Cochin highrises, pictures and projects - II

[ReNik]

An excellent shot to start the part II

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9880/38999924956f6859072bre7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
sarose gallery

[pramodusnair]

Hong Kong company to set up Info Park

K. Venkiteswaran
`Terms are attractive to government'



Company holds discussions with Chief Minister
26 per cent equity participation offered to the State Government


KOCHI: Infiniti Consulting Corporation Limited, a Hong Kong-based company, has evinced interest in setting up an Info Park in Kochi. Discussions were held with the Chief Minister at Thiruvananthapuram last week. The terms and conditions offered by the company were said to be attractive to the State Government. The Hong Kong-based company envisages the project for IT and ITES development and has stated that seventy per cent of the 100-acre land required would be utilised for IT infrastructure development. "Since IT is a human resource centric industry, we also propose to develop allied facilities such as residential blocks, hotels, huge water treatment plants, power distribution systems etc, in the proposed park," said the company in a communication to the Government.

The company has offered 26 per cent equity participation to the Kerala Government in the joint venture vehicle. The company has also offered Rs.85 lakh per acre for the land at Kochi. The terms, the company claimed, were better than what was offered by the Dubai Internet City, especially in the spheres of Government equity, land utilisation for IT and fast track development plan.

Infiniti Consulting Corporation is a JB group company and is in the real estate and investment consultancy sector.

JB group came into being in 1965 and its activities include diamond cutting, polishing, distribution and marketing, jewellery manufacturing, investment in property and mining. It has ongoing projects in Goa where a 200-acre multi-component project, consisting of a 260-room five star deluxe resort, 200 high-end residential villas and apartments, is coming up.

It is a Rs.1200-crore project. The company is also developing commercial and residential projects in Mumbai, Surat, Hyderabad, Pune and Bangalore.

[JMen]

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8568/kalpakacastlefullviewmo1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Source: www.kalpakabuilders.com

[Deepak]

Great pic and News, Pramod and Renik.......:cheers:

[ReNik]

A FAR-reaching directive to government
Thursday February 15 2007 10:58 IST

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the State Government to pass fresh orders within three months regarding the applicability of the provisions relating to Floor Area Ratio (FAR) contained in Kerala Municipal Building Rules of 1999 as against the provisions in the Structure Plan of 1991 for central Kochi.

While the statutory rules permitted a Floor Area Ratio of up to four, the structure plan notified by the government covering Corporation areas, Tripunithra and Kalamassery municipalities and nine nearby panchayats, prescribed a maximum FAR of 1.5, resulting in the rejection of building plans submitted to the Corporation and Tripunithura municipality by various builders.

The rejection of building plans was challenged by the builders concerned seeking a declaration that the Corporation and the municipality were bound by the 1999 rules with regard to FAR while considering their applications.

The government had issued an order on December 31, 2004, clarifying that as far as the Corporation of Cochin is concerned, Kerala Municipal Building Rules of 1999 would prevail over the Structure Plan of 1991 in the matter of Floor Area Ratio.

But, subsequently, by another order dated August 28, 2006, allegedly on the basis of a direction contained in a judgment by the High Court, the government cancelled its order on December 31, 2004.

The court also struck down the government order dated August 28, 2006, cancelling its earlier order dated December 31, 2004. The court also struck down the instructions issued by the Regional Town Planner to Tripunithura municipality regarding Floor Area Ratio applicable to areas under the municipality.


The court directed that before passing fresh orders as directed by the court, the government should take into account the observations contained in this judgment and hear the Corporation, the municipality, the representatives of various builders, and anybody else who in the opinion of the government would be concerned in the matter.

The court also directed the Corporation and Tripunithura municipality to consider the plans submitted for approval till August 28, 2006, the date of the quashed government order, and decide them in accordance with FAR permitted under the 1999 Building Rules.

Applications submitted subsequently should be processed and order should be passed to the extent of permitting constructions within the FAR permitted under the Structure Plan of 1991.


The govt tried to play politics with Kochi's development and immediately got caned !!
I guess that Town planner is only a pawn in the game played by politicians.

[ReNik]

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8568/kalpakacastlefullviewmo1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Source: www.kalpakabuilders.com


FAR order came, the next day Edappally gets a 15 storey. :)
This has been pending.

[ReNik]

Hong Kong company to set up Info Park

K. Venkiteswaran
`Terms are attractive to government'



Company holds discussions with Chief Minister
26 per cent equity participation offered to the State Government


KOCHI: Infiniti Consulting Corporation Limited, a Hong Kong-based company, has evinced interest in setting up an Info Park in Kochi. Discussions were held with the Chief Minister at Thiruvananthapuram last week. The terms and conditions offered by the company were said to be attractive to the State Government. The Hong Kong-based company envisages the project for IT and ITES development and has stated that seventy per cent of the 100-acre land required would be utilised for IT infrastructure development. "Since IT is a human resource centric industry, we also propose to develop allied facilities such as residential blocks, hotels, huge water treatment plants, power distribution systems etc, in the proposed park," said the company in a communication to the Government.

The company has offered 26 per cent equity participation to the Kerala Government in the joint venture vehicle. The company has also offered Rs.85 lakh per acre for the land at Kochi. The terms, the company claimed, were better than what was offered by the Dubai Internet City, especially in the spheres of Government equity, land utilisation for IT and fast track development plan.

Infiniti Consulting Corporation is a JB group company and is in the real estate and investment consultancy sector.

