Govt grants land for B'lore-Mysore corridor

BANGALORE, OCOTBER 8, 2008: Karnataka Government led by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday decided to grant 102 acres land to the controversial multi-crore Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Project for constructing connecting link roads to Bangalore-Mysore State Highway.

The Rs 2,200 crore BMIC project, being implemented by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) headed by Ashok Kheny, was subjected to public criticism and opposition from Janata Dal (S)) leader H D Deve Gowda.

Addressing on the Cabinet decisions, Home Minister V.S. Acharya and Law and Parliamentary Minister Suresh Kumar said the cabinet decided to scrap the one-main judicial commission headed by Justice B C Patel instituted by the previous Kumaraswamy government.

The cabinet also scrapped the selection of Global Infrastructure Consortium (GIC) to execute BMIC under the Swiss challenge method.

Dr Acharya and Mr Kumar said the decisions on dropping the judicial probe and selection of GIC was taken up based on the legal opinion provided by state Advocate General Uday Holla on the ground that they had become outdated following the Supreme Court rulings.

Asked about the decision to release 102 acres of land to BMIC, the ministers said that the government was going by public opinion and the advice of officials and legal experts so that the road works completed by NICE around the city could be put to effective use.

The land would be made available on market rates.

Ten TTMCs to come up in Bangalore

BANGALORE: The State Cabinet has decided to establish 10 Traffic Transit Management Centres (TTMCs) in Bangalore city for the better management of traffic and enforcement of rules.

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Home Minister V.S. Acharya said the Cabinet approved Rs 3,000 crore TTMC project for establishing 10 separate stations under the Centrally-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). While the central Government will be providing a grant of 35 per cent with the state government contributing 15 per cent and the balance 50 per cent would be raised by the Bangalore Metropolitcan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in the form of a loan.

The first phase of the project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 1000 crore this year, the minister added.

Source (http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=96111)

World's Tallest Tower in Bangalore? (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1196571)


BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) is planning to construct what it claims to be the world’s tallest tower. The proposed 560-metre tower will be constructed on the premises of Freedom Park.

Freedom Park is being developed on the land where the old central prison stood. The tower will house a microwave disc platform, an air-conditioned restaurant, a wedding hall and an observatory.

Prof H R Vishwanath of BMS College of engineering had made a proposal to former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on August 22, 2007 to build this tower on land in Uttarahalli measuring 5 acres and 20 guntas.

The government expressed concern that such a tower would attract tourists. And road connectivity, parking space and electrification would be difficult to provide at that site. Prof Vishwanath suggested that the tower be built at Freedom Park.

BBMP sources said that global construction majors like DAE WOO, Gammon India, NBCC India and Larsen & Toubro have already evinced interest in taking up the project on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.

BBMP administrator Dilip Rau said. “If BBMP tries to implement such a project on its own, it will end up in disaster”. Rau has ordered a detailed project report and traffic management report.

The tower will be a concrete shaft till an altitude of 460 metres and the next 100 m will be a steel mast. At 550m it would house a four storey sky pods.

The floor diameter at 350m altitude will be 30 metres. At this level a microwave disc platform with a range (cell radius) of 100km will be installed. A revolving restaurant at 360m altitude will seat 150 guests.

At 355m altitude an observation gallery with a radius of 30 metres will be built. It will have a capacity to hold 250 people. A wedding hall is proposed at 360m. Between 390 metres and 410 metres the transmission equipment of police, post and overseas communication department will be housed. Finally, at 460 metres, TV and FM radio transmitters will be installed.

The BBMP estimates that congestion on roads around the Freedom Park will increase by 5 per cent because of the proposed Tower. BBMP plans to create additional parking facility and widen Sheshadri Road, Palace Road, Kalidasa Road and Y Ramachandra Road to seven metres.

Please note that this is more CN Tower than Burj Dubai

World's Tallest Tower in Bangalore? (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1196571)

Please note that this is more CN Tower than Burj Dubai
Interesting... the first we heard of this proposal was back in January (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=17840890&postcount=1076).

I have to say, though.... the words 'concrete shaft' doesn't particularly strike me as hopeful for the design...

Nor does the 'rendering' posted with the original TOI article from back then:
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/5788/aa2qr1.jpg

Supposedly a placeholder drummed up by a graphics artists, the description fits the desrciption above rather shockingly...

