Cochin(Kochi) - Ernakulam is Kerala state's commerical hub.

It's a pleasant city.

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/cochin-skyline1.jpg

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/cochin-skyline2.jpg

Image:

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/skybus.jpg


Kochi Sky City project
Friday, Jun 11, 2004
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/06/11/stories/2004061101191901.htm

Our Bureau

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government has extended an `in-principle' approval to the Rs 896-crore `Sky City' flyover project at Kochi. Announcing this here, the Local Affairs Minister, Mr Cherkalam Abdulla, said that the 8.5-km-long flyover would link the Cochin Shipyard Junction with Edappally in the north of the city.

Leading construction group Yesoram Builders would implement the massive project, which was being implemented in a manner that would not bring any financial burden on the State Government.

At a meeting held here in this connection, the Minister directed Yesoram Builders to submit a detailed feasibility-cum-project report to the Government.

From the Yasoram Website

http://www.yasoram.com

The new era beckons. A new way to travel

One of the fastest growing cities in india, Kochi is now home to major international businesses and global trade. with connectivity at par with the best in the world, now kochi looks forward to its dynamic future. Yasoram Construction Co., with its highly credible background in civil construction, infrastructure development and project management, steps in with a new idea that can transform the city into a truly world class metropolis and raise the convenience levels like no other civic amenity has done so far. The wonder of elevated travel will soon become a reality, if we act fast. The project, which connects Thevara with Kochi bypass in Edappally, will run through the city without affecting its basic arterial road system. The entire stretch is just 8.5 km, which will also make the land acquisition easy. This novel concept is sure to be a path-breaking one, not only for the Kochi city but for the state at large. The elevated transit system or flyover will contain multi - storeyed shopping complexes and commercial hubs at vantage points. The complexes will be dotted with shopping malls, amusement centres, supermarkets, community halls, entertainment multiplexes, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, etc. Besides these, two and four wheeler show rooms, educational institutions, garment show rooms, jewellery show rooms will also find a place here. Peppered with car parking on both sides and gas stations, this will rival the most modern of its kind in the world. Below this engineering marvel, warehouses, storage points and other related amenities are also envisaged.

The transit system will have provision for Aero bus, with its dynamic and multifaceted design. That’s a big double plus in transit convenience! Not just that. The enthralling beauty of Kochi could be enjoyed by the increasing number of tourists arriving at its shores, through this marvel of technology in motion . One can even view the wonders of nature, the Western ghats to the Arabian sea and the wonderful expanse of green canopy of coconut palms, complemented by the world renowned scenery of Kochi backwaters. Undoubtedly, an unparalleled panoramic view. As for the access, this flyover will be connected to the most important nodal points of the city while supporting the main roads at vantage points. This will power the all round development of the city and make movement of vehicles from one point to another, easier than ever before, saving valuable time and fuel.

I am not sure how this is going to work??

If you're gonna go an build a whole city around the flyover, leaving underutilizable space below at ruinous expense, I wonder....

..couldn't you just build the damn road on the ground?

If you're gonna go an build a whole city around the flyover, leaving underutilizable space below at ruinous expense, I wonder....

..couldn't you just build the damn road on the ground?

Exactly my question..

And if cars are going to be parked on either side of the flyover, how will that affect speed???

I don't want to sound critical but this doesn't look workable. Or I am missing something here.

Yes, this project concept is really confusing.

From what i infer of this project, i think the current plans for the Kerala Expressway, which has been stalled by the netas and good for nothing social organizations for being anti-people but thats another story, are much better, which envisages it to be similar to an American Interstate highway, going away from the towns and cities with exit ramps leading to them.

Or maybe they mean something like the Boston Dig, with the major highways that run through the city be put underground so that they dont clog the streets and the city traffic not interfere with highway traffic.

Hey guys, this is my first post on this forum. I think the road will actually be like a bridge over the water, and along the coast side of the city, over the water. I don’t think it will really be over land, like how the picture shows. I think it might be more of a bridge than a flyover. Otherwise I'm confused too. But there was always rumors in the papers that Cochin was planning to make monorail services around the city, for transportation.

Hey guys, this is my first post on this forum. I think the road will actually be like a bridge over the water, and along the coast side of the city, over the water. I don’t think it will really be over land, like how the picture shows. I think it might be more of a bridge than a flyover. Otherwise I'm confused too. But there was always rumors in the papers that Cochin was planning to make monorail services around the city, for transportation.

Thanks for giving us some insight.

Hope you keep posting more and more....

Hopefully, but I doubt it. Not very likely.

Hey if dubai can build the bubble city then i am pretty sure cochin can build this skycity :D

The drawing tells you, it's a jackass project. You can't build whole cities on stilts, with a skybus running atop everything. It's some stupid nut's idolescent fantasy! :eek2:

I know there has been talk of Kochi getting a regular skybus connection a là Goa, but can't fathom this is the one...!

Golf course gets landing rights at Cochin airport

JOE A SCARIA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2004 04:39:16 AM ]
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cochin International Airport, the country’s first joint sector airport which recently announced a maiden dividend of 8%, is all set to kick off a mega infrastructure development project on its premises at Nedumbassery near Kochi.


If everything goes according to plan, there will be three 5-star hotels and another three 3-star hotels in the premises, CIAL Managing Director V J Kurien told ET. It is learnt that the company is also planning a golf course on its premises, which will be a first for any airport in the region.

Sources in the company said consultants were to be finalised for advice on these and other development projects visualised by the company in its ambition to be an airport company of international class. Land for the projects has already been identified, they said.

On the business side, CIAL has been making steady progress with flight operations having grown from 76 flights a week in 1999 when the airport became operational, to over 170 flights per week now. The number of passengers has increased from 4.96 lakh in 1999-00 to 13.33 lakh in 2003-04.

Currently, eight foreign airlines operate to the CIAL airport besides Indian Airlines, Air India and domestic private airlines Jet and Sahara.

In 2003-04, out of the 13.33 lakh passengers 8.61 lakh were international passengers which made CIAL the airport with the fourth largest number of international passengers in the country after Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.

CIAL’s interest burden has fallen from Rs 25.57 crore in 1999-00 to Rs 11.92 crore in 2003-04 after a restructuring process and settlement with Hudco. The company had a net profit of Rs 21.11 crore in 2003-04. CIAL’s duty free business which commenced two years ago has seen an increase of 58% from Rs 5.66 crore in 2002-03 to Rs 8.96 crore in 2003-04.

Golf course & 3 5 Star hotels will help a great deal. I like whats going on in Cochin. I hope they keep it up.

Kochi/Cochin/Ernakulam - Marine Drive

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/chn_marinedrive.jpg

New Projects
Bay Pride Towers, Marine Drive, Kochi

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/admin/images/5275.jpg

Oriental Gardens, Kaloor, Cochin

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/admin/images/5285.jpg

Marine Plaza, Marine Drive, Cochin

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/admin/images/5333.jpg

Skyline Amity Park, Edappally, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1088569848931.jpg

Emerald Apartments, Panampilly Avenue, Panampilly Nagar, Cochin.

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1089707137461.jpg

Florento Apartments, Kaloor – Elamakkara Road

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1077524523101.jpg

Marigold Apartments, Pettah, Off Vyttila, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1060679324341.jpg

Wow!! couple of 15 stories & a whopping 20 story highrise. Boy!! is Cochin going places or what!!

Skyline Gateway, Edappally, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1060228417431.jpg

Skyline Homestead, Thevara

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1060756230391.jpg

Skyline Platinum, Rajaji Road, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/109220340991.jpg

Skyline Solitaire, Balakrishna Menon Road, Edappally, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1089708484731.jpg

Kochi was beautiful even before, but it seems it's gonna get better even more! Anyways if any city in India needs skyscrapers, it's Kochi. Kerala is so densely populated.....

Ivory Heights, Panampilly Nagar

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/Ivory%20Heightsimg.jpg

Silver Lawns Phase I & II

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/Silver%20Lawns%20Phase%20-%20IIimg.jpg

Chakolas Waterford, Thevara
http://www.chakolashabitat.net/images/f0000top.jpg
http://www.chakolashabitat.net/images/f0000lnk.jpg
http://www.chakolashabitat.net/images/f0000bot.jpg

Waterscapes

http://www.chakolashabitat.net/images/w0000bld.jpg

Sowparnika Apartments

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/sowparnika.jpg

Ratan Apartments

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/ratan.jpg

You forgot one, I can t remember its name but it was something like the Cochin trade Center, or some other banking and business building. It's under construction right next to the Bay Pride Towers. It looked the most modern and stunning compared to all the other buildings undercounstruciton. I can't find a picture of the office building, I only saw a photo of it on a billboard at the construction site.

Infra Hamlin, Panampilly Nagar

http://www.infrahousing.com/assets/images/haminlg.gif

Infra Gallant, M.G. Road

http://www.infrahousing.com/assets/images/View-GALLANT-0704.jpg

Infra Hillock Phase-III, off the Ernakulam - Aluva NH 47

http://www.infrahousing.com/assets/images/hillock3lg.gif

In next 4 yrs, seems like Cochin is gonna look a lot different than today. thats great.

Ameya, South Janatha Road

http://www.gokulam.com/images/ameya_enlarge.jpg

South Cove, Janatha Road, Vyttila, Ernakulam

http://www.builderskerala.com/sihomes/images/southcove.jpg

Maybe all this Cochin development has something to do with this

Cochin International Airport

http://www.rediff.com/business/1999/dec/06coch1.jpg http://cochinairport.com/intl/images/air1.jpg

http://www.rediff.com/business/1999/dec/06coch2.jpg http://cochincustoms.nic.in/images/airport4.jpg http://www.keralatourism.com/flight/images/0178img4.jpg http://www.carrental-india.com/gifs/cochin-town.jpg

Maybe I am doing free publicity, but then again, who can't fall in love with the Skyline Projects! They are all so evocative.... :bowtie: :tongue2:

Seems like huge potential once again in this city. Port city correct?

Seems like huge potential once again in this city. Port city correct?

yes..

Maybe all this Cochin development has something to do with this

Cochin International Airport

http://www.rediff.com/business/1999/dec/06coch1.jpg http://cochinairport.com/intl/images/air1.jpg

http://www.rediff.com/business/1999/dec/06coch2.jpg http://cochincustoms.nic.in/images/airport4.jpg http://www.keralatourism.com/flight/images/0178img4.jpg http://www.carrental-india.com/gifs/cochin-town.jpg

wow, thats an international airport, its really small for one

It's probably international because most flights to Male come from Cochin

International airlines serving Cochin are:

Air India
Oman Airways (B737)
Silk Air (A320)
Emirates (A330)
Gulf Air (A320)
Saudi Arabian Airlines (B777)
Qatar Airways (A300)
Sri Lankan Airlines (A320)
Kuwait Airways (A300)

Also coming soon are Malaysian Airlines flights from Penang or Kula Lumpur, three times weekly with a Airbus 330.

International airlines serving Cochin are:

Air India
Oman Airways (B737)
Silk Air (A320)
Emirates (A330)
Gulf Air (A320)
Saudi Arabian Airlines (B777)
Qatar Airways (A300)
Sri Lankan Airlines (A320)
Kuwait Airways (A300)

Also coming soon are Malaysian Airlines flights from Penang or Kula Lumpur, three times weekly with a Airbus 330.

Would be interesting to know if Kochi is receiving about 20 - 30 flights every day including the domestic ones.

Would be interesting to know if Kochi is receiving about 20 - 30 flights every day including the domestic ones.

Maybe 20 flts a day is right on the mark. Check the schedules section of http://www.cochin-airport.com/

Maybe 20 flts a day is right on the mark. Check the schedules section of http://www.cochin-airport.com/

Yeah altogether 24 - 30 flights incoming flights with the same number of departures a day. Their website is impressive and makes you scream why other airports in India can't have the same system. Surprised to know that Deccan Air is yet not serving Kochi. Another obersvation, does the airport have only one aerobridge? Can someone shed more light on this issue?

Anyways with proper marketing and tourism promotion, Kochi can takeoff real well. :)

Another thing, are Bangalore & Hyderabad as of present, as busy as Kochi?

Cochin Airport has two jetways in its international terminal. Like most Indian airport Cochin is already reaching its capacity, and there are plans for a new international terminal. The airport can handle about 160-170 flight per week. The airport planers had no foresight and a vision for the future. There are new expansion projects taking place, a new runway and there is a proposal for a new modern 42000 sq. mts. multi-level terminal, to cater 12 aircrafts.

I think Cochin is busier than Bangalore, since it has more international flights, and a larger number of heavy capacity passenger planes. So there would be more passenger movement in Cochin than Bangalore.

International airlines serving Cochin are:

Air India
Oman Airways (B737)
Silk Air (A320)
Emirates (A330)
Gulf Air (A320)
Saudi Arabian Airlines (B777)
Qatar Airways (A300)
Sri Lankan Airlines (A320)
Kuwait Airways (A300)

Also coming soon are Malaysian Airlines flights from Penang or Kula Lumpur, three times weekly with a Airbus 330.


Cool :)

Nehru Stadium, Cochin, Kerala

http://www.amritapuri.org/latest/50/stadium.jpg

http://www.lalettan25.com/img/map/stadium.jpg

Dubai Ports planning $400m investment in Kochi project
BY JAMILA QADIR

2 September 2004



DUBAI - Dubai Ports International (DPI), which is still awaiting a letter of intent from the Kerala government to manage and operate the Vallarpadom container terminal in southern Indian city of Kochi, is planning to invest $400 million in the project.


The Indian government last month approved DPI's bid for a 38-year concession to operate and manage the existing Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal and develop the greenfield site into a major International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadom in Kochi.

DPI expects a formal letter from the Cochin Port Trust, following which it will begin the process of taking over the management of the terminal, a source in DPI said. Since DPI was the highest bidder for the project, the approval was a formality. DPI emerged as the highest bidder for the terminal's concession, beating out six qualified contenders, including Port of Singapore Authority, P&O Ports, Maersk Sealand, ICTSI and a host of local Indian companies in consortium with other terminal operators, such as the Port of Malta.

DPI's bid offered a 33.3 per cent revenue sharing, much higher than the 10 to 12 per cent offered by the closest rival bid - IL & FS-Punj Lloyd Consortium, Mumbai. Rail and road access into the hinterland in India is available from the port of Cochin, making this an effective gateway for the growing Indian trade. The port last year handled 170,000 TEUs (twenty feet equivalent units). The overall cost of the development of ICTT is envisaged to be in stages.

This will be DPI's second venture in South Asia, after its successful bid for Visakhapatnam Port a few years ago. DPI commenced operation at Visakhapatnam Port in July last year. With Kochi, the number of international terminals operated by DPI increases to five.