JB group came into being in 1965 and its activities include diamond cutting, polishing, distribution and marketing, jewellery manufacturing, investment in property and mining. It has ongoing projects in Goa where a 200-acre multi-component project, consisting of a 260-room five star deluxe resort, 200 high-end residential villas and apartments, is coming up.

It is a Rs.1200-crore project. The company is also developing commercial and residential projects in Mumbai, Surat, Hyderabad, Pune and Bangalore.

That is one more into the IT hotspot !! Good find, Pramod !!

[JMen]

A bigger perspective of the one I had posted earlier

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5583/puzhayorambigut7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Source: www.sunnybuilders.org

[pramodusnair]

The govt tried to play politics with Kochi's development and immediately got caned !!
I guess that Town planner is only a pawn in the game played by politicians.

:banana: Now that the court has intervened along with the powerful builder's lobby,i am sure that the FAr of 4 will be retained.

[ReNik]

A bigger perspective of the one I had posted earlier

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5583/puzhayorambigut7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Source: www.sunnybuilders.org

Interesting JMen, so many 20 storeys coming up in Alwaye.

Though the FAR issue is going to be favorably settled now, it helped
to bring Alwaye into focus.

[ReNik]

Deepak's photos a must see... reposting it here

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5273/mmtechlyj4.jpg

this onez a superb shot, Deepak !
:cheers:

[ReNik]

Also these five star hotel projects

Dreams Hotel, Ernakulam
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4343/dreamshotelsxr5.jpg
Architect Ajit Assoc.


Hotel City Lagoon and Convention Centre, Silver Sand Island, Vyttila
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/8630/citylagoonez1.jpg
Architect Ajit Assoc.

[sowmya]

We are waiting till the project by Infinity, the Hong Kong based firm comes up.But wont it take much of time. Also it is really gud news that FAR problem is being sorted out

[pramodusnair]

HC stays govt stays the govt order on reducing the FAR in Kochi.

"Kerala High Court today directed the government to pass fresh orders within three months on the request regarding the applicablity of the provisions relating to the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in Kerala Municipality Building rules 1999 for Kochi city."

The old Floor Area Ratio prevails.

http://www.mathrubhumi.com/php/newsFrm.php?news_id=128017&n_type=NE&category_id=3&Farc=

[pramodusnair]

LOcation and plan of Sahara's city in Kochi

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/392011726_9a6bd03a96_o.jpg

[ReNik]

Confident Groups project sells out in 2 weeks after launch !!!

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/7658/subpagesecondface01bs8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now Kakkanad can launch taller and bigger projects with FAR dust settling down.

[pramodusnair]

Cognizant begins operations in Kochi

Special Correspondent
`State has good engineering talent'





KOCHI: Cognizant has started operations in Kochi, which adds an eighth city to its footprint across the country.

It now has operations in four southern States — Tamil Nadu (Chennai and Coimbatore), Karnataka (Bangalore), Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad) and Kerala (Kochi).

Cognizant has taken up approximately 74,000 sq.ft. of leased space in Kochi. This new development centre, said R. Chandrasekaran, president and managing director of the company, would have the capacity to accommodate approximately 800 professionals.

Phase 1 of the facility would be fitted out by end of April 2007, which would create a capacity for 400 professionals, and phase 2 by July 2007 for an additional capacity for 400 professionals.

In a release here on Thursday, the company said that Kerala had good engineering talent, the primary source for recruiting. It had about 82 engineering colleges that produced more than 23,000 qualified engineers each year. In addition, it has 186 science and arts colleges.

Cognizant had been a power recruiter from Kerala for the last eight years, having a premium slot across most premier engineering colleges.

[pramodusnair]

CIAL panel meet to discuss proposed IT Park

A Correspondent
Project estimated to cost Rs. 640 crore



Proposal to set up a golf course
Parallel taxiway to be constructed at Cochin airport


NEDUMBASSERY: The Rs. 640-crore Information Technology Park proposed by Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL) is set to get off the block soon.

The sub-committee of the airport company scheduled to meet on February 28 is expected to give sanction for the issue of notification for appointing a reputed consultant to undertake a feasibility study on the project.

Based on the study report submitted by the consultant, a master plan would be prepared so as to set up the Park with facilities on a par with international standards.

The IT Park would be spread over an area of 35 acres with a built-up area of about 3.81 million sq.ft.

It is expected to provide 15,000 job opportunities both directly and indirectly.

The IT Park is one of the multi-crore projects worth Rs. 3,500 crore conceived by the airport company as part of commercially utilising the land at its disposal.

The projects are expected to be implemented by 2015.

An 18-hole golf course to be set up at a cost of Rs. 23 crore is another major project planned by CIAL.

A convention centre, a retail centre, a five-star and a budget hotel are also being proposed as part of the golf course.

With an eye on attracting more foreign airlines and enhancing the revenue through increased flight movement, the airport company has embarked on the construction of a parallel taxiway at an estimated cost of Rs. 24 crore. The taxiway, which is expected to become operational in May 2007, will reduce the delay in landing and take-off.

Additional parking bays


Besides, four additional parking bays, capable of accommodating narrow-bodied aircraft such as A-320s, B-737s as well as wide-bodied aircraft such as A-340s, A-380s, B-747s, etc., will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs.9 crore.

The bays are expected to turn operational by next year.

A new international departure terminal is being set up in 3 lakh sq.ft. at an estimated cost of Rs. 33 crore. When completed, it will be capable of handling 1,200 passengers at a time during peak hour traffic.