Supposedly a placeholder drummed up by a graphics artists, the description fits the desrciption above rather shockingly...

Yup i remember that one...and the *concrete shaft* doesnt seem very reassuring either....btw great work on the trump tower...that image of trump cracked me up:lol:

Anyway, i just wanted to let you guys know that you can catch Russell Peters at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall on Oct 18th...he can be quite hilarious sometimes...tickets can be bought here (http://ticketpro.in/#)...ill try to make it...until then...

HBIMUo0z6XM -qtrAMK7_Qk

Found an interesting article in todays NYT

Cisco’s Future Leads to India (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/ciscos-future-passes-through-india/)

Cisco Systems is not just a plumbing company, it’s an intelligent platform. And increasingly that platform will be deployed in partnership with Indian companies.

When asked who would be Cisco’s preferred partners, Mr. Chambers put the Indian software and services companies — including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies and Wipro Technologies — at the top of his list. Why? “They see the world as we do,” he replied.

The Indian firms, significantly, are agnostic on software technology — that is, they are not platform players, as Cisco now aspires to be. That is very different from Cisco’s longtime partner, I.B.M., which was once so close that they were called “Team Blue” by their corporate customers.

I.B.M. has its own software platform and competes directly with the Indian companies. Ditto for Oracle and Microsoft. Cisco’s platform strategy carries the potential for new conflicts with those technology giants — hence the need for new alliances.

If Cisco increasingly sees the world as the Indians do, it may be because more and more of Cisco’s top management team will be located in India or serve stints there. Last year, Mr. Chambers sent the company’s chief globalization officer, Wim Elfrink, to Bangalore. Senior managers in some departments are starting to embark on assignments of six months to two years in Cisco’s globalization center in Bangalore.

India, where Cisco now has 4,000 employees and plans to add another 6,000 over the next three to five years, should also be a rich source of management talent. Mr. Chambers said. Within a few years, Mr. Chambers said that 20 percent of Cisco’s top managers will come from India or have worked for a time in Bangalore.

Ozonegroup plans $1-b project in B’lore (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Property__Cstruction/Ozonegroup_plans_1-b_project_in_Blore/articleshow/3578087.cms)

BANGALORE: Property Developer Ozonegroup — financed by a fund run by a close associate of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani — is close to finalising plans for a $1-billion mixed-use development slated to come up in north Bangalore, said a senior company official.

The project, the first such for the company, will see the development of around 20 million sq ft of residential and commercial space on over 180 acres close to Bangalore’s new international airport, Ozonegroup COO Sudarshan K S said.

“This is a show-case project for the company in terms of brand visibility and our capability to build large, world-class integrated projects. We have appointed two architects, based in the US and in Singapore, for the master-plan and the detailed specifications of the project. We are currently reviewing a host of options and hope to begin construction by mid-2009,” he said.

With an investment of over Rs 4,000 crore, the project will be developed in several phases and take about 5-6 years to finish. The development will include both high-end and luxury residences, but Mr Sudarshan did not divulge details on the pricing strategy for the project.

The Anand Jain-managed Urban Infrastructure Opportunities Fund (UIOF) owns a stake in Ozone, while HDFC Venture Fund has invested in a special purpose vehicle implementing the company's Rs 1,500 crore residential project — Metrozone —in Chennai.

“The land for the Devanahalli project has been tied up and UIOF funds are being used for land acquisition. UIOF will continue investing in Ozonegroup and into this project. Once we have the required approvals, we will approach banks for project finance. We will consider bringing on board a private equity partner for this project if required, over and above the debt raised," he said.

Furthermore, the Devanahalli project will provide the company the option to introduce new technology for recycling waste water and reduce its dependency on government-supplied water, the COO said.

Ozonegroup is talking to material suppliers in Europe and China to work out arrangements for large-scale sourcing of tiles, door panels and bathroom accessories for this project.


:cheers:

Ozonegroup plans $1-b project in B’lore (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Property__Cstruction/Ozonegroup_plans_1-b_project_in_Blore/articleshow/3578087.cms)



:cheers:

Great!. Walk to work concept is slowly becoming the norm

...

i hope it becomes true.........!! it doesnt look like becomin A REALITY?? does it?