Kochi is said to become key player in shipping. The project is expected to involve an outlay of about Rs22 billion directly and another Rs50 billion indirectly and provide over 1,00,000 jobs directly and indirectly and change the face of Kochi. Once the Vallarpadom container transhipment project is realised, the shipping sector is expecting a lot of traffic from even Colombo to shift to Kochi and make the port city an important player in the shipping network of the region.

The project is to be implemented on a build-operate transfer basis. The introduction of Vallarpadom International Transshipment Terminal coupled with the proximity of Cochin Port Trust, proposed port-based Special Economic Zone and Cochin International Airport is expected to help in the overall development of Kochi.

Dubai Ports planning $400m investment in Kochi project
BY JAMILA QADIR

2 September 2004



DUBAI - Dubai Ports International (DPI), which is still awaiting a letter of intent from the Kerala government to manage and operate the Vallarpadom container terminal in southern Indian city of Kochi, is planning to invest $400 million in the project.


The Indian government last month approved DPI's bid for a 38-year concession to operate and manage the existing Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal and develop the greenfield site into a major International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadom in Kochi.

DPI expects a formal letter from the Cochin Port Trust, following which it will begin the process of taking over the management of the terminal, a source in DPI said. Since DPI was the highest bidder for the project, the approval was a formality. DPI emerged as the highest bidder for the terminal's concession, beating out six qualified contenders, including Port of Singapore Authority, P&O Ports, Maersk Sealand, ICTSI and a host of local Indian companies in consortium with other terminal operators, such as the Port of Malta.

DPI's bid offered a 33.3 per cent revenue sharing, much higher than the 10 to 12 per cent offered by the closest rival bid - IL & FS-Punj Lloyd Consortium, Mumbai. Rail and road access into the hinterland in India is available from the port of Cochin, making this an effective gateway for the growing Indian trade. The port last year handled 170,000 TEUs (twenty feet equivalent units). The overall cost of the development of ICTT is envisaged to be in stages.

This will be DPI's second venture in South Asia, after its successful bid for Visakhapatnam Port a few years ago. DPI commenced operation at Visakhapatnam Port in July last year. With Kochi, the number of international terminals operated by DPI increases to five.

Kochi is said to become key player in shipping. The project is expected to involve an outlay of about Rs22 billion directly and another Rs50 billion indirectly and provide over 1,00,000 jobs directly and indirectly and change the face of Kochi. Once the Vallarpadom container transhipment project is realised, the shipping sector is expecting a lot of traffic from even Colombo to shift to Kochi and make the port city an important player in the shipping network of the region.

The project is to be implemented on a build-operate transfer basis. The introduction of Vallarpadom International Transshipment Terminal coupled with the proximity of Cochin Port Trust, proposed port-based Special Economic Zone and Cochin International Airport is expected to help in the overall development of Kochi.

dubai is rich

Kochi to be 'Florida of the East'

George Iype in Kochi | September 09, 2004


India's first world-class marina that can accommodate 150 luxury yachts and international cruise liners at a time will come up in the backwaters of Kochi, making Kerala a hotter tourist destination.

Tourism officials engaged in finalising the project said that the marina, which would offer berthing facilities, refueling and replenishing of the stores of visiting yachts, would make virtually make Kochi, the East's Florida.

The marina, to be set up with an initial Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) investment, has been already cleared by the central government. It has also got a security clearance from the Southern Naval Command.

The Kerala government has tied up with a Malaysian company to execute the project.

Tourist Resorts Kerala Limited, a Kerala government-promoted company has joined hands with Kuala Lumpur-based Trans Resource Corporation to construct the marina to provide all facilities for international cruise liners and yachts that are passing by Kochi.

A team of Malaysian company executives led by Trans Resource Corporation Managing Director Sufi Mohammed Zain is currently in Kochi to identify a spot for setting up the proposed marina.

The Malaysian firm has zeroed in on a seven-acre plot on the picturesque Mulavukad island in the Kochi backwaters as the ideal location to set up the marina.

"The marina is the next big thing that is going to happen in Kerala tourism. The idea is to encourage every foreign cruise liner and rich Indians who own a boat to come here and park them at our marina," State Tourism Secretary T Balakrishnan told rediff.com.

He said Kerala's 540-km coastline and 1,000-km of backwaters are the most suitable locations to turn the state into a high-quality water destination.

"We want to position Kerala as the East's Florida. It will be India's first world class marina," Balakrishnan added.

He said the central government has already sanctioned the marina project for Kochi because the city has one of the best natural ports in Asia. The Kerala government roped in the Malaysian firm because it has the technical know-how in setting up the marina.

The marina will have a wet dock and a gallery with equipment and machines for carrying out repair works. It will also have luxury cruisers and jet skis.

The marina's potential stems from the fact that there are several luxury yachts, which call at Kochi, despite the current poor berthing facilities.

The state gets some about 100 yachts a year during the tourist season from September to April. Most of these visitors from Europe and Australia anchor in Kochi. Currently, there are no intermediate berthing facilities for them once they leave Dubai until they reach their destinations in the Far East. The Kochi marina will address this problem.

Manmohan to launch work on container terminal
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 9, 2004

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will kick off work on the Rs.60 billion ($1.2 billion) Vallarpadom Container Terminal in Kerala.

"He has promised to me that he will finalise the dates for this once he returns from a US visit. It could happen either at the end of this month or early next month," said Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here Wednesday.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee while inaugurating the Global Investors Meet at Kochi in January 2003 had announced that work would commence soon on the Vallarpadom Container Terminal, but nothing happened.

In the first budget of the United Progressive Alliance government, Vallarpadom terminal found a mention.

The work has been entrusted to Dubai Ports International in Kochi on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis and it will run the operations for 30 years.

"The work is being done in stages and the first stage is expected to be completed in two years and the total cost of the first stage is estimated to be Rs.16.32 billion," said a Cochin Port Trust official.

The place for the terminal was readied almost 15 years ago but the project got delayed due to various reasons.

Kochi to be 'Florida of the East'

George Iype in Kochi | September 09, 2004


India's first world-class marina that can accommodate 150 luxury yachts and international cruise liners at a time will come up in the backwaters of Kochi, making Kerala a hotter tourist destination.

Tourism officials engaged in finalising the project said that the marina, which would offer berthing facilities, refueling and replenishing of the stores of visiting yachts, would make virtually make Kochi, the East's Florida.

The marina, to be set up with an initial Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) investment, has been already cleared by the central government. It has also got a security clearance from the Southern Naval Command.

The Kerala government has tied up with a Malaysian company to execute the project.

Tourist Resorts Kerala Limited, a Kerala government-promoted company has joined hands with Kuala Lumpur-based Trans Resource Corporation to construct the marina to provide all facilities for international cruise liners and yachts that are passing by Kochi.

A team of Malaysian company executives led by Trans Resource Corporation Managing Director Sufi Mohammed Zain is currently in Kochi to identify a spot for setting up the proposed marina.

The Malaysian firm has zeroed in on a seven-acre plot on the picturesque Mulavukad island in the Kochi backwaters as the ideal location to set up the marina.

"The marina is the next big thing that is going to happen in Kerala tourism. The idea is to encourage every foreign cruise liner and rich Indians who own a boat to come here and park them at our marina," State Tourism Secretary T Balakrishnan told rediff.com.

He said Kerala's 540-km coastline and 1,000-km of backwaters are the most suitable locations to turn the state into a high-quality water destination.

"We want to position Kerala as the East's Florida. It will be India's first world class marina," Balakrishnan added.

He said the central government has already sanctioned the marina project for Kochi because the city has one of the best natural ports in Asia. The Kerala government roped in the Malaysian firm because it has the technical know-how in setting up the marina.

The marina will have a wet dock and a gallery with equipment and machines for carrying out repair works. It will also have luxury cruisers and jet skis.

The marina's potential stems from the fact that there are several luxury yachts, which call at Kochi, despite the current poor berthing facilities.

The state gets some about 100 yachts a year during the tourist season from September to April. Most of these visitors from Europe and Australia anchor in Kochi. Currently, there are no intermediate berthing facilities for them once they leave Dubai until they reach their destinations in the Far East. The Kochi marina will address this problem


Work to Start on $1.2 Billion Cochin Terminal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manmohan to launch work on container terminal
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 9, 2004

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will kick off work on the Rs.60 billion ($1.2 billion) Vallarpadom Container Terminal in Kerala.

"He has promised to me that he will finalise the dates for this once he returns from a US visit. It could happen either at the end of this month or early next month," said Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here Wednesday.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee while inaugurating the Global Investors Meet at Kochi in January 2003 had announced that work would commence soon on the Vallarpadom Container Terminal, but nothing happened.

In the first budget of the United Progressive Alliance government, Vallarpadom terminal found a mention.

The work has been entrusted to Dubai Ports International in Kochi on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis and it will run the operations for 30 years.

"The work is being done in stages and the first stage is expected to be completed in two years and the total cost of the first stage is estimated to be Rs.16.32 billion," said a Cochin Port Trust official.

The place for the terminal was readied almost 15 years ago but the project got delayed due to various reasons

zuhahmed..."dubai is rich".....This is understatement for Dubai.

Suncity.........Well this sounds more of a common sense. Looking around, upcoming ports in Arabian Sea (Gwadar & Iran's upcoming $2 billion Tourism port) are all chasing DUBAI which is impossible to chase. By the time Gwadar & Iran port even becomes functional, Dubai will be in its own league with Jumairah, Burj Dubai completed by that time. There can only be one Dubai. How many Dubais can you build in single sea. Cochin is doing the right thing. With its lush green backwaters is ideal for Marina Tourism & easily makes Cochin "Florida of the East". If and only if Cochin can get that San Diego like "seaworld" project, Cochin will easily become Asia's Florida.

Suncity.........Well this sounds more of a common sense. Looking around, upcoming ports in Arabian Sea (Gwadar & Iran's upcoming $2 billion Tourism port) are all chasing DUBAI which is impossible to chase. By the time Gwadar & Iran port even becomes functional, Dubai will be in its own league with Jumairah, Burj Dubai completed by that time. There can only be one Dubai. How many Dubais can you build in single sea. Cochin is doing the right thing. With its lush green backwaters is ideal for Marina Tourism & easily makes Cochin "Florida of the East". If and only if Cochin can get that San Diego like "seaworld" project, Cochin will easily become Asia's Florida.

There's the big "IF".

I am sure the environmentalists and the so called pro poor parties will see a reason to protest.

The naval base at Cochin already serves as the second largest fleet replenishment station outside diego garcia for friendly navies (US, Euro, African, SE Asian, Japan, etc.)

IIRC they're significantly expanding naval dry dock facilities at this port as well

Reliance, ONGC in race for Kochi land

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 03:02:04 AM ]
KOCHI: Reliance Infocomm, ONGC-MRPL, Ansals and Inter Globe Hotel are among seven bidders battling it out for 53.34 acres of reclaimed land in Marine Drive, Kochi.

The property has evinced keen interest from major companies after the completion of the Goshree bridges that will link the proposed Vallarpadom Container Transshipment Terminal with the mainland.

The seller of the property, the Goshree Island Development Authority (GIDA) is hoping to make a clean margin over the Rs 78 crore that it spent on completing the bridges and in the land reclamation.

The land reclaimed has a waterfront stretch of about 1.5 kilometres. “The central government’s decision to give a green signal to the Vallarpadam Container Transshipment Terminal has enhanced the value of the land”, says A P M Mohammed Hanish, district collector and secretary, GIDA.

The proposed LNG terminal, bunkering terminal and the cruise terminal being developed by the Cochin Port Trust, the Single Buoy Mooring project of the Kochi Refineries, and a golf course coming up in Vallarpadam are some of the projects that will come up in the vicinity, adding value to the land.

Another factor that has boosted the land value is the fact that the land is exempt from CRZ norms and the state development regulations. “However, other standard norms will apply while developing it”, Mr Hanish said.

Meanwhile, GIDA has completed the Goshree bridge project. The three bridges that comprise the Goshree bridge project connect Vypin, Vallarpadam and Bolgatty islands to the mainland. GIDA has also begun the work of the extension of the Marine Drive through the reclaimed land, thereby enhancing its value further.

GIDA authorities clarified that four options were being given for the sale of the land. In the first option, an investor can bid for the entire 53.54 acres of land. In option two the sale is in the naturally available form of 4 plots. The land has been divided into 6 plots in option three, and 8 plots in option four.

There are enquiries from several quarters for a share in the real estate pie that GIDA has created in Kochi. “There are requests from several parties”, Mr Hanish said adding that the authorities have clarified that all interested parties have to come through the tender route which will be open till September 16.

Marina project at Kochi gets govt nod (http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm=lmnu2&leftindx=2&lselect=1&chklogin=N&autono=166820)

The deck has been cleared for setting up a marina at Kochi, which the first of its kind in south India, as the state government gave a green signal to the project.

TransResources Corporation, a Malaysian company, will set up the marina at Mulavukad island adjacent to Kochi port in association with Tourist Resources Kerala, a state government entity. A joint venture company will be mooted for the purpose.

It has been decided to lease 3 hectres of reclaimed land for a period of 30 years for setting up the project. A high level delegation of the Malaysian company held a series of discussion with the ministers, port trust chairman, district collector and other officials during this week.

The project will initiate a lot of sea-based tourism activity in Kerala at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore. The marina will provide facilities for luxury yachts including marina club, repairing facilities, terminals for water, storage of food etc.

Incidentally, Kochi is becoming a major centre for berthing of luxury yachts and around 100 vessels visited Kochi during last summer.

Govt clears port-based SEZ at Vallarpadam (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/09/16/stories/2004091600610300.htm)

I knew our new prime minister would,'t let us down!

Centre okays Vallarpadam (Sept 16-30, 2004)
PM News Bureau


The Cochin Port Trust has recently received the Centre's formal approval for the development of the Rs 2,000-crore International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam. Dubai Port International, which has been awarded the contract for development and operation of the terminal, will be issued a letter of intent soon. The project is likely to be inaugurated at the end of October or early November.
Besides a transshipment terminal, supplementary infrastructure facilities will also have to be developed. This includes NH connectivity, rail connectivity, dredging and providing breakwaters, which is expected to cost Rs 932 crore.

http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=8153

Ernakulam

http://www.khherrmann.de/Indien/Suedtour/jpg_norm/p1010185.jpg

Cochin Port Trust Building

http://www.khherrmann.de/Indien/Suedtour/jpg_norm/p1010196.jpg

Skyline Tulip (recently completed)

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/109548066501.jpg

Pinewood

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1080357842531.jpg

Peeves Triton

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/108035993241.jpg



Marble Arch

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1080358466941.jpg

Daffodil

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063951269791.jpg

Some lowrise community developments:

Rosemount Homes

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1080360538521.jpg

Elsium gardens

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1096354474761.jpg

Greenwood Villas

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063957358401.jpg

Ebonywoods

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1080358050961.jpg

Springfield Villas

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1080360783411.jpg

Autumnwood Villas

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063951019391.jpg

Crystal Water Villas

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063951730172.jpg

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1080631359813.jpg

Queen Park Villas

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063957865792.jpg

Green Valley Villas

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063952571941.jpg

Indradhanus Apartments

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/indraprasta.jpg

Diamond Towers

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/diomond.jpg

Jaladarsini Apartment

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/jaladarshini.jpg

Sivadas Towers

http://www.yasoram.com/assets/sivadas.jpg

Whitewaters

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/52.jpg

The Promenade (community under construction)

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/99.jpg

Kingsbrook Villas

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/90.jpg

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/94.jpg

Green Gables community (under construction)

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/66.jpg

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/38.JPG

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/63.jpg

Choice Towers (17 storeys)

http://www.choicegroup.co.in/images/0100est4.jpg

Choice Gardens

http://www.choicegroup.co.in/images/0100est2.jpg

Choice Heights (14 storeys)
http://www.choicegroup.co.in/images/0100est5.jpg

WOW!! You've collected so much info here. Amazing.. :eek: Great to see so many projects in Kochi/Erunakulam. Already it looks pretty in that pic you posted, and with all this construction. It's booming! Great work. Many classy projects there.