A fully-owned subsidiary company, Cochin International Aviation Services Ltd. (CIASL), has been floated by the airport company for setting up an aircraft maintenance hangar and an aviation academy. The process for identifying an aviation consultant for the project is currently under way.

In the first phase, a maintenance hangar for two narrow-bodied aircraft will be set up at a cost of Rs. 20 crore, which is expected to be in place by March 2009.

The construction of the Centre for Perishable Cargo being developed by the airport company in association with APEDA is in full swing. The project costing Rs. 24 crore is expected to be commissioned by July this year.

Another link to the news!!!!!!

http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=12830

[Deepak]

Hope this court order would be a guideline for the Govt in future.A people's movement also getting strength in background.....:cheers:

[Deepak]

thx ReNik,

Dont know these pics posted earlier...

copyright Danappan.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8824/danappan1dx3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Deepak]

copyright danappan

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/9249/danappan3oj9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[pramodusnair]

India’s largest cities are set to swallow up neighbouring towns as they grow

While the nation’s capital is set to grow from 1,483 sq km to 2,300 sq km by 2021 under the Delhi Master Plan, Bangalore will expand more than three-fold, from 226 sq km to 696.17 sq km by 2015. Gurgaon, India’s ITeS hub, will grow 275% in area from 98.81 sq km to 370.69 sq km by 2021; Greater Noida from 50 sq km to 120 sq km by 2021; and Kochi from 264 sq km to 731 sq km by 2026.

"The Kochi City Development Plan 2005-2012 now includes 731 sq km of the Greater Cochin region, which is eight times the size of the city."

http://inwww.rediff.com/newshound/searchshowarticle.htm?rediffid=http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=155048

[ReNik]

Kochi again gets direct Delhi service

After Paramount withdrew from North India, now Indian (IA) is starting direct
up and down flights to Delhi - making Kochi the only city in state to have one.



Indian makes Delhi the metro next-door
Friday February 16 2007 10:41 IST

KOCHI: Welcome to the age of cheap flights. For Rs 3,000 plus tax, one can now travel from Kochi to Delhi. As a revolutionary step in the history of air transport, Indian is introducing a direct service to Delhi at this rate from February 18.

The unmatched low rate is expected to attract a large number of passengers. ‘‘Travellers will have to pay only Rs 3,975 for a ticket in which Rs 975 is charged as tax,’’ said Patrick Xavier, area marketing manager of Indian, Kochi.

BTW, Jet had announced its intention to start a direct Delhi service, once its
brand new Boeings arrive.

(Air Sahara also flies down directly from Delhi but it returns via Trivandrum. Sahara operates another convenient Delhi flight thru Hyderabad from Kochi. )

[ReNik]

Great Catch !!


Land earmarked for oceanarium

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The Government has earmarked 65 acres on Puthuvype Island, south of the single point mooring facility of Bharat Petroleum-Kochi Refinery, to set up India's first oceanarium and a marine biological research institute.
Minister for Fisheries S. Sarma, who visited the proposed site on Thursday, said the project proposal was submitted to the Union Government.
He said he expected the proposal to be included in the 11th Plan.
The Centre had promised to consider the proposal provided the State Government allocated the land for the project.The last round of discussions on the projected, estimated to cost Rs.150-crore, was held early this month, he said.

Central nod for marine institute at Puthuvype
Friday February 16 2007 10:59 IST

KOCHI: With the aim of making Kochi the fishing capital of the country, the State Government, with assistance from the Central Government, will set up a marine biological institute and an oceanarium at Puthuvype. The Rs 150 crore-project will be implemented on 65 acres of Revenue Department land near the proposed LNG Petronet project area.

[pramodusnair]

Great Catch !!

Good news Renik!!

That would be another INI(instt of national importance) in Kochi.Puthuvype will emerge as a major industrial region, once the PCPIR in Kochi is finalised(GAIL is lobbying for a PCPIR in Kochi since it has planned investments in excess of 10,000 crores in Puthuvype).

[ReNik]

Good news Renik!!

That would another INI(instt of national importance) to be set up in Kochi.Puthuvype will emerge as a major industrial region, once the PCPIR in Kochi is finalised(GAIL is lobbying for a PCPIR in Kochi since it has planned investments in excess of 10,000 crores in Puthuvype).

Actually GAIL has made initial investments to the tune of 35 cr on this already.
It will be coming up in the eastern fringe of Kochi.

[Deepak]

Edappally Bye-pass Jn. View from EKM side.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/8638/byepassec1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ani07]

http://www.infoparkkochi.com/images/wipr_big.jpg
This is an old news:-
http://www.infoparkkochi.com/schedule.php#Wipro
Phase-III of infopark development will also witness the rollout of the largest IT campus of Wipro in Kerala. Spanning across 25 acres of land at Infopark, Wipro is planning to develop a state of the art 1 million sq ft campus. The entire rollout plan is focused to be developed within 15 months from April 2006

[Deepak]

TCS and IBS also allotted land in infopark.

[roshan]

photos copyright bade

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3905/img1575ug2wl5.jpg

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/248/cochinviewyk1to1.jpg

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4143/img1576ij2ls0.jpg

[roshan]

photos copyright bade

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/977/badelr1.jpg

[roshan]

photos copyright bade

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/6315/bade1ak6.jpg

[roshan]

photos copyright bade

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2057/bade2ff3.jpg

[bhasidali]

Great Catch !!
:tup: Its not only first in india...but third in Asia..one in singapore,malaysia...then.....