...

From India Today

The 553-metre Canadian National (CN ) Tower in Toronto, that is almost as tall as a 150-storey building, may have competition from Bangalore. That is if the city corporation and the state government give the much-needed green signal for the 560-metre sky tower being planned.

Prof. H.R. Viswanath, former principal of B.M.S. College of Engineering in Bangalore and president of the International Federation of Highrise Structures, has designed this tower that is more than double the height of the 1988-built Pitampura TV tower in Delhi, which was also designed by Viswanath.

It is to be erected in a roughly six acre area in the Tippasandra area that was granted during H.D. Kumaraswamy’s chief ministership. The blueprint for the Rs. 150 crore two-year tower project is on a public-private partnership model which is currently with the city’s corporation, awaiting the government’s nod.

The sky tower is meant to boost communication and tourism potential, apart from being a key revenue source for the city corporation. It will be based on the lines of the current tallest tower in Toronto, Canada, that attracts two million visitors every year. (However, once the Burj Tower is completed, it will be the tallest structure in the world at approximately 800 meters.)

For the Bangalore sky tower, Prof. Viswanath has planned eight floors for housing government and private communication agencies’ telecom infrastructure, a revolving restaurant and a cafeteria at about 40-storey height and other interesting features.

Prof. Viswanath, an internationally renowned structural engineer, says the papers for the tower project are now with the officials and the Karnataka governor and he hopes to get a green signal from the government very soon.

Prof. Viswanath, an internationally renowned structural engineer, says the papers for the tower project are now with the officials and the Karnataka governor and he hopes to get a green signal from the government very soon.

Excellent news...the tower may be ho-hum but if it pushes government to increase FSI, everybody wins.

btw, just 150 crore?

Excellent news...the tower may be ho-hum but if it pushes government to increase FSI, everybody wins.


indeed!

Found an interesting article in todays NYT

Cisco’s Future Leads to India (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/ciscos-future-passes-through-india/)

Heres another article on this

Cisco makes push to become a truly global company (http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10706169)

BANGALORE, India — When Cisco Systems Chief Executive John Chambers dispatched top lieutenant Wim Elfrink to India nearly two years ago, the executive vice president's mother-in-law drew the only logical conclusion.

"What did you do to deserve this?" she asked the 56-year-old executive, whose old office in Building 10 at 300 E. Tasman Drive in San Jose put him mere paces from Chambers. Now he would be posted 9,000 miles from the corporate brain trust in the traffic-choked information technology center of India long known as a low-end outsource shop for Silicon Valley.

Traditionally, big valley tech companies have treated their employees in this South Asian country as a Help Desk to the West. Now Cisco, with 66,000 employees around the world, is making a $1 billion bet that India, which cranks out thousands of engineering graduates a year, can be a cradle of innovation.

Elfrink brought along a platoon of corporatewide vice presidents, and he's recruiting other high-level managers from within the company to join Cisco East. Eventually, 20 percent of the company's top management will be based in India. The company calls the Bangalore campus its "second headquarters." The 5,000 employees there will grow to 10,000 in the next several years.

"We have to be here," Elfrink said one recent morning in the company's sparkling new Bangalore complex. "If we are not here, someone else will be. You have a billion people here, a billion people in China, 300 million people in Indonesia — all of whom will start consuming and enjoying life. If we don't understand these economies and cultures, how can we be a global company?"

Bangalore's new glass-walled airport, he added, puts Cisco executives within a five-hour flight from 70 percent of the world's population.

The road to the global economy is full of boulder-size potholes, however. Getting to Cisco's blue-hued 1-million-square-foot campus requires negotiating uneven streets jammed with every two- and four-wheel vehicle known to humanity — as well as more than a few four-legged commuters.

Cisco's three-building complex is designed to be a sanctuary within a dense and noisy city. It already includes a cricket field, basketball court and state-of-the-art gym, and is expected to grow. There even are plans for a parking garage, unusual in Bangalore but a reflection of the growing auto-driving middle class here. Those who don't drive can ride to work in the company's fleet of sleek Toyota Innovas, premium SUVs for the Indian market that soon will be equipped with WiFi.