^^Thanks...

Panjos Garden (21 storeys)

http://www.panjos.com/images/bldg1.jpg

http://www.keralarealestate.com/tekini/build2.jpg

GCDA (Two towers)

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/ashoka.jpg

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/gcda2.jpg

AWHO

http://www.awhosena.org/projects/cohinphoto.jpg

Riviera Suites & Willingdon Enclave

http://rivierasuites.org/images/r0100im3.jpg

http://www.imsc.res.in/~golam/travel/Kochi/Riviera-Suites.jpg

DD Vastra Mahal..15 storeys

Cn't get this pic right..
http://www.desaihomes.com/html/DDVASTRAMAHAL/assets/images/ddtop_03.gif
http://www.desaihomes.com/html/DDVASTRAMAHAL/assets/images/ddunder_06.gif

Some of their earlier projects..,

DD Angadi

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0224ang.jpg

DD Bazar

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0225bzr.jpg

DD Junction

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0226jnc.jpg

DD Texworld

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0227tex.jpg

DD Milestone

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0228stn.jpg

DD Retreat

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0229rt2.jpg

Wild and wacky..new projects

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0212trd.jpg

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0211cor.jpg

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0210vyp.jpg

Wow, Cochin's comin up!

Here you go:
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/9007/Image450.jpg

Thnx Jai - you are the guru!!!

Wild and wacky..new projects

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0212trd.jpg

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0211cor.jpg

http://www.desaihomes.com/images/d0210vyp.jpg
I like them!

More residential complexes..

http://www.galaxyhomes.com/images/g0200p06.jpg

Amrit

http://www.gokulam.com/images/amrit_enlarge.jpg

Skyline Opal Arch

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1096428559661.jpg

nice pictures guys!:)

Silver Crest, Jawahar Nagar, Kadavanthra, Cochin

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/admin/images/5659.jpg

KG Oxford Business Centre

http://www.kgbuilders.com/images/Pastprojects/kgoxford_main.jpg

Some projects by Architect N.M. Salim

Thomsun towers

http://www.nmsalim.com/thomsun_tower.jpg

Lakeshore Hospital

http://www.nmsalim.com/prestigious_lakeshore.jpg

Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium

http://www.nmsalim.com/indoor_stadium_kochi.jpg

Island Castle

http://www.nmsalim.com/island_castle.jpg

His other projects in the city include the eye catching Le Meridien Hotel & Convention Centre pics of which are in the thread.

Now some of those pictures of community houses are well worth a look at how to retain your own cultural identity in the face of rapid modernism. I am very glad that Cochin has dared combine traditional Carnatic architecture (pillars, red tiles, et al) into modern glass & steel. Looks fantastic and DARE I say, - looks thousand times better than those geometrical monstrosities of Mumbai. Way to go Cochin .... keep on the rails, you will be the great Indian city if all goes well.

MM Tech Towers - 22 storey, 80 m height; Revolving Restaurant on top

More Info at

http://www.mmtechtowers.com/

I can't load the site here, can someone rip some images if they are there please? 80m for Cochin is good, it's getting taller and taller!

I can't load the site here, can someone rip some images if they are there please? 80m for Cochin is good, it's getting taller and taller!

I hate these flash/shockwave websites.

Two small renderings.

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/mmtech.JPG

I hate badly done flash websites, these people should just concentrate on making websites more informative. That tower looks good though!!

Kochi to have metro rail
http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/22kera.htm
December 22, 2004 16:48 IST
Last Updated: December 22, 2004 17:06 IST


The Kerala government on Wednesday approved a proposal to develop a light metro rail system for Kochi and decided to entrust the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation with the work of drawing up a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

Though the specifics of the project would be known only when the DPR is completed, the system is expected to cost roughly about Rs 2,000 crore, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters after a cabinet meeting. The cost of preparing the DPR itself has been pegged at Rs 75 lakh.

The metro rail is meant to ease traffic congestion in Kerala's commercial hub. It would cover a distance of about 35km with 27 stations in between.

The surface-level metro system is to be developed on Build-Own-Transfer basis. Work is expected to begin in 2005 and be completed in 2010.

The government had held several rounds of discussions with experts on what would best suit Kochi - a metro rail or a sky-bus system – before opting for the former.

PVS Trade Centre

As per the website the building is only 5 storeys. Don't know whether the rest is residential construction. The site speaks of a PVS residential tower too.

http://www.pvstradecentre.com/

http://www.pvstradecentre.com/customimages/PHIMGNET9_tradecentre1.jpg

http://www.pvstradecentre.com/customimages/PHIMGNET17_construction_b1.jpg

^^^ Looks too short to be a 5 story building.

Man Kerala's cities are really getting more and more impressive. They are developing so quickly almost unnoticed. Wish we had a forumer from Kochi here.......I hope muttan gets us some photos. :)

Man Kerala's cities are really getting more and more impressive. They are developing so quickly almost unnoticed. Wish we had a forumer from Kochi here.......I hope muttan gets us some photos. :)

Yes!!!!

BTW I have been noticing another small city rising fast - Mangalore (Karnataka). I just read about one 17 storey tower there

http://www.averta.net/mfar/projects.php?mdl=projects&id=119

Also Chandigarh here....I haven't told you guys about Quark city. It's so HUGE and it's being done by Shap.Pals :) The site is on the way to my workshops and already something has risen above the tall fencing. I've also seen ads of new malls opening here and there, Fun Republic already has a sigma here etc. I see plenty going to happen in this city, considering it's doing by far the best in infrastructure, cleanliness, planning etc. in India (at least from what I know) :)

I will be in Cochin when I'm in Kerala (my aunt will have me drawn and quartered otherwise). Will try to take some pics of the new buildings. Cochin is not highrise-ville. It has a lot of photogenic places though, with the inlet of the harbour providing a lot of opportunities. The place is also chockfull of billions of dollars in remittances from the Gulf.

I will be in Cochin when I'm in Kerala (my aunt will have me drawn and quartered otherwise). Will try to take some pics of the new buildings. Cochin is not highrise-ville. It has a lot of photogenic places though, with the inlet of the harbour providing a lot of opportunities. The place is also chockfull of billions of dollars in remittances from the Gulf.

That would be great. Who knows you may find over a hundred highrises!

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/willingdonenclave.jpg


Would also be great to know what's the current tallest!

Maybe the 21 storey Panjos Garden?

There are certainly a very large number of 10 to 15-ish storey buildings sprouting up, if that qualifies as a highrise. Lots of ritzy residential complexes all over the inlets and backwaters. But there are also a lot of individual homes, rather, mansions, built with Gulf money. I'll see what I can do. I'm also going to try visiting the Vallarpadam transhipment container terminal.

There are certainly a very large number of 10 to 15-ish storey buildings sprouting up, if that qualifies as a highrise. Lots of ritzy residential complexes all over the inlets and backwaters. But there are also a lot of individual homes, rather, mansions, built with Gulf money. I'll see what I can do. I'm also going to try visiting the Vallarpadam transhipment container terminal.


Are you going for a month or more to India? You have a pretty cross country schedule - Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin.

Three weeks, starting this weekend. Yes, my parents live in Delhi, but I'm a mallu so I risk my grandma and aunts going on the warpath if I don't visit Kerala as well. Mumbai has a question mark over it - the air travel scene is so chaotic because of the monstrous increase in passenger traffic. So I might manage Mumbai or Bangalore. Delhi and Kerala are definites,

Suraj, 'simbly' go to Bangalore. We don't have any pics, and there's so much opportunity for you. That's what I'd like you to do. :D

Delhi and Kerala will do. I know what you mean by relatives getting upset if you don't visit them. As Kshatriya said - B'lore will be a bonus.

Skyline ASTER Waterfront Apartments
Pettah, Off Vyttila, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1103522484311.jpg

Skyline Orion Apartments
Edappally, Cochin

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1103179889481.jpg

Delhi and Kerala will do. I know what you mean by relatives getting upset if you don't visit them. As Kshatriya said - B'lore will be a bonus.


yeah i know it too. But those relatives never come to us, we always have to come to them!

Impressive projects again! Go Kerala!

I’m from Cochin, I could take pictures next time I’m there, but I won’t be in Cochin anytime soon.

Hi Rob44, welcome to SSC India :)

Here are some renderings and a pic from Mather Projects, I wish the renderings are a bit larger.

Maison d’Or , 16 floors
http://matherprojects.com/images/site/MaisondOrimg.jpg

Dover Court 12 floors
http://matherprojects.com/images/site/Dover%20Courtimg.jpg

Silver Lawns Phase III 11 florrs
http://matherprojects.com/images/site/Silver%20Lawns%20Phase%20IIIimg.jpg

Ivory Heights 13 floors
http://matherprojects.com/images/site/Ivory%20Heightsimg.jpg

White wonders 14 floors
http://matherprojects.com/images/site/53.jpg

Cochin is really the BOOM CITY of India.
Just have a look at the list of projects that has rolled out recently
1. Intl Container Transshipment - 2200 cr
2. LNG terminal - 2200 cr
3.Refinery expn and oil import - 2500 cr
4. Smart city (Internet city) - 2000 cr
5. Metro rail - 2500 cr.
6. Port SEZ - 5000 cr
Awaited
1. BMW car plant - Rs.1500 cr
2. Aircraft maintainence centre - RS. 1000 cr.
3. Nokia cell manufacturing plant
4. LG Electronic goods manufacturing.
MAJOR IT firms-
1. Wipro
2.TCS
3.Satyam
4.ACS
5.IBS
IN waiting-
1.Intel
2.IBM
3.Microsoft

The smart city is expected to make Kochi the sunrise city of India with a whopping 100,000 people working there.

Dose anyone know the status of the smart city, have they started construction or have they designed it yet? Has BMV decided to make a car plant in Cochin?

Well, BMW is not certainly picking cochin, i think they opted for a place in Hariyana. DIC (dubai internet city) is still in negotiation with the state government. They are bargaining to get maximum freebees from the government before they strike a deal. kerala badly needs this project and DIC knows it well, they are surely exploiting the situation!
News report (http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG5_sub.asp?newscode=89473&catcode=ENG5&subcatcode=)

There is no doubt cochin holds the best potentials among emerging indian cities.The only thing that stands in the way of cochin's bright future is the state's political-bandh culture and it has to be confronted once and fro all.

No Muttan

BMW has denied having shortlisted Gurgaon. Right now Kochi is the only one in contention.
The board has not taken the decision, thats it. Most of all, BMW will choose a city with port facilities, on this account Kochi seems to be the only one.

But i heard, when BMW people came to visit cochin the whole state was on a week long strike/bandh and they went back on the next flight...anyway, I hope cochin will get this deal.

a very promising news report on kochi.. impressive :cheers:

Thursday January 20 2005

KOCHI: Even as Kochi is all set to take a quantum leap on the development and industrial front, a pro-development work culture is evolving in this growing knowledge metropolis.

A welcome attitudinal change is clearly discernible among the public, trade union leaders, politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen towards issues concerning development. And there is greater willingness to make sacrifices for common good, to put community above self and not to mix politics with development.

People don't hold up land acquisition proceedings on flimsy grounds, trade unions are pragmatic and reasonable in raising demands, politicians don't meddle much and officials enjoy greater freedom to execute projects.

This pro-development spirit was best captured by the then Chief Minister A.K.Antony, who, addressing a big gathering in Vypeen island after a historic walk through the first of the three newly-opened Goshree bridges, said: ``I see a positive work culture emerging in Kochi. The `Kochi model of development' is worth emulating in other parts of Kerala.''

While uttering these prophetic words, Antony had in mind three mega projects in Kochi that were implemented in quick succession in an exemplary manner -- the international airport at Nedumbasserry, Jawaharlal Nehru international stadium at Kaloor and the Goshree bridges.

All the three landmark projects shared several record-breaking features -- completion of work ahead of schedule, no loss of man-days on account of strikes or labour unrest, no allegations of corruption at any stage of implementation and all-round appreciation of the high quality of workmanship.

The comparison doesn't end there. The common factors that contributed to the realisation of those dream projects were political support, bureaucratic efficiency and integrity, and people's participation.

The Nedumbasserry airport and the international stadium were the creations of two bureaucrat-brothers -- V.J.Kurien and Joseph Thomas. Kurien proved that if the man at the helm has the dynamism, commitment and integrity, he could work wonders even in a State like Kerala known for its militant trade unionism, undesirable work culture and political meddling.

The stadium, a pet project of then Chief Minister K.Karunakaran, was a shining example of politician-bureaucrat partnership. Karunakaran extended unstinted support to Joseph Thomas, a top police official deputed to GCDA as its chairman, to make the Rs 80-crore stadium a reality in record time.

The Goshree project represented the triumph of people's will over political indecisiveness and bureaucratic dithering. The people's movement for linking the three islands were so strong and enduring that no government of left or right persuasion that ruled the State could overlook it.

These three projects proved to be trend-setters in making Kochi a preferred investment destination, with as much as Rs 15,000 crore expected to flow into the city in the next few years.

The new development culture has manifested itself in the unimpeded implementation of many of the ongoing projects, be it construction of the airport-seaport road, widening of Edappalli-Varappuzha stretch of NH 17 or four-laning of Aluva-Mannuthy stretch of NH 47.

The Kalamasseri-Tripunithura airport-seaport road (Phase I), by far the best road in Kerala built to international specifications, is the lifeline of the proposed IT corridor and an irresistible boon to potential investors.

http://newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20050119093101&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&
--

That's good news!

:)

That's good news!

:)

Oh yeaa :)

Can anyone send some snaps of the new high court complex at Kochi. It is going to be opened on Feb 14.