:tup:

[roshan]

photos copyright bade

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2084/img1588lz9dx4.jpg

[sowmya]

Kochi is the only city in South India which is rated among 10 hot emerging destination.(The cities are Agra,Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Kochi, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Indore,Chandigarh, Jaipur, Nagpur)

10 Hot Emerging Destinations Of 2007
Places to go, money to make

With the real estate boom of 2006 surging strongly into the New Year, small cities riding high on the strength of real estate cost advantage, improving infrastructure and business environment, coupled with the growing income and aspirational levels of their residents, are the hot spots for the builders engaged in frenetic development. We present 10 such hot destinations across India which are the best bets for profitable property deals in 2007.



Kochi

The commercial capital of Kerala and a tourist destination, Kochi is one of the fastest emerging cities of India. As a port city, it has always been the proclaimed economic capital of Kerala with trade and retail being its fundamental business sphere. Kochi is one of the few cities in India which has the best connectivity to the outside world through sea, air and road.

In the recent times, since NASSCOM ranked it as the second potential city for investments in the IT sector, Kochi has emerged as a favoured destination for the IT and ITES industry.

The state government is promoting the city as a business and IT destination with Cochin CEPZ and Cochin Infopark in the pipeline.

Real Estate Scenario

Residential: The residential property market has developed in the last 4-5 years with acceptability for apartments and one could notice concentration of apartments in Menaka, Panampily Nagar, Edappally, M. G. Road and in the newly developed residential areas. The market is more active in the south with an average takeoff time of two months from the date of launch and is also the most expensive areas of Kochi. The residential property market is upbeat.

The demand for residential property is likely to continue on its upward trend as long as interest rates on housing finance continue to remain reasonably low and the economy remains stable. The demand is generally for 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with large halls. The market may see rise in demand as no new projects is being planned by any developer for the next two years and every builder has 4-5 projects in pipeline which are more than 70% booked. Any new residential project at the Menaka, Panampilly Nagar and M.G. Road will be booked within two months of its launch.

Commercial: The commercial market is still at an infant stage and is concentrated in and around M.G. Road, Chittoor Road and Shanmugam Road. The market is expected to grow with the focus of the state government to promote IT, especially in Kochi. The southern end of M.G. Road and Shanmugam Road has met the fresh demand from financial institutions and insurance sector. There are still some small office spaces on M.G Road and its by-lanes that are vacant and available at Rs 5-25 psf. Two new software parks are in the pipeline, one promoted by Kerala IT department and another by a local developer.

Retail: The retail market is the most developed here; previous to M.G. Road it was Broadway, which was the high street of Kochi. With the growth in the retail market, the high street shifted to M.G. Road that has become the main retail axis of the city with large format shops. The retail market at M.G. Road is dominated by large format jewellery and sari stores. Other than M.G. Road, Kadvanthara Junction and Palarvattom are developing as community shopping centres with retail focused on the surrounding residential colonies.

Apart from M.G. Road, Banerji Road connects the M.G. Road and the Shanmugam Road, running perpendicular to the M.G. Road and has developed as a retail street with mainly hardware and furniture stores. The upcoming retail destinations are Kadvanthara Junction and Palarvattom.

Areas of growth: The upcoming areas for real estate development in Kochi are MG Road, Chitoor Road and Shanmugan Road.

Yield Returns

The yield returns on commercial properties are in range of 10-12% while for retail properties returns are 9.5-11%, and 5-7.5% for residential properties.

Land market

The land market in Kochi is reasonably stable. Many NRI Keralites, residing in the Gulf region are constantly investing in land. At Rs 1,500-2,500 psft, plots are available in city area while on the outskirts the rates are Rs 400-600 psft.

Future outlook

The residential property market is likely to witness an upward trend in demand. Residential apartment developments have witnessed a demand from the NRI population. Low interest rates on housing loans are expected to further trigger a demand in this sector.

The commercial market is yet to witness a growth in demand. With government’s initiatives of promoting Kochi as an IT destination, there could be a growth in development of software parks in future. The development of CEPZ and Cochin Infopark (Software Park) is expected to add impetus to the commercial property market.

As for retail, Kochi is still to see malls; some of the local developers are developing commercial complexes under the brand of mall but all these projects are commercial complex with no zoning and theme. The people of Kochi have good brand awareness but it’s only the mega lifestyle stores like Seemati and Jayalakshmi and mega jewellery stores like Alappat, Alukas and Josco who are the prime traffic mover.

For more information please visit http://www.realtyplusmag.com/cover_fullstory.asp?cover_id=30

[pramodusnair]

Chamber offers help for land acquisition

KOCHI: The Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry has offered to help the State Government in conducting negotiations for land required for the proposed Metro rail project in Kochi.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/17/stories/2007021722600300.htm

The metro rail project is gaining momentum.

[Deepak]

Great pics thx Roshan and Bade....:tup:

[Deepak]

Bay pride mall, Marinedrive.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9649/baypridemallkj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[KMC]

India’s largest cities are set to swallow up neighbouring towns as they grow

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=155048

[pramodusnair]

Which is that building at the extreme left?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/392951212_74103c09e6_o.jpg
Sasheeraj gallery

[Deepak]

This is cochin corporation office construction site.Pramod, I think U mean rightside building...

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/8749/corporationjw0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[pramodusnair]

Nice pics,Deepak!!!The building i asked about is the yellow one to the left of Namaste appts .

[ReNik]

Nice pics,Deepak!!!The building i asked about is the yellow one to the left of Namaste appts .

