footpr ints, both within i ts own operations and along its value chains. The Pune site is one of the first sites that uses 50 per cent renewable energy and we are aiming to increase this ratio further in future. The site has also reduced its water consumption by two-thirds. With the commencement of this solar plant, we aim to push our sustainability agenda – which in turn means boosting economic prosperity, environmental quality and social responsibility for the benefit of people and the planet. We have exactly the same drive behind our market positioning in engineering plastics; our innovation efforts are also focused on sustainable development,” said Roelof Westerbeek, President DSM Engineering Plastics.

Royal DSM, the g lobal L i fe Sciences & Materials Sciences Company, recently inaugurated its Solar Technologies Demonstration Center at its DSM Engineering Plastics facility in Pune. The state-of-the-art solar technology centre has been built to demonstrate and showcase the performance of DSM’s innovations in solar technology and will also reduce the plant’s CO2¬ footprint by using the renewable energy generated by the solar plant to meet 25 per cent of the site’s electricity needs.

Technology for solar energy will play a central role in a more renewable energy balance of the future – a role that will become even more critical and valuable as the technology becomes more efficient and competitive.

DSM aims to help enable the penetrat ion of solar energy by focusing on the development and commercialization of technologies and materials solutions that increase the efficiency and yield of solar modules, thereby increasing the energy generation and reducing the cost of solar electricity.

KhepriCoat, an anti-reflective coating developed by DSM Advanced Surfaces, significantly increases efficiency of solar panels by enabling more light to enter a solar device.

At the demonstration centre, the coating is successfully applied to panels of different makes and models, validating its performance for the solar industry. The centre will also test a new light trapping technology which DSM is developing, which gives

Editor : Bina VermaEditorial Team: Dilip Phansalkar, Paresh Parmar, Remona Divekar

Business Team: Jayakumar PV (9323222283), Shantanu Baraskar (9820904795)Email: contact@constructionreview.in, editor@mmronline.com Designer: Rajen Mistry

No part of the contents of Construction Industry Review, in abridged or unabridged form, can be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor. CIR does not accept any

responsibility for statements and opinions expressed by the authors.

(L-R): Bharath Sesha, President, DSM India; Roelof Westerbeek, President DSM Engineering Plastics and Oscar Goddijn, VP, DSM Advanced

(L-R): Sanjay Jain; Oscar Goddijn, DSM Advanced; Roelof Westerbeek, DSM Engineering Plastics; Bharath Sesha, DSM India and Ivo Lansbergen

EvENTS