Lakeshore Hospital, Maradu, Cochin

http://www.lakeshorehospital.com/PHOTOS/Lakeshore.jpg

TECHNOPOLIS IT park, CSEZ, Cochin

http://www.muthootechnopolis.com/images/building.jpg

I believe http://surajsphotos.fotopic.net/p11064937.html is the Technopolis IT Park; it was taken from the backyard of my home. I also tried to get a picture of Lakeshore Hospital from the Cochin bypass road (the road off which all the car dealerships in the pictures are), but it was obscured by too many coconut trees.

Heera Waters, 20-floors tall
http://www.heeragroup.com/heera/images/projects_big/heerawaters.jpg

Heera Waters looks cool.

Heera Waters, 20-floors tall
http://www.heeragroup.com/heera/images/projects_big/heerawaters.jpg

Pretty decent project. :)

Suraj's photo is likely to be that of the following building called Vismaya, InfoPark, Cochin

http://www.infoparkkochi.com/images/img_newit_large.jpg

A real image
http://www.infoparkkochi.com/images/december.gif

le Meridian, Cochin

http://www.travel-in-india.com/images/cochin-le-meridien1.jpg

Nik: Indeed you are right; my picture is that of the Infopark. The CSEZ is in the vicinity of that area, so I confused it with the other one. Has the technopolis park been built or is it still u/c ? I visited the CSEZ, where my uncle, a civil engineer, is managing the construction of a factory. But it was late in the evening.

I took some pics of the Le Meridien as well, from the bypass road:
http://surajsphotos.fotopic.net/p11064900.html
http://surajsphotos.fotopic.net/p11064901.html

Skyline Aster Waterfront Apartments

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1103522484311.jpg

I took some pics of the Le Meridien as well, from the bypass road:
http://surajsphotos.fotopic.net/p11064900.html
http://surajsphotos.fotopic.net/p11064901.html

How far is this hotel from the city center? And can we get there by bus/public transport?

Nice looking projects again, quite a few 20 storey towers too!

How far is this hotel from the city center? And can we get there by bus/public transport?

It is as quoted at Maradu (or Nettur). It is about 6-7 km from Vyttila jun. There are plenty of buses. In fact I guess the Lakeshore Hospital in pic above is also in the vicinity of le Meridian.

Both the Le Meridien and the Lakeshore Hospital are close to each other, midway between Vytilla Jn and Aroor jn, on the Cochin Bypass (which is currently being widened to 4/6 lane). There's plenty of public transport plying past the hotel on the bypass road, but I don't think its usual clientele turns up in a public transport bus :) They probably have dedicated coaches to/from the city and airport, the latter being a fast drive up the NH47 (also pictured in my Cochin gallery).

The bypass road is the only bottleneck; currently the NH47 is 4 laned on the northbound section starting from Vytilla Jn past the Airport Road Jn all the way to Chalakudy I think. On the southbound section from Cochin, it is again 4-laned from Aroor, to Chertallay. The remaining sections are being widened now. Once it is all widened, the full Trivandrum-Cochin section should be 4-laned, though I'd still prefer the expressway, since NH47 has too many restrictions to suffice in place of the expressway in the long term - its lanes are narrower that they should be, and it faces too much pedestrian crossing traffic . I'd rather we followed the Chinese paradigm and built the expressway now. It will pay off.

The bypass road is the only bottleneck; currently the NH47 is 4 laned on the northbound section starting from Vytilla Jn past the Airport Road Jn all the way to Chalakudy I think. On the southbound section from Cochin, it is again 4-laned from Aroor, to Chertallay. The remaining sections are being widened now. Once it is all widened, the full Trivandrum-Cochin section should be 4-laned,

In fact this NH47 is likely to end up as part of corporation road network in the near future.
They are building a world-class road, airport-seaport highway almost parallel to it at a distance of 5-6km away from it. Currently it is a two-lane, but in couple of years this will be a four lane running from Aroor to Angamaly. This would help using the present NH only for city bound traffic, diverting all other traffic to A-S highway.
Pretty soon most of Cochin city is likely to shift to the current NH47 as the city expand fast eastwards.


though I'd still prefer the expressway, since NH47 has too many restrictions to suffice in place of the expressway in the long term - its lanes are narrower that they should be, and it faces too much pedestrian crossing traffic . I'd rather we followed the Chinese paradigm and built the expressway now. It will pay off.
Exp.way will not at all be economical. In fact study shows that there will be enough traffic only in a small section Cochin-Trissur to make it viable. This is a well known thing, if you travel by NH47, this is the only section were there is big traffic.
To check the rampant crossing of pedestrians one can barricade NH at most places away from urban areas, and provide walk over bridges.(This is also done in China )and thus obviate the need for another exp.way

Kerala should get done the 4-laning of NH47. But most importantly, since 90% of economic activity is in and around Kochi, the govt should concentrate on improving infrastructure of Kochi and surroundings.

I've heard arguments both for and against the expressway, but I still continue to back the expressway. I see the idea of drastic upgradation of the NH47/7 as far more easily said than done. It will face a lot of litigation and various issues related to the level of traffic it will generate right through the middle of several cities, Cochin included as it expands eastwards (just as you said). Pedestrian crossings will not work, IMHO. Way too many of them are needed. I see the idea of fencing off the NH47 as a nonstarter. Not only will there be protests/litigation, but a breach in the fence and a potential for accidents as a result exists. The bottom line is that it will end up as a quasi-expressway through an *extremely* densely populated area.

I understand traffic is highest near Cochin; that's natural considering it is the most prominent economic node. I fully expect an expressway to face viability issues in the short and even short-medium term, but will be a worthwhile investment. The presence of the expressway will not leave the rest of the state static - it will be a magnet for significant investment around it, unless the government is so thoroughly lost in its own Marxist mentality to shoot itself in the foot. To evaluate viability of the expressway based on future traffic projections in its absence without considering how much the expressway itself can multiply economic opportunities and the cascading effects upon it, is a poor idea.

A nice one from Marine drive, Cochin

http://www.bengalweb.com/skyline/cochin/awho.jpg

I don't know if anyone has said this before, but I found out since the Tsunami struck many many cruise lines coming from Europe, Singapore, and more have change from Thailand to Kochin and other places in Kerala and many of the people who have bought tickets do not mind.

This is a marvel. Would have been a cynosure, if it were taller.
http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063951452982.jpg

Rs 981-cr plan for Kochi infrastructure ready (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/02/02/stories/2005020200851900.htm)

THE State Government has drawn up infrastructure development schemes estimated to cost Rs 981 crore for the city of Kochi, which is about to witness the implementation of a host of mega projects in the hinterland.

Announcing this in the State Assembly on Tuesday, the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, said the development of the Vallarpadam International Container Terminal, the LNG Terminal and the Special Economic Zone would necessitate the development of matching infrastructural facilities in the city.

Replying to questions, the Chief Minister said the Government had already prepared a Rs 676-crore scheme for improving drinking water supply in Kochi. It was now being proposed to implement an infrastructure development project worth Rs 305 crore with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

This is a marvel. Would have been a cynosure, if it were taller.
http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1063951452982.jpg
Yeah that's beautiful. Should've been 30 sotreys, would've looked stunning.

Casablanca,Vazhakkala,Kochi

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/uploadedimages/407.jpg

Oriental Gardens, Mamangalam

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/uploadedimages/336.jpg

Budget draws brickbats as Kochi fumes at raw deal




www.newindpress.com

KOCHI: Finance Minister Vakkom Purushottaman’s maiden budget has received more brickbats than bouquets from Kochi. Terming many proposals in the budget as anti-people, industry leaders and the public alike have aired their disapproval of the budget, which has ignored Kochi totally.

Apart from declarations that the Capital Region Development will be replicated here, that Kochi’s urban infrastructure will be upgraded to make it a centre of economic growth and to allocate Rs 75 lakh for the feasibility study of Metro Rail, Kochi has nothing more to write home about.

Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary S.A. Manzoor said Kochi was ignored in the budget and prominence was given to Thiruvananthapuram city. Earlier, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised to provide Rs 918 crore for providing infrastructure development to the city, but in the budget only a passing reference was made for the need of Kochi development.

Ernakulam Merchants Union secretary L.A. Joshey said at a time when more industries coming to Kochi, the budget should have given prominence to the city. For a city to develop, a facelift is a must for all sectors.

When industrialists are keen on investing in Kochi, the government is bound to provide the basic infrastructure for them. The budget is totally disappointing as there is no proposal to attract investors to Kochi, he said.

Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary Dominic J. Mechery said no specific plan is envisaged for the development of Kochi. The development plan for Kochi mentioned in the budget is not clear, he said.

Greater Cochin Development Authority chairman Antony Issac said that there was no scientific approach while preparing the budget. There is a general feeling among industrialists and traders that Kochi was totally ignored.

Whitewaters Phase II

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/White%20Waters%20Phase-IIimg.jpg

Silver Lawns U/C photo

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/171.jpg

http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/169.jpg

Would the heavens have fallen had they constructed this building a few more floors high? >( ...it sure looks a peach in the rendering. :okay:

Cochin's buildings are just fab. I'm sure they will get taller too. Isn't there a 22F commercial tower u/c too? I see big things ,esp. after the container port and kerala expressway are done. :)

I have been looking for this pic of new high hourt complex. There is partial answer. One can see it behind the Navy flats. Can anyone post a better pic.

http://www.manoramaonline.com/mmimage/MmArticle/kochi,5.jpg

http://www.manoramaonline.com/mmimage/MmArticle/kochi,5.jpg

Thats Two nice looking Buildings :)
BTW, any snaps of the cochin Airport Seaport road?

Another beautiful peek at the Queen of the Arabian Sea
http://www.keralatourism.org/images/image/large/image135.jpg

^^^

Now that's a nice pic!!!

Kochi has a cute little skyline, with abundance of greenery and of course, the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. There aren't many beautiful sights under the blazing sunlight. :)

That's a nice pic. :)

Absolutely. It ain't tall, but it's still beautiful.

Olive Heights, Kadavantra

http://www.puzha.com/adv/images/olive_09.gif

This suburban beauty near Mangalapuzha, Aluva has another close to it. Together they look cute in the backdrop of lush green banks of Mangalapuzha

http://www.zubeen.20m.com/summercastle.jpg

While there are few highrises, Cochin has a lot of photogenic spots. In particular, the inlet of the harbour is amazing. There's the commercial harbour, the naval base, the oil tanker terminal, the Bolghatty Palace, and the buildings of Ernakulam city. Its quite a view, I can assure you. As a kid, I used to take the motorboat service between Willingdon Island (where we lived) and Ernakulam frequently, to visit the children's traffic park there. From the boat you can see all of the buildings in Muttan's pic above, and more.

Then there's the backwaters, with a large number of locations similar to Nik's pic above. Since its spread out among the picturesque natural settings, it is somewhat hard to get good pics, unless you happen to be on a boat, or drive specifically in search of locations ot take pics from. Unfortunately I had no time to do any of that this winter :(

Assuming that 12 storey plus are highrises, Cochin probably has a lot of them.
Now we need someone from Cochin/Ernakulam to get a complete list of such buildings and also photos. This is best done by residents and ex-residents.



:)

http://www.desaihomes.com/html/nest.htm

It is interesting to know the status of the project mentioned below. I think
they got meddled in th eproblems of getting recognition from the federal govt
authorities to start a foreign affiliated institution. Now that from 2005 onwards India is open to foreign univ as per WTO, this may take off, will definitely be one of the tallest in India :)

Kerala college offers foreign-affiliated medical course
Thursday, November 29 2001 13:02 Hrs (IST)


Kochi (Kerala): For the first time in the country, a foreign university affiliated MBBS and post graduate courses would get going from April and July 2002 respectively, mainly targeting non-resident Indian (NRI) students.

Universal Empire, promoted by non-resident Indians, is coming up with this ambitious project by promoting the Universal Empire Institute of Medical Sciences (UEIMS), its Chairman K Balachandran Nair and Managing Director Sudhir Gopi, told reporters on November 28...

The UEIMS is promoting a 200-bedded hospital at nearby Kadvantara, which would be functional from June 2002 and another 800-bedded 51-storeyed hospital at Kakkanad, both totally costing Rs 100 crore.

http://www.desaihomes.com/html/nest.htm

http://img61.exs.cx/img61/4881/ddnestcochin1bm.jpg

http://img61.exs.cx/img61/4881/ddnestcochin1bm.jpg
Wow it's another Gurgaon, a boom of 15 storey towers!

Cochin has no dearth of demand for swank residentials, either bungalows or highrises. Theres' tens of billions of dollars in the local banks from Gulf remittances, and lots of returnees who want the nice homely feel.

Cochin's failure is in its pubic infrastructure. Quite appalling roads compared to what it needs. They don't necessarily need to be wide 6-lane expressways (though that would help!) but not so many roads in nice localities being narrow potholed messes. GCDAs been asleep at the wheel on this for ages.

It is slowly being realized that unless the Kochi city gets additional investment for infrastructure development, investors and tourists could look elsewhere. The Kochi Mayor, C.M. Dinesh Mani, has literally cried himself hoarse demanding a ‘fair’ share of funds for development. Both the LDF and UDF governments in turn simply ignored the plight of Kochi.

The Ernakularn district contributes the most to the State's exchequer by way of taxes. And while there hardly any money for developmental activities, the Corporation gets blamed for all the problems. Kochi has no modern urban drainage and sewerage system. There are no proper footpaths. The roads and lanes are potholed, overcrowded and jammed. The waste disposal system is a shame. The city smells at every corner. The muck is piling up and all free spaces are littered with plastic waste.

The telephone, electric, Internet cable and television cable vie for the overhead space. Without any notice, one or above departments along with the Water and Waste Water Authority would start digging up important thoroughfares, damaging roads that were dug up and repaired hardly a few months ago. The streetlights don’t light up in half the areas. Increasing menace by criminal elements is making the city unsafe late in the night.

Now finally, the Government has drawn up infrastructure development schemes estimated to cost Rs.981 crore for Kochi alone. What prompted the government is perhaps the prospect of a host of mega projects coming up in this region. Finally Kochi is getting the attention it deserves.The Chief Minister, Mr.Oommen Chandy, announced in the State Assembly that said the development of the Vallarpadam International Container Terminal, the LNG Terminal and the Special Economic Zone would necessitate the development of matching infrastructure facilities in the city.

The Government has already prepared a Rs.676crore scheme for improving drinking water supply and proposed to implement an infrastructure development project worth Rs.305 crore with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

An exclusive agency will look after the developmental aspects – similar to the Capital City Development Agency in Thiruvananthapuram.Meanwhile, beautified roads leading to the leading to the Ernakulam North and South railway stations carried out at a cost of Rs.90 lakhs were inaugurated recently. Also, the Kerala Tourism Department handed over a sullage tanker lorry to the Corporation of Cochin. This tanker will be utilized to clean and clear drains and sewages. The road from BTH to High Court will be developed as a model road. Already, project 'Destination Cleaning' is underway with the involvement of Kudumbasree units and voluntary agencies.