Its Abad's Marine Plaza

[pramodusnair]

Chk out Kochi in google earth.Looks like google has updated Kochi's map.

[ReNik]

Chamber offers help for land acquisition

KOCHI: The Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry has offered to help the State Government in conducting negotiations for land required for the proposed Metro rail project in Kochi.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/17/stories/2007021722240300.htm

The metro rail project is gaining momentum.

That's interesting . Kochi Metro looks set for a smoother sail.

[ReNik]

Vankarath Business Towers, Palarivattom.
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/8633/vank1xu6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

They have hiked the building to 14 storeys now and it is construction works are nearing
completion.

[pramodusnair]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/154/394009479_bb9825819d_b.jpg
Deepgoswami gallery

[pramodusnair]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/394009478_5285782c29_o.jpg
Deepgoswami gallery

[pramodusnair]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/394009476_92b21e7ffb_o.jpg
Deepgoswami gallery

[pramodusnair]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/394009473_6729771d3a_o.jpg
Drsageer gallery

[pramodusnair]

Sahara city layout
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/392011726_9a6bd03a96_o.jpg

[Deepak]

This news is from Petronet LNG's website...:cheers:

The ground breaking ceremony for the LNG terminal at Kochi was held on Monday the 29th January, 2007 at the site of Puthuvypu island in Kochi. The ceremony was attended by the local MPs, MLAs, State Govt. ofifcials and senior ofifcials of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and Cochin Port Trust etc.

The project consists of a Jetty, 2 storage tanks and the regasification facilities – unloading arms, two full containment type LNG tanks, vaporization system, utilities and off-site facilities. The gas will be marketed by IOCL, GAIL and BPCL and supplied in the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka through a pipeline being laid by GAIL. The LNG Receiving and Regasification Terminal at Kochi would satisfy the enormous demand of natural gas for power, fertilizers, petrochemicals & various other industries in the Southern States. The company has completed various pre-project activities including clearances from statutory authorities.
The work for the boundary wall for 32 hectare of the project site has been awarded and will begin soon. The company has already received the EPC bids for the construction of the LNG terminal at Kochi and the work would be awarded by the end of March, 2007. The LNG Terminal will be commissioned by June, 2010.

The Company has identified consumers in and around Kochi for utilization of regasified LNG. All the pre-project activities including various on-shore and off-shore surveys / investigations, preparation of Detailed Feasibility Report and Basic Engineering Package, Mathematical and Physical Modeling Studies, Terrestrial and Marine Environment Impact Assessment Studies have been completed.

The Company has received Environment Clearance from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, New Delhi.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4074/kochi1ff8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[pramodusnair]

Deepak!!
Thats good news.Now lets keep our fingers crosssed for the Gail's 7000 crore regassification and gas cracker plant.

[ReNik]

Delhi-Kochi-Delhi non-stop Indian flight from Feb 18
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

National carrier Indian will offer a second flight between Delhi and Kochi from Sunday. The new flight would be a non-stop flight in both directions reducing the flight time from five hours to just three hours, an Indian release said. This is the first time air travellers in the country would have a direct non-stop connection between Delhi and Kochi.

The A319 flight IC 465/466 will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from Delhi and Kochi. IC 465 will depart Delhi at 1630 hours and reach Kochi at 1940 hours. The return flight IC 466 from Kochi will leave at 2020 hours, arriving at Delhi at 2330 hours. This would be in addition to the existing daily morning A320 flight IC 165/166 on the Delhi-Kochi sector via Mumbai, the release said.

As per the 'very special fares' being offered by Indian, an introductory one-way fare of Rs 3,000 (taxes and levies extra) besides the other attractive fares like unchecked fares and spot fares are available. Indian operates over 300 flights everyday to connect a large network of 54 domestic and 18 international destinations, with a fleet of 74 aircraft.

A correction, Paramount started first ever non-stop Delhi service from Kochi in 2005.
But Paramount has withdrawn from North India later on.

[pramodusnair]

Metrorail project would be a reality before the end of my term-Achumama

http://manoramanews.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/mmtvContentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&contentId=2067697&programId=1186580&BV_ID=@1@

PS:-Achumama made this announcement today.After an exhillarating ride aboard the train of DMRTC with its chief Sreedharan.

[Deepak]

:) Really a glad news pramod,..:cheers: but present plan is from Aluva to Pettah only. It must be extended upto Tripunithura from Petta and upto Nedumbassery or Angamaly from Aluva..

[Deepak]

Seaport Airport Road and Technopolis...

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/8579/technopc4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[DileepKS]

Ultimately the metro should have the following lines:

On a priority basis, the following should be the "roadmap"(sic) for the metro

1. Aluva-Pettah (Current project)
2. Kakkanad-Palarivattom to link up
3. Angamaly-Aluva extension
4. Pettah-Thiruvankulam extension
5. Kakkanad-Infopark-Irumbanam-ambalamedu extendion
6. Kacheripadi-Vypin-Paravoor

[pramodusnair]

You have missed Perumbavoor-Aluva link and Ernakulam-Eloor(Udyogamandal) link.The coop should also see if its feasible to establish an undersea link b/w vypeen,vallarpadam and Ernakulam.But the badly designed overbridge of north and south ( the major bottlenecks) are the ones which require immediate redressal.

[Deepak]

For a Ernakulam Parur link, the easiest way is to start from Edappally Byepass Jn.The NH 17 starting from this Jn will be a four line soon. Thus a metro rail link to Parur thru Varappuzha will be easier. It can be extended to Kodungallore later..

Also Perumbavoor can be directly connected to Edappally thru thrikkakkara-pookkattupadi.Private buses are already running in this route and entering city at Toll Jn, Edappally..

[Deepak]

Kalamassery - Aluva Road.


http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3288/klmsryrdeditedvr7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ReNik]

:) Really a glad news pramod,..:cheers: but present plan is from Aluva to Pettah only. It must be extended upto Tripunithura from Petta and upto Nedumbassery or Angamaly from Aluva..

Here is another story. Apparently Union minister wanted state govt to consider other
modes of mass transit too. It made no sense as say a bus based transit would require
large amount of land acquisitions, that too premium land costing 50 cr per acre.

VS chugs ahead Metro Rail Project
Tuesday February 20 2007 11:14 IST

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan said that the Kochi Metro Rail Project would be completed in four years and the mode of management would be decided after examining all the options.

Achuthanandan said this at the Central Secretariat Metro Station here after travelling in the train along with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation managing director E Sreedharan on Monday. Interestingly the Chief Minister reiterated this position after meeting Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy.

The Chief Minister reiterated that all the opposition to the project would be dealt with firmly. The metro rail project can avoid the traffic blocks at Kochi and it can save time of the Kochiites to a great extent. The state will make use of the experience and expertise of E Sreedharan. The fund will be sought from the Centre, he said.

[sowmya]

I would like to see more pics of West Kochi which is a major tourist area? Does anyone have good snaps?

[ReNik]

EV City Palace, Kaloor - 15 storeys
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4944/citypalacemaindi3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ReNik]

Parsvnath's IT Park - layout
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1000/kochilupvb6.gif (http://imageshack.us)

Parsvnath constructing 3.5 million sqft near airport and CIAL themselves building up another
4 million sqft IT space, Nedumbassery with 7.5 million sqft will offer tough competition to
Kakkanad and Maradu where mega IT parks like Smart City and Sobha Hitech city have
been announced.

[ani07]

Parsvnath has a total built up area of 5.89 million square feet in including IT
http://parsvnathsez.com/locations.asp

[DileepKS]

The city needs a fast link to Vypin and further north. that is why I suggested the vypin-paravoor link. I don't think we will ever have an under water tunnel. It has to go over only.

[arkitecton]

Kochi to host world maritime meeting

Staff Reporter

INA-PIANC is scheduled to be held from April 16 to 19

KOCHI: Kochi and its all-weather port are set to improve their visibility on the world of maritime business with the Annual General Assembly of the International Navigation Association-Permanent International Association for Navigation Congress (INA-PIANC) scheduled to be held here from April 16 to 19.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/21/stories/2007022108050500.htm


European cities ready to partner with Kochi

Staff Reporter

They have evinced interest in tourism and waste management

KOCHI: A few European cites have come forward to partner with Kochi in tourism and urban development.

A platform for dialogue among the cities was provided at the recently concluded EuroIndia Forum in Goa. The theme of the conference was "Urban India 2020: Investing in the future of Indian cities. Leveraging European expertise for their renewal."


The European cities of La Rochelle, Lyon and Zurich have evinced keen interest in partnering with Kochi in sectors such as tourism and sharing their experiences in urban solid-waste management, said N. Anilkumar, councillor who participated in the conference.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/21/stories/2007022108030500.htm

[JMen]

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/9642/11719722131713588194685zb5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Source: www.skylinebuilders.com

[KMC]

Ten years down the line, the airport will have 18 different sub-projects including, a 6.4 crore IT park, a golf course, a perishable cargo unit, half a dozen five-star hotels and an aviation academy spread out over 1,300 acres of land.
And to top it all, there's going to be a state-of-the-art maintenance and hanger unit exclusively for Airbus 380.
This airport township will be funded by Kerala NRIs, the state government and other financial institutions. Not only will this be the first of its kind in the country, the project will also have a huge employment potential.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/stateoftheart-airport-in-cochin/34027-3.html?xml

[ReNik]

Ten years down the line, the airport will have 18 different sub-projects including, a 6.4 crore IT park, a golf course, a perishable cargo unit, half a dozen five-star hotels and an aviation academy spread out over 1,300 acres of land.
And to top it all, there's going to be a state-of-the-art maintenance and hanger unit exclusively for Airbus 380.
This airport township will be funded by Kerala NRIs, the state government and other financial institutions. Not only will this be the first of its kind in the country, the project will also have a huge employment potential.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/stateoftheart-airport-in-cochin/34027-3.html?xml

The news piece has lots of blunders... see highlighted ones. CIAL MD said 640 cr IT
park, meaning 6.4 billion. But the news says 6.4 cr with which you can build a parking
space :D CIAL township has an investment of Rs. 3500 cr which is expected to go
upto Rs.5000 cr. But report says Rs.300 cr. When IT park alone costs 640 cr how can
the total add upto Rs 300 cr. :D


http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/9642/11719722131713588194685zb5.jpg

Good find JMen. Another 20+ giant in Kakkanad.
The moment FAR order was annulled by High Court, projects have started to flow.

[ReNik]

Parsvnath has a total built up area of 5.89 million square feet in including IT
http://parsvnathsez.com/locations.asp

Yes Ani. About 60-70% of the total space is for IT. That makes it over 3.5 million
sqft. This has potential to accomodate 35,000 professionals.