A pity if Kerala is killing the goose that lays golden eggs.

ON A ROLL

As the prime minister clears an international container transhipment terminal at Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala is headed for a massive growth. India Today's M.G. Radhakrishnan takes stock.


Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has opened what appears to be the floodgates of investment in Kochi.

On February 16, as Singh laid the foundation stone for the Rs 2118 crore-International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), the Cochin Port Trust's (CPT) long awaited project, it was clear that the commercial capital of Kerala was on a roll. The container hub port is to be set up by the UAE's Dubai Port International (DPI) on a 30-year BOT contract at the panoramic Vallarpadam island reclaimed from the sea off Kochi. When completed in the stipulated four years, ICTT would be capable of handling large-sized container vessels -mother vessels- deployed for long haul transportation. At the first stage, DPI would takeover CPT's present Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal (RGCT) and would start constructing the ICTT within two years.
PROJECTS ON LINE
1. International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT)
Status: Cochin Port Trust issued contract for construction to Dubai Ports International (DPI), UAE
Investment: Rs 2118 crore
Route: B O T

2. Port-based Special Export Zone
Status: Central Government clearance obtained by CPT
Investment: Rs 1510 crore
Route: Public-private

3. Liquid Natural Gas Re-Gasification Terminal (2.5 MMTPA)
Status: M/s Petronet LNG to start construction this year
Investment: Rs 1600 crore
Route: BOT

4.International Bunkering Terminal
Status: RFQ released and received from Reliance, Essar, FAL Fujaira
Investment:Rs 195 crore
Route: Licence

5. International Ship Repair Complex
Status: Indian Port Association conducting Feasibility Study
Investment: Rs 315 crore
Route: BOT

6. Single Buoy Mooring for Kochi Refineries Ltd (KRL)
Status: Clearance from KRL Board
Investment: Rs 720 crore
Route: PSU

7. International Marina for Cruise liners
Status: State Government joins with Trans Source Corporation, Malaysia to set up
Investment: R 55 crore
Route: Public-private
8. Marine Export Processing Zone
Status: To be set up jointly by Marine Products Exports Development Authority and Seafood Association of India under the centrally sponsored ASIDE scheme
Investment: Rs 179 crore
Route: Public-Private
9. Smart City
An Internet City to be built by Dubai Internet City at 1000 acres in Kochi.
Investment: Rs 5000 crore
Route; Private
Status: DIC Signed MOU with state government

The ICTT is only the first among the string of new projects totaling an investment of more than Rs 7000 crore cleared for Kochi. The prime minister has also given a green signal to another investment bounty of Rs 20,000 crore for the state which includes a Rs 10,000 crore petrochemical-gas complex to be built jointly by NTPC and GAIL at Kochi and also upgradaton of the National Thermal Power Corporation's 350 mw thermal plant at Kayamkulam to a 2300 mw super thermal power station at the cost of Rs 7584 crore. Singh also laid the foundation for the LNG- based super thermal plant to be christened Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Project.

With DPI's takeover capacity, RGCT is estimated to go up from the present 1.75 lakh TEU to 2 TEU within two years and the ICTT is projected to touch 4 TEUs.
The ICTT in its final phase is envisaged to handle traffic of 30 lakh TEUs and generate a gross cash inflow of Rs 5617 crore and outflow of Rs 3024 crore to CPT.

DPI, which has formed an Indian subsidiary -India Gateway Terminals- for the project had won the contract after making the highest revenue sharing offer of 33.30 per cent with the CPT. The latest date fixed for commissioning of the new terminal is eight years.

According to Dr Jacob Thomas, cairman of CPT, the ICTT will help Indian exporter save $150 to $200 per container and the country about Rs 2000 crore a year. Today in the absence of a dedicated container hub port which can handle huge mother ships in the country, most of cargo to and from Indian shores are being handled by neighbouing foreign ports in Colombo, Singapore, Salala and Dubai. In fact 70 per cent of containers handled at Colombo port are from India. "Kochi's locational advantage for being an international terminal hub is huge," says Thomas. "Being bang on the trunk international sea trade route it is the nearest port connecting Europe and the Gulf to the South East and Far East and mother vessels can touch here without minimum deviation."

.
That is not all. "The ICTT will open possibilities for India to step into the big buck container era," constinues D. Babu Paul, former chairman of CPT who had conceived the idea of an ICTT at Vallarpadam. "Today large container ships on the main route around the world are skipping Indian ports due to inadequate facilities and touching ports like Colombo or Singapore."
ADVANTAGE KOCHI:
An ideal location for an ICTT
1. Geo strategic location; Located right on the major sea trade route between the Far East and Australia on the one side and Europe and Africa on the other
2. Nearest All Weather Port in the international trunk trade route offering round the clock pilotage
3. Excellent connectivity through road, rail and inland waterway
4. Natural harbour situated outside the cyclone zone
5. 11.7 m draft and 16 berths
6. Availability of land; 450 hectares

ICTT's Infrastructural Requirements

1. Capital dredging of navigational channels;
Cost: Rs 464 crores

2. Construction of breakwater
Cost: Rs 80 crore

3. National Highway connectivity
Cost: Rs 263 crores

4. rail connectivity
Cost: Rs 125 crores
ICTT Projected Benefits
1. Investment flow; Rs 7500 crores
2. Jobs; 1 lakh direct
3. Saving to exporter; Rs 6000-Rs 16000 per container
4. Facilitating SDP growth for the state: 20%

Although Kochi was the first Indian port to handle a container vessel 30 years ago, the total container traffic handled at the CPT's Rajiv Gandhi Cargo Terminal which can only accommodate small feeder vessels is 1.7 lakh TEUs. ICTT is proposed to receive the biggest container vessels now afloat which have 8000+ TEU capacity. "ICTT is to be the greatest hope for Kerala's industrialization. Now it can strive to become a Hong Kong or Dubai," says Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

But the CPT and the state government can hardly rest on the oars until the DPI completes work on ICTT. For work on a slew of common infrastructure facilities have to begin along with the work o ICTT. This includes capital dredging of navigational channels (cost; Rs 464 crores) to make way for large mother vessels, construction of breakwater (Rs 80 crore), build road connectivity with the National Highway and rail connectivity (Rs 125 crores). According to CPT the money for these projects is to come from Central government under the Ministry of Shipping's Viability Gap Fund scheme. "The work on these infrastructure projects alone will provide work for 50,000 manual workers daily," says Muhammed Hanish, Collector, Kochi.

The ICTT will open the way for an investment flow of more than Rs 7000 crore in Kochi in the coming ten years with the implementation of a slew of other projects which form the CPT's integrated port development plan. They include an LNG Terminal, Special Economic Zone, International Bunkering terminal, Cruise Marina etc. Significant progress has been made on realizing most of these projects too.
The state government's discussions with the Dubai Internet City (DIC) to set up a 1000 acre Smart City in Kochi is also at an advanced stage.
COCHIN PORT'S GROWTH PROJECTIONS
2004 2014
Traffic
Overall 13.6 million tons 75 million tons
Container 0.165 million TEUs 3.3 million TEUs
Productivity
Average Turn Round time 48 hours 16 hours
No. of Moves/Hour 10 moves/crane/ hour 30 moves/crane/ hour

The enthusiasm seen in Kochi for the proposed projects is tremendous. The long-awaited final clearance for ICTT came after concerted pressure put by the ruling Congress and the Opposition CPI(M) on the United Progressive Alliance government.
The trade unions have also wholeheartedly expressed willingness to have the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which would have different labour laws with restrictions on strikes etc and with the SEZ Commissioner as the arbiter. "We are ready for separate agreements at SEZ as investors have special rights herem," says K.Chandran Pillai, MP and CITU leader. The Congress-led port workers union's leader Vayalar Ravi, MP, has even said he would welcome some restrictions in the initial years as there would be no flash strikes.

However, the positive mood could also be on account of the realization that the facility-starved port's progress depended on more investments. The port after having shown a net loss in 2000 and 2001 has slowly moved out from red to register a net surplus of Rs 19. 40 crore in 2002-03 and Rs 18. 40 crore this year.

The growing enthusiasm is also reflected in the shooting up of real estate prices in Kochi. This is seen especially in the price being offered by major groups for the land recently reclaimed from sea by the state-run Goshree Development Authority which has built three new bridges connecting the islands off kochi with the mainland. "The objective for selling the reclaimed land was to recover the cost of Rs 80 crores incurred to build the bridges. Immediately after the tender to construct ICTT was finalized we received offers worth Rs 147 crores for 47 acres with prices ranging from Rs 1 crore upto Rs 5 crores per cent to the prime lands" said Haneesh, District Collector.
COCHIN PORT'S GROWTH PROJECTIONS
Particulars 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04
Operating income 180.41 183.60 187.06 200.69 203.25
Operating expenditure 147.26 153.46 155.73 147.21 143.00
Net surplus 2.71 -33.76 -35.02 19.40 18.40

That Kochi is on a roll is evident from the interest shown by many global business groups. Leading them is the auto major BMW which is planning to set up its Rs 1000 crore, first assembling unit in India in Kochi. Four teams from the German auto giant have already made visits to the state to discuss with the state government and a positive final decision is expected soon after the company's director board this month.

There are words of caution too. "Certainly the ICTT will trigger high growth. But extreme care has to be taken that the proposed terminal does not spoil the greatest asset of the state; its natural environment and pristine waters," says T .S. Reghulal, state convenor, Chamber of Indian Industry (CII). "The new terminal should be most sophisticated and modern so that Kochi's great backwaters are not environmentally spoilt by an oil slick caused by the inflow of large number of container vessels. It should not go the way of Colombo port." He has a point which may as well be factored in the mammoth plans.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to India Today.

Cochin Views by Prakash Advani

View 1

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2390.jpg

View 2

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2389.jpg

View 3

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2376.jpg

View 4

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2246.jpg

View 5

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2242.jpg

View 6

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2238.jpg

View 7

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2229.jpg

View 8

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2217.jpg

View 9

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2210.jpg

I joined two of the pics. Does it look okay Muttan/Nik and others?

http://img54.exs.cx/img54/8466/cochinstitch2co.jpg

Suncity............Great pics. Cochin is so beautiful. It might just become next great city with the way PM Manmohan Singh is personally taking care of Cochin projects.

Suncity............Great pics. Cochin is so beautiful. It might just become next great city with the way PM Manmohan Singh is personally taking care of Cochin projects.

Yes, Cochin has a great setting. Add a few more towers (20 - 30 storeys) and it will just shoot up in profile.

I joined two of the pics. Does it look okay Muttan/Nik and others?

http://img54.exs.cx/img54/8466/cochinstitch2co.jpg

It looks awesome as far i can tell.. very impressive suncity :)

http://www.cityblogger.com/gallerypics/cochin/img_2368.jpg

Is this one of the Goshree bridges?? Can anyone confirm?

It looks like. Very difficult to say. The bridge per se has nothing noticable. It looks like any other bridge, except that there are a trio of them.
Right now it s only a two lane. In 2 years, NHAI will make it 4 lane with parallel bridges in view of the massive investment coming up there.

At first I thought that was the Aroor bridge. But I can't see the railway bridge that runs parallel to it behind, or in the foreground.

Those pics of Ernakulam town bring so many memories of the boat rides from Willingdon Island to Ernakulam city to visit the childrens park there, across those same waters. I can see the pipeline to the oil tanker terminal in at least one pic.

Cochin has an extraordinarily baeutiful setting, and with further judicious development, it can easily pitchfork itself into the level of a world-renown picture postcard boomtown. Has my own hometown, I'd dearly love to see that happen.

newindpress.com

Retender fetches GIDA huge profit
Thursday February 17 2005 08:17 IST

KOCHI: The Goshree Island Development Authority (GIDA) got a surprise when tenders were opened on Wednesday for the sale of reclaimed land as the total amount for the sale of land separately had a three-fold increase.

The total amount quoted by different companies when the 51.96 acres of land is sold separately was Rs 333,26,15,323 whereas in the previous bid it was just Rs 128 crore. GIDA decided to retender the sale of land as companies had quoted very low figures.

The tender forms were purchased by 29 persons/companies. Sixteen of them were submitted with the rates quoted. This time, two companies submitted the bid for the purchase of the entire land. The highest amount of Rs 161,99,98,488 was quoted by Hotel Venus International, Thiruvananthapuram.

In the bid for selling the land separately, the highest amount was quoted by Venus International for the majority of the plots. However, in the present circumstances, the bid for selling the land separately is likely to be accepted by the GIDA council.

The name of the plot, area (in cents), quoted amount and the name of the company respectively is as follows: A - 488 - Rs 43,92,00,000 - Prestige Estates, B - 416 - Rs 38,52,15,584 - Hotel Venus, C - 1658 - Rs 58,03,00,000 - Hotel Venus, C1 - 838 - Rs 30,16,80,000 - Hotel Venus, C2 - 820 - Rs 30,34,00,000 - Hotel Venus, C3 - 491 - Rs 42,67,88,002 - K Venugopalan Nair, C4 - 585 - Rs 36,62,09,415 - Hotel Venus, C5 - 582 - Rs 53,86,82, 322 - Ansu Enterprises, D - 2634 - Rs 92,71,68,000 - Puravankara Projects, D1 - 1184 - Rs 44,99,20,000 - Hotel Venus, D2 - 1450 - Rs 65,39,50,000, D3 - 878 - Rs 35,99,80,000 - Hotel Venus, D4 - 878 - Rs 36,87,60,000 and D5 - 878 - Rs 44,77,80,000 - Hotel Venus.

The GIDA general council is expected to meet in the first week of March. Sources said the tenders are likely to be accepted at the meeting as the bidders have quoted a reasonable amount for the land. The land value increased when the bridges linking the islands off Kochi with the mainland were completed and the roads thrown open for use. It was pointed out that GIDA land will be exempted from the Kerala Land Reforms Act and will not be included in the Coastal Regulation Zone Act and Kochi Master Plan.

Basic infrastructure like a three-metre walkway, a four-lane road, communication facilities, satellite cables, water and electricity will be provided to those buying reclaimed land.


So another Marinedrive boom is all set to begin :-) GIDA has struck it rich, though they could have touched a 500 crore. Anyway the 250 crore that will remain in the kitty can be used for massive infrastructure projects.

So another Marinedrive boom is all set to begin :-) GIDA has struck it rich, though they could have touched a 500 crore. Anyway the 250 crore that will remain in the kitty can be used for massive infrastructure projects.

Yep, Great rate of return for an 84 crore investment by GIDA :eek2: This model should be repeated elsewhere in the country. If i remember correctly, kerala expressway was also planned to substantially support this way.