[pramodusnair]

Federal bank,Aluva
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/397620833_fd2285a904_o.jpg
Zjayan gallery

[pramodusnair]

Marthanda Varma bridge,Aluva
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/397620845_b37d0c302a_o.jpg
Zajayan galelry

[pramodusnair]

Renik,Deepak!!
Is the Queen of Arabian sea project envisaged by Ajit assoc progressing?
The rendering of the 135 ft tall statue atop a 3 storeyed building looks damn cool.

This is an old news but sounds interesting
Kochi , Nov. 6 (2006)

The State Government's intervention has been sought in the proposed amalgamation of Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT) with either Kribhco or RCF as physical and intellectual assets belonging to FACT would impart strength to the State's industrial development efforts.

The Government, therefore, may consider the takeover of FACT into its fold and a high-power committee be constituted to deliberate on this issue , Dr M.P. Sukumaran Nair, a senior technocrat with FACT, currently on deputation as the Managing Director of Travancore Cochin Chemicals (TCC) Ltd, told Business Line.

Financial crisis


The continuous financial crisis, of late, in the pioneer fertiliser unit seems to have prompted the Department of Fertilizers of the Union Government to consider FACT's integration with either Kribhco or RCF. If the amalgamation process materialises, the whole assets of FACT will belong to them the real estate value which itself is around Rs 5,000 crore, he said.

FACT has a vast pool of technocrats and proven expertise in the industry and project management, who can lead massive industrialisation projects.

It also owns large assets including 2,500 acres. The present crisis will be short-lived for a maximum of three years. When it starts operating on imported ammonia, losses were bound to ease, he said.

LNG terminal


With the coming up of an LNG terminal at Kochi (latest by 2009), FACT will make regular profits of the order of at least Rs 100 crore per annum from current operations alone, he said.

The 900-acre Udyogamandal complex is a industrial holding best suited to house any major projects. The site has a fully developed industrial infrastructure and township. Independent facilities such as training centres, guest house, office complex, power plant, water and power supply, Roads, quarters and utility services, hospital, club, schools, entertainment house are also available.

The 1800-acre (including 200 acre lake) Ambalamedu complex of FACT is adjoining INFOPARK, Kochi and is well connected. The complex may also provide support to intending IT/computer hardware manufacturers. The revenue from such a project will help to meet FACT's losses till the LNG project is commissioned and cheap natural gas is available as a feedstock/fuel, he said.






Assets belonging to FACT also include 4.5 acres in Tiruchi and 2.5 acres of land in Thanjavur , Tamil Nadu, guest houses in Delhi and Mumbai, several marketing/ sales depots in own building at different locations. Besides, there is a 7,000-strong dealer network spread over the southern States and the brand equity of FACT and Factamphos.

It has an internationally acclaimed design and consultancy wing, FEDO, and FEW, engineering works at Palluruthy, a major engineering shop in the South.

Major projects


In fact, a major hurdle for industrial development in Kochi is the difficulty in identifying land for projects. With FACT's land coming to the Government fold this problem will be eased. Major projects can take off soon. There is a major potential for a new world-class ammonia-urea complex (1500 mt per day ammonia and 2400 mt per day urea) at Ambalamedu using natural gas.

The existing vast infrastructure and utilities at Ambalamedu remain redundant and unused now following the closure of the old ammonia and urea complex based on naphtha.

It can be used to save nearly 40 per cent of the total investment of Rs 1,500 crore needed for the project. This will help FACT to competitively operate in the fertiliser market, maintain and continue its growth and increase the turnover by Rs 1,000 crore a year, he said.

Another major venture is the Petrochemical Hub at Kochi. Recently, the Central Committee on Feedstock Policy and Pricing for Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Regions headed by the Petroleum Secretary, Mr M.S. Srinivasan, identified Kochi along with six other locations as best suited for setting up of petrochemical hubs.

Kochi along with Dibrugarh (Assam) is already identified as site for a petrochemical complex by the Gas Authority of India Ltd with an investment of Rs 7,000 crore in the first stage. The Centre has already approved the Assam Gas cracker complex at Rs 5,460.61 crore.

As regards the Cochin project, a preliminary feasibility of the project has been established and site location is under way. Neighbouring Kochi Refineries Ltd and the proposed LNG terminal at Kochi are expected to provide the necessary feedstock for the petrochemical project. The petrochemical project upon completion will generate a huge employment potential besides paving way for establishing a number of downstream industries.

FACT was operating profitably for 15 years up to 1998 when the turnover was Rs 1,800 crore and employed 9000 people. It is now a sick unit with an annual loss of around Rs 200 crore.

[Deepak]

Swapnil Towers. View from backside (high court jetty).

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/3111/swapnil2ps0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[pramodusnair]

Unitech owns 673 acres of land in Kochi!!!!
Here is the link to their development plan(.pdf )

http://www.unitechgroup.com/investors/unitech_ppt.pdf

[ani07]

http://tcgre.com/images/projects/cc_f01_fkp01.gif
First Knowledge Park, Cochin – Located at Kalmassari in Kochi on a 50 acre land, First Knowledge Park will be developed as an integrated complex housing 15 to 20 biotech units with many a shared facilities like biotech incubation center, providing modules for Research and development in biotechnology, a pilot plant and a business enterprise zone comprising developed plots to be utilized to set up industrial units.
http://tcgre.com/proj_cc_f01_fkp01.asp

[KMC]

Unitech owns 673 acres of land in Kochi!!!!
Here is the link to their development plan(.pdf )

http://www.unitechgroup.com/investors/unitech_ppt.pdf

Waaaww 673 ACRES --- 38 Million SqFt , Amazing . I guess once Fully developed this will be the biggest in kerala . Great going Kochi.
Once LDF goes out , Kochi will rise like anything. Many developers hold land in kochi , But they are afraid of the Comunist people , thats why they are remaining silent.