May be in mumbai, they can start a slum development authority to facilitate rehabilitation and development of the slums and may be the excess cash can be used for infrastructure projects... ain't that sound practical?

KOCHI: With the Cabinet on Wednesday deciding to take up the infrastructure development of three cities in Kerala, Kochi is expected to get Rs 981 crore for infrastructure development from the Central-aided Urban Renewal Project.
The fund will be utilised as soon as the works in Kochi are included in the first phase. Chief Secretary Babu Jacob, who will retire from service by the end of this month, who has been made advisor to the government on urban renewal and external aided projects had already held discussions for infrastructure development.

The State Government will get Rs 22,000 crore for various urban renewal projects in the state :eek2: .

The fund to be allotted to Kochi will be utilised for the Rs 676 crore augmentation of water supply in the city and another Rs 305 crore with the Asian Development Bank as assistance for improving transport facilities and solid waste disposal.

To coordinate the projects, an agency on the lines of the Capital City Development Agency will be set up in Kochi soon. This agency will prepare the projects to be implemented according to the city’s needs.

Drinking water project will be given high priority as several development projects such as the Vallarpadam International Transshipment Container Terminal, the LNG terminal and the Special Economic Zone are coming up.

The requirement of potable water in the city is 510 mld (million litres a day). It now gets only 110 mld and once the new project is completed the city will get an additional 280 mld of potable water.

http://newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20050223225844&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&

Man is it a race to heights!!! Here comes the tallest 24 storeyed Green Hills at Kakkanadu

Wow, Kakkanadu (the crow-country) is these days called New Cochin a la Navi-Bombay, deservingly of course.

Shifted :)

And another at Marine drive. (I dont know the name)

http://www.architecture.com.au/files/1/17/3138/3143/4856/5967/andrewa240.jpg

Cochin has some of the best midrises in all of India

And another at Marine drive. (I dont know the name)

http://www.architecture.com.au/files/1/17/3138/3143/4856/5967/andrewa240.jpg


It's called Island Castle

http://www.manuelsons.com/html/m0300frm.htm

Here is a better picture but maybe not the best angle

http://img144.exs.cx/img144/1378/ernakulammanuelsons27wd.jpg

Well, that looks ugly !! I will shift my favorite one to the prime position :)
Green Hills, Kakkanad (24 floors)
http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/Green%20Hillsimg.jpg

Well, that looks ugly !! I will shift my favorite one to the prime position :)
Green Hills, Kakkanad (24 floors)
http://www.matherprojects.com/images/site/Green%20Hillsimg.jpg

Cochin Rising!

I know! Looks tall as hell.

The new law permitting FDI in construction should mean great tidings for Cochin, with a lot of Gulf money pouring into projects. Kakkanad used to be the boondocks of Cochin not too long ago; my parents built their home there more than a decade back, and at the time people suggested it was too far away. Now its the happening place, with the superb IT road (RBDCK-1), the Cochin Special Economic Zone and multiple IT parks nearby. A lot of the construction activity will also happen in that area. There used to be a hillock and paddy fields behind our home when it was built. Now its all gone - in its place you can see one of the glass and steel IT park offices and buildings in different stages of construction.

This recent article echos Suraj

IT @ kakkanad.com
Friday February 25 2005 09:21 IST
www.newindpress.com

KOCHI: Though the literal translation of Kakkanad is crow land, it is fast becoming the e-land of Kochi. All the software firms setting foot in Kochi seem eager to go to this once remote area. The Infopark of the government, another developing one by the private sector together with the proposed Smart City are all making Kakkanad a hot destination for IT companies.

But about 10 years ago, this kind of development was unimaginable for the residents. Famous for its posh residences and far from the madding crowd, Kakkanad was an ideal place to settle down. As some old timers remember, this place was overrun with cashew trees where people rarely went.

As far as history goes, the place had a cave, where, according to legends, the Pandavas hid. But it disappeared with the onslaught of development. Now, the present seaport-airport road passes through the place where this cave once stood.

Kakkanad has one advantage over other places in Kochi. It stands above sea level, thereby remaining unaffected by the perennial problem of waterlogging. With the shifting of NGO quarters about 45 years ago, Kakkanad started showing the first signs of development. ‘‘But the real development started after the Collectorate was shifted to Kakkanad around 1980. A lot of Central Government offices opened shop in Kakkanad. These include Doordarshan, AIR, Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL),’’ says M.E.Hassainar, president of Thrikkakara Panchayat, under which Kakkanad falls.

The Kerala Press Academy was shifted to a new building at Kakkanad in 1986. Academy course director N.N.Satyavrathan says that S.Krishnakumar mooted the idea of a satellite township near Kakkanad during his tenure as Collector of Ernakulam in the 70s. This was proposed as part of the city development plan.

The Mavelipuram housing colony was the first major colony to develop at Kakkanad. Now, the Sahara Group plans to open their housing colonies in this place.

In the late 80s, the industrial chapter of Kakkanad opened with the arrival of Cochin Export Processing Zone. It is now Special Economic Zone. This industrial zone, meant for exports, is the first and only one in Kerala.

It is the availability of large acres of land that attracted Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) to Kakkanad. ‘‘In the mid-Nineties, land price was in thousands and not in lakhs and we bought about 180 acres,’’ says the managing director of the Kinfra Export Promotion Industrial Park.

Now, the government-initiated Infopark near Kinfra park has the prize catch of Wipro apart from other leading IT companies.

This infrastructure development naturally triggered a real estate boom in Kakkanad two or three years ago. Also, the construction of a bridge across Chitrapuzha river connecting Kakkanad to Irumpanam was a major development as far as connectivity goes. It paved the way for the Seaport-Airport Road.

The price of land, particularly near the road, has risen to a couple of lakhs per cent now. There is also allegation of artificial jacking up of land prices. Now the residents fear that with the current infrastructure facilities like power and water supply will be sufficient enough to meet the rapid development in future.

The proximity to Veegaland, arguably the best amusement park in this part of India, has enhanced the visibility of Kakkanad. Veegaland, about 5 km away, falls in the neighbouring Pallikkara panchayat. Hordes of visitors to Veegaland pass through Kakkanad. The place also has a filmi connection with the nearby Navodaya studio of Appachan.

Whether the Dubai Internet City’s proposed Rs 1,500 crore Smart City project, the self-sufficient IT campus, which has already drawn protests from certain quarters for lack of transparency, will take Kakkanad to greater heights remains to be seen.

Nothing new. They have made it official now.


TCS to start software centre in Kochi
By Indo-Asian News Service

ADVERTISEMENT

Thiruvananthapuram, March 3 (IANS) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expanding its operations in Kerala by opening a development centre worth Rs.200 million (over $4 million) in Kochi.

"The centre would be fully functional from April and would have 600 software professionals in the coming months," Nagaraj Ijari, head of the delivery centre, TCS, told reporters here Thursday.

"The centre would be a base for software development and IT services to meet the requirements of domestic and overseas customers," Ijari said.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was present during the announcement.

TCS already has a training centre at the Technopark campus here, which trains about 7,000 software professionals every year.

"This is just the first phase of our plans in Kerala. We would be buying 50 acres in Kochi and developing it," Ijari later told IANS.

Swapnil Archade, MarineDrive. Shud-a-been taller.

http://www.pioneerinfrastructures.com/photos/enclv.jpg

Riviera Suites

http://img66.exs.cx/img66/2431/rivierasuites22iu.jpg

Skyline Oakwood

http://img66.exs.cx/img66/5797/oakwood2vg.jpg

Alza

http://www.renovocoatings.com/images/Clientele/builder1a.gif

**

KGA to build 5-star hotel in Kochi [7 March 2005]
By Poonam Singh

KGA Constructions, Chennai, plans to construct a 5-star deluxe hotel and a 2,500-seater convention centre on five acres of land along the NH bypass at Kochi. KGA will approach various international groups of hotels to seek management tie-ups. The cost of the project is around Rs 100 crore, out of which 70 per cent will be the company's contribution and the balance will come from financial institutions.
Work on the project will start by August 2005 and is likely to be completed by the end of 2007. Tenders will be floated shortly. The feasibility report of this project is being prepared after which KGA will decide its future projects, which could either be a 3-star deluxe hotel or a shopping mall at Ernakulam.
The 5-star deluxe hotel project is KGA Constructions' first commercial venture in India.

Le Meredien, Kochi

http://www.lemeridien.com/owshare/lemeridien/worldwide/pictures/i/in1637-1.jpg

http://www.lemeridien.com/owshare/lemeridien/worldwide/pictures/i/in1637-2.jpg

http://img147.exs.cx/img147/1315/174888149mjhdwgph9ma.jpg

http://img61.exs.cx/img61/3189/lemerdien1rz.jpg


Taj Hotel
http://img147.exs.cx/img147/2598/tajhotel4nj.jpg

Skyline Zircon

http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1111387239211.jpg

Periyar Paradise (16 floors)
http://img146.echo.cx/img146/7422/periyarparadise3ja.jpg

some decent 12 storeys

Sunny Estate
http://www.sunnybuilders.org/projects/images/completed/zoom/estate.jpg

National Residency, Edappally
http://www.sunnybuilders.org/projects/images/completed/zoom/nat_res.jpg

Sunny Palace, Edappally
http://www.sunnybuilders.org/projects/images/ongoing/palace.jpg

Nik, those look good.

Here's Skyline Pinewood..

http://img228.echo.cx/img228/7264/skylinewoodtowerkochi37uj.jpg

India's first indigenous mega aircraft carrier being constructed at Cochin Shipyard(CSL)

Photo shows INS Virat at CSL
http://img158.echo.cx/img158/1475/insviraat4cv.jpg

(Ack:Ranjit Vijayan's gallery)

Jewish Synagogue, there are only couple of dozens of Jews left in Cochin, a big contingent migrated to Israel.

http://img158.echo.cx/img158/4251/jewishsynagogue8by.jpg

(Ack:Ranjit Vijayan's gallery)

Another 12 storey DD Bhawanam
http://www.desaihomes.com/images/panmpilly_01.jpghttp://www.desaihomes.com/images/panmpilly_02.jpg
http://www.desaihomes.com/images/panmpilly_03.jpghttp://www.desaihomes.com/images/panmpilly_04.jpg

Cochin coast

http://img162.echo.cx/img162/2265/cohin3tu.jpg


http://img218.echo.cx/img218/4661/cochin2xy.jpg


http://img31.echo.cx/img31/4100/f4738b881sz.jpg

Cochin waterfront

http://img242.echo.cx/img242/6719/fc5f3da1jpgorig8jw.jpg


http://img243.echo.cx/img243/7228/fc5f3dfajpgorig0qs.jpg


http://img256.echo.cx/img256/8192/fc5f3e09jpgorig7ra.jpg

Cloud Nine, 15 storeys

http://www.abadbuilders.com/admin/uploadedimages/628.jpg

Swapnil Apartments
Gandhi Nagar, Kadavanthara Kaloor Road,
Cochin, India

15 floors

http://www.pioneerinfrastructures.com/photos/swapnil_app-small.jpg

Eight Laned Cochin Water Highway
http://www.ndeepak.info/gallery/kerala0404/pic12.jpg

wow...is this man made or natural one

wow...is this man made or natural one

The humor was lost ? This a scenic pic, even nostalgic as it looks old, of Alappuzha, 60 km south of Cochin.

http://img77.echo.cx/img77/3061/fc5f413bjpgorig9jp.jpg


http://img170.echo.cx/img170/8829/fc5f4158jpgorig6si.jpg

http://img245.echo.cx/img245/9586/fc5f506ejpgorig7pa.jpg


http://img250.echo.cx/img250/6933/fc5f53a8jpgorig4ta.jpg

Streak

If you had aimed your camera right to the opposite side of Park Inn Hotel, you would have got a snap of Tech Towers the 23 floor tech building. Or are these 2 year old photos, as the date shows ? Let me try to get a snap next time I go home.

OMG Luckystreak.. that picture from the bridge is so beautiful!

NIk - we are looking forward to your snaps of Cochin.

The Cochin Stock Exchange

http://img254.echo.cx/img254/5075/cochinstockexchange7pb.jpg


http://img243.echo.cx/img243/3065/fc5f48e6jpgorig0uk.jpg


http://img105.echo.cx/img105/9866/fc5f49aajpgorig7rx.jpg


http://img251.echo.cx/img251/9161/fc5f5099jpgorig2it.jpg

Dues to mall-boom - THE METRO ONE , Kaloor

http://www.pvstradecentre.com/customimages/PHIMGNET10_PVS.jpg

http://img123.echo.cx/img123/4310/riviera0ts.jpg


http://img98.echo.cx/img98/9643/fc5f528ejpgorig1xl.jpg

Streak

Which is the place in the last shot ? Misty Backdrop looks awesome! Or is it false promise ?

CUSAT may get IIT status
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20050503223156&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&

Streak

Which is the place in the last shot ? Misty Backdrop looks awesome! Or is it false promise ?



May be u get an idea from these pictures shot from the same place..



http://img169.echo.cx/img169/878/fc5f52a6jpgorig1un.jpg


http://img203.echo.cx/img203/5930/fc5f5277jpgorig1pm.jpg

Streak

Which is the place in the last shot ? Misty Backdrop looks awesome! Or is it false promise ?


It's probably the Riviera Suites area.

http://www.calicutnet.com/travel/Photo%20Gallery/cochin/embedded/cochin%20queen%20of%20arabian%20sea.jpg

Fort Cochin Hotels
http://www.calicutnet.com/travel/Photo%20Gallery/cochin/embedded/fort%20cochin%20hotels%20from%20ferry.jpg
http://www.calicutnet.com/travel/Photo%20Gallery/cochin/embedded/hotel%20brunton%20boat%20yard.jpg

Another grand view of Cochin Waterfront
http://www.calicutnet.com/travel/Photo%20Gallery/cochin/embedded/view.jpg

All these pictures of Cochin make me upset I couldn't find more time when I was there last winter :( Cochin is extremely photogenic, especially the bayfront on the Ernakulam and Cochin sides, with the Bolghatty, Vallarpadam and Vypeen islands, the commercial harbour, the naval base, the oil tanker terminal and Cochin Shipyard at various parts of the shores. Then there is the beautiful Fort Cochin. Ah it brings back memories of the numerous boat rides from home in Willingdon Island to Ernakulam to play in the children's traffic park as a kid :)

Streak,

Now I get it. It is the Kundanoor bridge linking Wellingdon Island and Thevara.