[sanjupalayat]

Chennai airport has proved to be a money-spinner for the Airports Authority of India from among the 21 airports run by it in South India during 2005-06.

The latest official data shows that the airport reported a profit of Rs 191.61 crore during the year under review

Bangalore was the second most profitable airport in South India having reported a profit of Rs 121.05 crore, while Hyderabad occupied the number three spot with a profit of Rs 73.27 crore. The other airports reporting a profit include Cochin International Airport Ltd (Rs 20.75 crore), Kozhikode (Rs 14.04 crore) and Thiruvananthapuram (Rs 2.65 crore).
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/02/20/stories/2007022001641000.htm

[ani07]

Another national player,no highrises though.

Resting on a sprawling expanse of over 30 acres, Green Acres is the largest housing development underway in Ernakulam. Right in the heart of the city, Green Acres is situated on the proposed Marine Drive Extension along the beautiful backwaters.


http://www.tatahousing.com/previous_projects.htm

[ReNik]

Waaaww 673 ACRES --- 38 Million SqFt , Amazing . I guess once Fully developed this will be the biggest in kerala . Great going Kochi.
Once LDF goes out , Kochi will rise like anything. Many developers hold land in kochi , But they are afraid of the Comunist people , thats why they are remaining silent.

There is nothing much govt can do to stop the development. 673 acres of land already purchased near Nedumbassey (Parakkadavu, to be exact). Actually only sanction required from govt will be SEZ status.

Out of the 673 acres around 100-200 acres will be for residential puposes (probably the largest residential complex that is). This is what their residential plans say. The rest will be for IT and other commercial ventures on close to 500 acres.

This may even outsmart Shobha Hitech city plans. That's a dream take-off for Kochi. :cheers:

[ReNik]

http://tcgre.com/images/projects/cc_f01_fkp01.gif

http://tcgre.com/proj_cc_f01_fkp01.asp


Ani, That's a great find !! :tup:
I have been hunting for TCG homepage for quite a long.

[JMen]

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5012/untitledct2.png (http://imageshack.us)

Source: www.assethomes.in

[ReNik]

Just a week after FAR-rubbish thrown to dustbin, already a flurry
of launches - that too many 20+ towers :cheers:

[pramodusnair]

good pics

[ani07]

http://www.muthoot.com/customimages/towers1.jpg

[ReNik]

Panampilly Nagar rising - shot from Thevara
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/985/pply1ss2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Deepak]

View from EKM North. North overbridge is seen.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6645/north1editedpf4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ReNik]

Recent highrise launches - repeat from lost thread :)

Abad Blue Chip, Kakkanad - 20 floors
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8902/abadbchiphm2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Skyline Imperial Gardens, Kaloor - 21 floors
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/7466/11540620838949979617940wb3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Cheloor El Dorado, Kakkanad - 17 floors
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/9696/viewdr2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Alliance Pride, Edappally - 15 floors
http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/3612/allaincepridejp1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Alliance Prim Rose, Aluva - 15 floors
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4709/primeroseviewux4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[pramodusnair]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/398683938_86f977aa9c_o.jpg
Zajayan gallery

[Deepak]

Inside GCDA shopping complex, Marinedrive..

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2251/gcdacja4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Deepak]

Oracle has completed the first phase of expansion into 17 of India's high-growth cities. This brings the company's total Indian offices to 23 cities.

"As we rapidly extend our geographic reach across India, we are empowering more and more Indian organizations with technology to better compete in the global market," said Krishan Dhawan, managing director for Oracle India. "Together with our growing network of over 400 certified channel partners, we provide local expertise and support to help companies better manage their IT infrastructure and business."

Over the last 10 months, Oracle expanded its presence in the Indian cities of Pune, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Kochi, Vishakhapatnam, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Surat, Jalandhar, Guwahati, Nashik, Goa and Raipur. This adds to the company's already strong presence in the metro cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata.

http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800454078_499495_52ac84df200702.HTM

[pramodusnair]

Pantaloon Retail plans to invest Rs1,000 crore in Kerala

Pantaloon, he said, is developing a mall of more than 4,00,000 square feet in Kochi, at an estimated cost of Rs170 crore. It will be completed in the next 18 months!!:cheers:

http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_p/pantaloon_retail_india/20070224_plans.html

[pramodusnair]

TECOM officials to hold talks with Achumama tommorrow.

http://manoramanews.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/mmtvContentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&contentId=2088279&programId=1186580&BV_ID=@@@!!!!!!

[Deepak]

Pantaloon Retail plans to invest Rs1,000 crore in Kerala





Great news Pramod.....:cheers:

[Deepak]

KOCHI: The Union Government has sanctioned the first phase of the water supply scheme for the city from Muvattupuzha River.

The Rs.201-crore project is aimed at supplying 100 million litres of water a day to areas including Chellanam, Kumbalangi, Kumbalam, Navy and the Port area.

Announcing this at a Corporation council meeting on Friday, Mayor Mercy Williams said that the scheme was one of the first projects to be sanctioned for the city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) initiated by the Union Government for developing basic infrastructure facilities for a number of cities.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/24/stories/2007022420870300.htm

[sowmya]

Tecom is coming again for discussions regarding Smart City project

[ReNik]

Panampilly Nagar boom, another view
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/737/pply2aa2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Which is that tower standing close to the rail line, anyone ? Looks very tall !!