Thanks Streak, I will try to get a few snaps of the same from another angle.

http://img43.echo.cx/img43/2559/fc5f523cjpgorig7ka.jpg



http://img115.echo.cx/img115/916/fc5f5400jpgorig0rn.jpg

http://img159.echo.cx/img159/8002/f4b1d3972zf.jpg

Here is a nice pic, this 15 storey is named "white-waters"

http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2003/08/208418.jpg

http://img159.echo.cx/img159/8002/f4b1d3972zf.jpg

Good Lord, Streak, great one !!! :cheers:

http://img250.echo.cx/img250/9771/fa0fbb42jpgorig9tt.jpg




http://img87.echo.cx/img87/4474/fa0fbb95jpgorig7df.jpg

Couple of highrises

Natinal Excellency - 20 storeys
http://www.sunnybuilders.org/projects/images/ongoing/presita/exel.jpg


BCG Hibiscus - 15 floors
http://www.bcgbuilders.com/content/files/images/Projects/hibiscus_view.jpg

http://************/5aieco
http://************/5aizps
Caption: A view of the High Rise buildings in Kochi. Photo: K.K. Mustafah May 18, 2005
Photo: H. Vibhu May 19, 2005

Cochin Port area


http://img272.echo.cx/img272/2103/fa0fbc7fjpgorig6be.jpg




http://img261.echo.cx/img261/1198/fa0fbc8fjpgorig9ff.jpg




http://img285.echo.cx/img285/7128/fa0fbc9bjpgorig7ak.jpg




http://img266.echo.cx/img266/9232/fa0fbc39jpgorig2vo.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3264/img22422lu.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3904/img22472hf.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5913/img22105mz.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3365/img22433tg.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9179/img22176fb.jpg

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/9206/img22444ch.jpg

http://************/6o2y6w.jpg

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/1636/img22469bp.jpg

http://************/6o2xjc.jpg

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/6707/img22484ws.jpg

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/4924/img22322yg.jp

http://************/6o2wiu.jpg

Really beautiful shots! Many many thanks to Prakash Advani. :)

Really beautiful shots! Many many thanks to Prakash Advani. :)

Yes. he is a great photographer. We need more passionate people like him. :)

Sea Front

http://img279.echo.cx/img279/1671/144378203chxqrmph3nk.jpg




http://img281.echo.cx/img281/6027/144373440srhareph2ai.jpg




http://img124.echo.cx/img124/1601/144373475qwnzsoph1ru.jpg




http://img110.echo.cx/img110/1513/219299783mdfjzffs5mt.jpg



http://img263.echo.cx/img263/8979/219299842tympuwfs5zt.jpg

Long since I posted last. Again I'm yet to keep my word on pics.
For now... these 15 storeys look good.

http://www.trinitybuild.com/images/cres.jpg


http://www.trinitybuild.com/images/cast.jpg

nik..................very nice. little bit of glass would have dong wonders. I prefer some glass whenever building goes over 10 stories. It just adds more sleakness to it.

Two Images of Le Meridian, Cochin
http://www.lemeridien.com/owshare/lemeridien/worldwide/pictures/i/in1637-1.jpg

http://www.lemeridien.com/owshare/lemeridien/worldwide/pictures/i/in1637-2.jpg

KG Oxford, off MG road.

http://www.kgbuilders.com/images/Pastprojects/kgoxford_main.jpg

This is the biggest IT structure of Kerala and probably one of the biggests of the country.


Leela group to invest 80 crores in Info Park
- Our Correspondent


Leela group, well known in the hotel and textile sectors are planning to invest 80 crores in Kochi's Info Park for infra structure development. The group is offering 700,000 sq. ft working space for IT companies. Of this 131000 sq ft is expected to be given to US based Outsource Partners International. OPI president Kishore Mirchandani has stated that he was prompted by Leela group executive director Venu Krishnan to invest there. This project will generate some 2000 jobs. Space has been built in Mumbai and Bangalore for IT companies. Similar projects are planned in Pune also.

But Nik, one doubt, see today's (10th July) The Hindu, Kerala : Economy/Business Page(Page 15).

Mr. Girish Babu, Chief Operating Officer, Infopark says," Infopark persuaded the Leela Group to convert the space allotted it for a garments unit in to IT space. The group will develop a 1.2 lakh sft building and the space had been signed up by OPI Global, a U.S based company for a 145 seater BPO centre, Mr. Gireesh Babu said".

So now the COO of Infopark says it is 1.2 lakh sft instead of 7 lakh sft. I also wonder why the initial proposal was for a 'Garment unit'!

So anyway the biggest 'stand alone' building would be the 'Thejaswini', in 11 floors with 6 lakh sft at Technopark, Trivandrum. (which is in a 'concrete pourring' stage). The contract has been awarded to M/s RDS constructions and the period is 15 months.

Technopark (Trivandrum), which is a 15 lakh sft at present with the ongoing works of 10 lakh sft (Thejaswini + TCS global training centre, will be a 25 lakh sft facility next year. If we take in to account the Infosys, US software (land development work has already started), TCS development centre and IBS, it would be around 40-45 lakh sft by 2007 itself!! With an employment of over 30000 professionals.

One correction, OPI is going to have a 1450 seater BPO unit.

But SudeeshNair,
it is clearly stated in every report (including the one I quoted from manoramaonline) that 1.3 lakh sqft out of 7 lakh sqft being developed is being leased out to OPI. You dont expect CEO to state known facts anytime and everytime. Check out the following for a different report:

http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=13871725

"Garment unit" does not usually come up in Tech Park, right ? It was ill-reported clearly.

Correct report states : Leela Scottish Lace which was hitherto a garment export group have oflate stepped into realty development in Pune, Mumbai and Cochin.

biggest 'stand alone' building would be the 'Thejaswini', in 11 floors with 6 lakh sft at Technopark,

According to my "earthy" primary school arithmetic 700,000 > 600,000. It donno whether it is the same in other parts of the world :)

OPI is going to have a 145 seater BPO unit.

I'm not talking of their present strength. Nobody needs 1.3 lak sqft for 145 people, I guess. You may check out the facts from the horse' mouth at link below that this will be their biggest center in India

http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/jun/14bpo1.htm

Moreover, TCS's biggest development centre is coming up at Infopark in 50 acres with 10,000 people. (one report below)

http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/10/stories/2005071014710300.htm

This also states that there are 41 cos in Infopark, in just one and a half years, 13 of them are forced to function from temporary premises outside park due to lack of space !!

A surprising but emphatic statement of Infopark's business potential as well as the govt of Kerala's neglect towards funding anything outside state capital even though tax-receipts from capital is less than 10% of total revenue. Bangalore, Chennai, Hyd contribute significant amount to their states' tax kitty and earn their funding. In contrast, Kerala's commercial tax revenue, over 55% of which is generated from Kochi which receives NOTHING in return.




Moreover, 90% IT space in Kochi get developed thru private investment unlike done elsewhere thru' govt funding, tender-floating.

DIC's Smart City alone at the stage of MoU, has 20 million sqft (ie, 200 lakh sqft) area for Technology alone, apart from other amenities like healthcare and hospitality. This is already the buzz for the future !!


Other parks are being developed by L&T, Leela Scottish( both in Infopark), Galfar, Salarpuria have no govt support at all.

Yaar, NIK, I was talking about the projects that was currently undertaken and not merely porposals.

I had quoted the latest news. I also believe that the CEO shall always 'quote the correct figures everywhere'. I have also asked the same question, why a garment unit in an IT set up? The CEO has said that, and I would believe a CEO rather than any other old reports or any other guy.

My primary arithmetic says that 600000>120000. I would like to go by the word's of the CEO here also.

Also 145 was typographical error, I had corrected it as 1450 in the next post.

Everybody in Kerala is aware about the DIC fiasco. So we can discuss about it once it reaches somewhere.

My primary arithmetic says that 600000>120000. I would like to go by the word's of the CEO here also.

If that comforts you, please delude yourself. But there are other people in the forum who could also read and write. They can check out the different links You and I have mentioned and find out the facts
:)

Everybody in Kerala is aware about the DIC fiasco.

Usually politics is not discussed in these forums. I myself know of over 15,000 software professionals who signed a online-petition in favor of DIC project. But I stick to this forum rules and post interesting things than eating the brains of the rest of this forum participants. :cheers:

Another teen storey, Skyline Melrose, Palarivattom.
http://www.skylinebuilders.com/images/project/1115294497621.jpg

Hi guys,
Nik and Sudheesh, u guys have an interesting debate going here , I see. Here is my $0.02 to it:

* The Leela building, whatever it is/was intended for, does not sound like a single structure since the claim is that it will be completed in phases. It would most probably be a cluster of buildings like ITPL, Bangalore.

* The fate of the Smart City project looks very uncertain in light of the recent revelations of the alarming demands that they are making, unheard of in the annals of FDI anywhere.

* If one examines the publicly available info about the Smart City Project, there are lots of contradictions which become apparent. We will just look at one, since we are on the subject of square footage. Smart City claims to invest Rs 1500 crores and set up "20 million square feet" of built-up space. This is totally unrealistic. As a benchmark, Infosys is spending Rs 1250 crores to build 3-4 million square feet for its 24,000 seater mega Delivery Centre in Chennai (at the Mahindra World City). So I would say short of a Fairy Godmother helping out, there is no chance of 20 million sq.ft. materialising in a budget like that. Politics apart, I am sure quite a lot of the people who signed that petition u were referring to Nik, must now be regretting it. :bash:

* By the same calculation of Sq. Feet per person, the 10-12,000 seater DC of Infosys in Trivandrum will have upwards of 2 million square feet of built up space with about 600,000+ sq.ft. in the first of three phases (due by mid-2006)! Wow, now that should be quite something. :)

* Nik, u r right in that TCS has indeed asked for space at Infopark, but now that's in the doldrums due to this Smart City business. TCS is already in possession of 45 acres at Technopark. The construction of the 350,000 sq.ft.
Global Training Centre is about 40% complete. It is called "Peepul Park" and will be finished by end-2005. Construction will then start on the adjacent Delivery Centre due to be completed by end-2006.

Await more pix in the next two weeks - Infosys site, TCS site and building work, Thejaswini site as well as updates of TRDP project :) Tk care and have fun. Keep posting.

Regards,
Ajay

Hi Ajaypp,

** It is interesting that Smart City alarms you, but understandable . The proposal of 20 million sqft had comeout in newspapers. There has been discussions on dedicated power supply to such a mammoth cluster of structures.

The amount infused to Smart City is at least 1500 crores but not limited to that. All the news reports had mentioned that it will cross 2000 crore. Moreover, comparison with Infosys building is sheer flaw as setting up a dev. center involves not just the cost of building.
If 700,000 sqft can be built at 80 crore my good old primary school arithmetic teaches me that it costs 2280 crore to build 20 million sqft.

There are many who are nursing their dreams of scuttling DIC project. But all the same the MoU is set to be signed and final agreement in prepapartion. Not even opposition leaders bray about this nowadays. CM has put his foot down clearly and it will come irrespective of some people fearing their "titles" threatened.

I am sure quite a lot of the people who signed that petition u were referring to Nik, must now be regretting it

In that case they could have very well posted their "regret" on the same online site, which I don't see happening.
I guess neither of us would be wise to build conjectures on a third person's thought process. :)

** Regarding the nature of Leela IT building your posts sounds realistic at least. I have only quoted newspaper reports the veracity of which you and me can independently check. They only say Leela Scottish building u/c is 700,000 sqft.


TCS has indeed asked for space at Infopark, but now that's in the doldrums

Here you shed that realism and take to delusions. There is a clear statement from DIC that it will stand by all commitments already made by Infopark. 50 acre for TCS is being acquired and this had been stated by Chief Minister himself.

Moreover, I prefer to stick to the forum tradition, than posting unverified
figments of imagination and drawing some delusive comfort from it. (Eating the brains of the poor forumites, all the same) :cheers:

Gail lines up 7000 crore gas-cracker facility at Kochi.

Adding to the Kochi's whopping 20,000 crore worth bag of assured investment in Port, LNG terminal, Airport, IT & Biotech parks, zooming real estate investments and Metro Rail, now Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) has declared intention to set up its gas cracker unit in Kochi

An integrated grassroots petrochemical plant is being planned at Kochi with a capacity of 7,00,000 tpa at an investment of Rs 7,000 crore. This ethane-propane (C2-C3) based petrochemical complex will produce 600,000 tpa of ethylene and 100,000 tpa of propylene.

The feedstock for this plant, will be imported LNG, which will be re-gassified at the terminal of Petronet LNG Ltd at Kochi.

Hi Nik,
I am afraid that dellusions of grandeur seem to haunt you as far as the proposed Smart City project is concerned. Firstly the proposed investment is 1500 crores and no more, since it is the 9% of this 1500 crore ( Rs 135 crores) which will be transferred to GoK in return for InfoPark. Secondly, 20 million square feet of built up space will cost much more than your conservative estimate of 2280 crores, simply because the promoter, DIC or whoever, will also have to pay for ancilliary infrastructure as well. The very idea of a monolithic cluster of 20 million square feet of built-up space itself is commercially unviable, since nothing short of a monopoly can ensure anything like full occupancy. This is precisely what DIC has asked for in its "wish list" recently published in The Hindu. I am sure most of us would have read the list of demands in that list. If control over surrounding areas, IT monopoly over the entire district and immunity from local laws, taxes and pollution norms is not alarming enough, I dunno what is.

As for the CM having "put his foot down", well the incumbent can stomp and stamp till Kingdom Come and nuthin's gonna happen, since it's plain as day that the ruling coalition will be obliterated in the next elections and the opposition will be calling the shots thereafter. I am sure whoever is behind the DIC eill also recognize that inevitable fact.So lets' definitely not count the chickens before they hatch!!!

Anyways, Nik I am sure , like many of us, you wud have read that DIC has asked that full control of IT related activities be given to it. IT majors like TCS and Wipro will be wary of such proposals. Maybe that's why TCS which was supposed to have had 600 people at Infopark by April, only has a handful moved in till date. And this I know for sure, since a classmate of mine was supposed to have moved in as a module lead a few months ago, and this fact has been reconfirmed by the Infopark CEO, who said the building where TCS was supposed to have 650 people, now has a grand total of 62 (sixty-two) occupants. You can check Infopark records, available with KSIDC - no land has been acquired for TCS as of date.

So, let's hope that Kerala is not taken for a mass hoodwink by some enterprising characters from Dubai. Anyways, let's get back to buildings and not politics, this forum is meant for the former anyways. Would someone care to post Infopark and the u/c Leela building? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Ajay

Hi Ajaypp,

The pros and cons discussed at breadth in Hindu does not conclude with a declaration of malafide intentions on part of DIC. It just discussed it. As you have admitted there are people like you who get alarmed by DIC proposal. Such Freudian slips are understood as part of the life.

A final agreement signed by GoK is not alterable owing to flips and flops of coalition politics. A good example is the first BOT project Mattanchery bridge. This "agreement" signed during previous govt, which devolved fleecing rights to Gamon India could not and can never be abrogated by any govt. nor by courts. If there are people dreaming a savior in the form of "next govt" to restore their fallen "titles", they will only keep waiting ad infinitum.

Regarding the TCS strength in the incomplete Vismaya building there is a statement by CEO in the following.
http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/10/stories/2005071014710300.htm

I can give you a reference , name and designation of a TCS employee who just moved in from Hyd. You can enquire in person how much of your own "hopes" are closer to truth.

IT majors like TCS and Wipro will be wary of such proposals

So far you are the only informed person I found who could talk about such "wariness".

Moreover, I like the least to engage in speculation because...

Hi Nik,
Don't wanna discuss what may come to pass, in a forum like this but a couple of points to set the record straight:

* All the demands I mentioned from DIC are part of the preliminary document which was signed by GoK. The Hindu has a copy and I spoke personally to the senior reporter concerned.

* Large IT firms like Infy, TCS, IBM, MS etc are now switching from leased space to owned space. So they will definitely be wary of a monopolistic landlord like the DIC. This is not "my" wisdom, it is the industry policy these days. Even TCS which exclusively used leased space has now started to switch to owned space. Their 48 acre campus in Technopark is an example.

* Please read the Hindu report carefully. To quote Mr. Girishbabu, CEO Infopark - "At present, there are 1,100 employees at the Thapasya complex while there are 60 in the Vismaya complex. Put together, these two complexes can accommodate about 3,500 employees....... At present TCS has 650 employees in the Vismaya complex." In english this is called "contradiction" or maybe "creative presentation of facts". Nik, you are right - there are a few TCS people here but just a few. This figure of 650 was quoted a few times, but I am afraid 65 is closer to the truth!!!...maybe a Freudian slip??

* About GOs being sacrosanct, let's not compare a stand alone project like a bridge to a supposed IT township like Smart City. The latter is heavily dependent on GoK policy over and above the MoU. So I am sure the promoters will be rather careful in evaluating the political landscape in Kerala - especially when their demands include an IT monopoly in Kochi, control over development in adjacent areas, exclusion for tax and environment regulation and so on. With all sorts of interesting tactics like Public Interest Litigations floating around, such demands will not be met for long, if at all!!

* To further add to the fallacy of the claims made by DIC about job creation.(The basis for which, if any, has never been made public) DIC claims to create 3000 jobs in 4-5 years, 10,000 in 7 years and 33,000 in 10 years) Technopark will create close to 20,000 in the next 3-4 years as part of ongoing expansion projects. Still, the CM and his retinue claim that only DIC can create "development" in Kerala. How true......!

Hope this answers all your doubts. Looking forward to the pics of Infopark and the Leela building. Tk care, bye for now.

Regards,
Ajay

Hi Nik,

* All the demands I mentioned from DIC are part of the preliminary document which was signed by GoK. The Hindu has a copy and I spoke personally to the senior reporter concerned.



So ??

Have you got anything exclusive to your sneak which mortal beings like me did not read from The Hindu ? For every anti-DIC article published in Hindu , I find 2 articles in favor
in Hindu itself and elsewhere. None seem to be wiser than the other.

By the way, just out of curio, who is that "senior reporter" ? I know Gouridasan Nair.


* present, there are 1,100 employees at the Thapasya complex while there are 60 in the Vismaya complex. Put together, these two complexes can accommodate about 3,500 employees....... At present TCS has 650 employees in the Vismaya complex." In english this is called "contradiction" or maybe "creative presentation of facts". Nik, you are right - there are a few TCS people here but just a few. This figure of 650 was quoted a few times, but I am afraid 65 is closer to the truth!!!...maybe a Freudian slip??



Indeed. Out of two figures 60 and 650 you assumed that former is correct.

Moreover the Vismaya complex has been completely leased out even before completion forcing 13 companies of Infopark's 41 to function outside the park. TCS is the biggest tenant of Vismaya working from 3 out of 8 floors. Nobody leases 75,000 sqft for just 60 people. And the figures in the links below comes close to latter than your fanciful hopes.


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1040319.cms

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/03/04/stories/2005030400821700.htm


* About GOs being sacrosanct, let's not compare a stand alone project like a bridge to a supposed IT township like Smart City. So I am sure the promoters will be rather careful in evaluating the political landscape in Kerala - especially when their demands include an IT monopoly in Kochi, control over development in adjacent areas, exclusion for tax and environment regulation and so on. With all sorts of interesting tactics like Public Interest Litigations floating around, such demands will not be met for long, if at all!!


It's not the comparison that stands, but the legality. No PIL could break Mattanchery conundrum. Not just there, even Enron's fleecing deal at Dhabol (mind you, a much larger project) could get legal protection. Any questions over this can be directly addressed with the help of a lawyer (by Jove! ). But I certainly don't bank on your posts after realising thru' couple of your past posts that you are very keen on the development of IT in Kochi :)

Moreover, this deal hardly concerns common man on the road, to prod him to go to court. Only some alarmed rats who are set to lose their "titles" will jitter in their shoes.


* To further add to the fallacy of the claims made by DIC about job creation.(The basis for which, if any, has never been made public) DIC claims to create 3000 jobs in 4-5 years, 10,000 in 7 years and 33,000 in 10 years) Technopark will create close to 20,000 in the next 3-4 years as part of ongoing expansion projects.



Infopark's ongoing commitments are not part of the "DIC count". Already expansions of Wipro(6000), ACS(3000), TCS(10000), OPI(2000), IBS etc. are set to bring close to 25000 jobs to Infopark. The count of 33000 does not include this but will only add to this. Most importantly, this brings the likes of Seimens, Sony, IBM, MicroSoft etc to this land .

chek..

Hi Nik,
Looks like there is no unseating you from towers of ivory, lol! Nyways, I didn't have any "sneak peek" into previlieged info. I read the articles that you did, but also understood the points made rather than approach with a set mindset. I agree that the supportive propoganda has been more voluble, but I hope you have noticed that neither GoK nor DIC has been able to rebutt any of the so-called "baseless allegations". In a country where freedom of information exists, no white-paper has been brought out by the Govt: despite repeated promised on that count.
Lol, I guess you chose to disbelieve the Infopark CEO now that he has let the cat out of the bag. Booking 3 floors doesn't mean they are fully staffed does it?
As to DIC bringing in MS, Siemens and IBM - if you are basing your claim on the CM's claim that all of these firms are "thronging" DIC, please be informed that only the sales offices and call-centres of the large co.s work out of DIC. This can be easily verified by looking at the Directory of Resident Firms available on the DIC site itself. MS for example, limits its number of offices and has affirmed that it doesn't plan to set up shop anywhere else than Hyderabad in India, anytime in the near future.
Additionally, looking at ur claim that TCS and Wipro planned to ramp up in Infopark. If like you said, they were going to do that anyway and bring 20,000 jobs in the next 4-5years, what is the need for the whole DIC deal? Why have a middleman who can't add any real value??!! In fact, all it does is to divert revenue from the GoK.
Let's draw a line under this debate here and go back to buildings and stuff. If you wanna go on and on about developments which are still on paper or less, then I am game. Maybe at another forum. Take care. Ciao.

Ajay

Maybe at another forum

A thought which came to me much earlier. Find your reply at this link

http://www.malayalavedhi.com/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=3613&boardid=8&styleid=2&sid=7e1ddae155eab63842b7067d35137d61&page=1#1

Apologies to other participants of this forum Let me continue with my posts.

Oops it came twice..

Rs. 1 billion Sqft 400,000 Aerens GoldSouk u/c at Vyttila, Kochi
http://images.fotopic.net/yabarn.jpg

What was meant to serve as Kochi-byepass has now become the main artery as the city thrust outwards. 12-15 such megamalls are known to dot the 15 km stretch from Kundanoor to Kalamassery in next 1-2 years.

Couple o images - from Mather builders new 15 floors project at Panampilly Nagar

http://www.sereneorchard.com/images/index.jpg

http://www.sereneorchard.com/images/header.jpg

Stupid promos on the right :bash:
:)

Medical Trust Hospital (MTH) standing tall (16 floors) among the elite four hospitals in India, which does Heart Transplantations. It is one of the three top referral hospitals of South India

http://www.flonnet.com/fl1921/images/20021025001507401.jpg


Despite there not being a single govt funded Medical colleges, Kochi rose to the lead after liberalization with 4 medical colleges and 2 more under construction.(One of the 2 new ones is by MTH). Kochi has now world class med facilities attracting people from world over.

LakeShore Hospital has the best Gastro-entrology speciality in South India. More interesting, there is a helipad ( one can see it in this pic) along with landing gadgets, enabling it to receive many a invalid sailors from even high sea rescued by Southern Naval Command, Kochi :cheers:

http://www.lakeshorehospital.com/PHOTOS/Lakeshore.jpg

Vismaya building of 225,000 sqft at Infopark undergoing interior works has been fully leased out tojust 5 cos, including TCS, Wipro and ACS.

Two more such "intelligent buildings" of 2.5 lakh sqft and 7 lakh sqft are u/c in Infopark by L&T and Leela Scottish.

Two others of 2.6 lakh sqft and 1.4 lakh sqft are undergoing interior works at Kakkanad and Kaloor, developed by Muthoot group -Jurong IT Parks tie up.


http://www.hindu.com/pp/2005/07/23/images/2005072300530101.jpg

Here is the latest from The Hindu on Kochi Metro.
The figures quoted are not accurate. The route length is said to be 29 km in reality and the cost Rs. 2200 crore.

DPR submitted for Kochi Metro

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) has submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Kochi Metro Railway project.

The proposed Kochi project starts from Aluva and ends at Pettah, Thripunithura, covering a distance of 25 km. The Kochi project would cost Rs. 1,970 crore and can be completed within four years of starting the construction, according to the DPR.

The report has also included a schedule for the implementation of the project and if implemented on time, the metro railway can start operating from 2010.

The route, according to the DPR, will be Kalamassery, Edapally, Palarivattom, Madhava Pharmacy, South Railway station, Sahodaran Ayyappan road, Vyttila and ends at Pettah. The Kochi project will have 24 sky stations and there would be a station at every kilometre. The Kochi system will be completely on elevated rail.

The report was submitted to the Transport Secretary of the State Government on Tuesday.

The detailed designs and plans for every station have been incorporated in the report.

DMRC has included several proposals for raising the funds for the project and it is up to the State Government to opt the most suited one.

The options of forming a consortium and setting up the project on Build Operate and Transfer mode has also been discussed in the report.

A special purpose vehicle needs to be formed for the implementation of the project, said a senior Corporation official.

As Central funds would be available for the project, the State Government need to approach the Union Government for financial support, he said.

Passenger fare

The minimum fare fixed for the Delhi metro is Rs. 6 per 4.5 kilometre.

On travelling further, the passenger will have to pay as less as 80 paise for every kilometre, DMRC official said.

The Corporation expects the State Government to invite it for a detailed presentation and it is likely to be held in Kochi.

The DMRC officials are likely to reach the State for a detailed discussion during the first week of August.

will u plz tell me which are the four medical colleges?......also tell me the names of the newly built ones.....

will u plz tell me which are the four medical colleges?

Hope you are asking me.

The 4 medical colleges functioning with MCI recognition are Coop Med College, Kalamassery, Amrita Institute, Edappally, Medical Mission College, Kolenchery and
UIMS at Vyttila. The last one offers an international degree though teaching is fully done in Kochi with in-house-training at Bombay.

The new ones being built are SNIMS near Nedumbassery ( Specialists' Hospital ) and Medical Trust's college ( I am not able to name the location right now, but will get back to u when I remember)

A nice pic of probably the only Jewish Synagogue in India at West-Kochi.

http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/upload/img_400/H5138.jpg

Though hundreds of Jews have left Kochi shores after formation of Israel, Cochin is the oldest and only cosmopolitan city of Kerala drawing its fans from all parts of the globe from time immemorial. Even today there are thousands of Gujarati's. They along with Konkani's controls lion's share of Kochi's trade (hence Kerala's too). There was even a Mayor from Konkani community which is strong enough to alter power
equations. :)

Here is an interesting link on Kochi's Jewish traditions.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005051500300400.htm&date=2005/05/15/&prd=mag&

Through 2 millenia, from the times of King Solomon, Kochi was the destination and continues to be the second biggest destination on the WestCoast after Bombay.
An industrial and infrastructure investments worth Rs. 27,000 crore is flowing into Kochi, blissfully, not a single pie by Govt of Kerala. :cheers:

Have I heard of goose that lays golden eggs

Historically Enterpreneurship chugged Kochi along. (unlike some other cities who run on govt dolled out "development programs" at the cost of tax-payers). Gujarati's in 1000s, Jain community particularly, where one of the major engines of this growth. Here is a Jain thirath at West Kochi, a holy pilgrim place for Jains in India

http://www.hindu.com/lf/2004/11/25/images/2004112500550201.jpg

Gurdwara at Thevara, Kochi . Like the previous ones this too is the only one in Kerala.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/06/03/images/2002060300240101.jpg

Jews and many other communities where present in Cochin (or nearby Muziris) for close to two millenia. Have a look at latest issue of National Geographic to see how Kochi enticed the pioneers of trade over centuries.

This is the land for which the Portugese and the Dutch and the British fought battles to control. Naturally, till today Kochi continues to engine Kerala's otherwise dormant economy.

Even as Govt of Kerala funds not a single major project for this most sought after destination, private capital flows in to bring much more and fill govt coffers so that "development programs" goes unhindered elsewhere. :|

nik, how can you say that the Kerala govt has not spent any money in Kochi? What about Infopark? Is that not promoted by the govt? And what about all the industrial parks of KINFRA?

Lol, Chuck, I guess you forgot that the setting up of Cochin Port Trust - the reason behind Kochi's prosperity - , Fertilisers And Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT) and Cochin International Airport Ltd. are also investments by GoK :| Anyways, nice to note that lots of investments seem to be coming into Kerala these days....

hi nik,
thanks for ur reply...but i want to ask u one question... i think u r the same person who put that e-mail message in CM's web page in which u called trivandrum as a 'black hole'....if u r the one then read the rest!!!!
You have to understand onething...Trivandrum is ur capital too..and not just the capital of people of trivandrum...it is the capital of all keralites...development of capital should be considered as a vital thing...atleast we have to some how remove the madrassi label man...i don't think u came to trivandrum in ur entire life....if so u wouldn't have told such a statement...bcoz real development initiatives from the part of the govt. are not happening here...they are doing something for the sake of getting votes in the next election....even the huge natural depth of vizhinjam is getting neglected...as a keralite u also should protest against this discrimination.... kochiites atleast got puthuvaippu,vallarpadam,IIT,Metro rail,Smart city and so on....it is good for the development of cochin anyway...finally i will say onething .. we have to work with cooperation and unity...unity is strength(i am putting this as a friendly message and plz don't take it in the wrong sense)

This is a rendering of the upcoming Muthoot Technopolis project in Kochi. It will have a built up area of 2.5 lakh sq. ft.

http://img351.imageshack.us/img351/6661/muthoot4ac.jpg