"This is the place to be," said Murugan Vasudevan, a Cisco manager of business operations in Bangalore who has worked for the company in San Jose and Austin. "Our growth area is here."

Cisco insists this is not about swapping out employees in the United States for less expensive ones in India, though engineers in India can cost a tenth of what they do in Silicon Valley. Rather, it's to reposition the company for the new world order, Elfrink said.

"Seventy percent of the people in India live off of a dollar a day, and 40 percent are illiterate," he said. "That means video has got to be pervasive. So connectivity — the network — gives opportunity to new business models."

Business models emerging here differ radically from those in the West. Profits often come from low-margin products and services spread over massive populations.

"In India, mobile phone penetration is 22 percent — 220 million people. And India is adding 8 million new subscribers a month," said Sameer Padhye, Cisco's vice president of advanced services who relocated to Bangalore from Cupertino a year ago.

Whats with the *low end outsource shop* and *help desk to the west* though?I thought the quality of jobs being offshored had geatly improved...oh well...we had to start somewhere...now were gradually moving up the value chain for sure

Anyway, its great that theyre upping their Blore headcount to 10000:cheers:

Volvo gears up to export buses from B'lore plant (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Volvo-gears-up-to-export-buses-from-B--lore-plant/373056/)

Heavy bus and coach manufacturer Volvo Buses India Private Limited, part of Volvo Bus Corporation, announced that it was gearing up to start exporting buses from its plant in India within the next two years.

Speaking at the launch of "9400 6x2 (B9R) Multi-Axle Coach, the company's third offering in the Indian inter-city luxury coach segment, Akash Passey, managing director, Volvo Buses India Pvt. Ltd, said, "We are looking to explore export possibilities from both China and India."

"The plant has a capacity of 1000 units per month. We will be achieving full capacity of production by 2010. We plan to increase production in a yearly manner," said Passey.

Heres another article on this

Cisco makes push to become a truly global company (http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10706169)
Whats with the *low end outsource shop* and *help desk to the west* though?I thought the quality of jobs being offshored had geatly improved...oh well...we had to start somewhere...now were gradually moving up the value chain for sure


Never mind about these reporters, they are stuck in the "old paradigms" and just can't get themselves to believe in the new world order. So they resort to the pin pricks of roads and four legged animals (this should be in a different article on infra). The ones who matter realize that it is not about buildings and gleaming campuses (though that is the lure) but the real meat is behind Intellectual Property and Indian young engineers can deliver the real meat. That is what is driving a Cisco into Bluru/India.

Never mind about these reporters, they are stuck in the "old paradigms" and just can't get themselves to believe in the new world order. So they resort to the pin pricks of roads and four legged animals (this should be in a different article on infra). The ones who matter realize that it is not about buildings and gleaming campuses (though that is the lure) but the real meat is behind Intellectual Property and Indian young engineers can deliver the real meat. That is what is driving a Cisco into Bluru/India.

Au contraire, a fairly balanced report especially considering it is coming out of San Jose Murky News.

I hope no one missed the reference to "Bangalore's new glass-walled airport"!

Ixia launches iSimcity in Bangalore (http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k8/oct/oct136.php)

BANGALORE: Ixia, a global provider of IP (internet protocol) performance test systems has launched iSimCity, an executive briefing center and proof-of-concept (PoC) lab in Bangalore.

Aimed at serving the growing telecom R&D presence in India, the company’s presence in Bangalore is the second such facility started by Ixia, the first one being in California.

Ixia has also announced a multi-level partnership with California Software Company (Calsoft).

Calsoft and Ixia will together make a joint investment to establish an Ixia Center of Excellence (COE) in Chennai. As one of its partners, Ixia will look to Calsoft to provide skills in technology areas complimentary to Ixia’s in order to address telecommunication markets globally.

The new “iSimCity” is the most advanced IP simulation lab in India, capable of simulating an entire city, reaching out to a broad subscriber base offering a host of IP services claims Ixia.

iSimCity is able to simulate 120,000 subscribers in a single test and by the end of the year, the capacity is expected to reach up to 500,000 subscribers. Ixia’s multiplay test systems address the growing need to test voice, video and data services and network capability under real-world conditions.

Teleradiology paves way for remote medicine (http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE49E01920081015?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true)

BANGALORE (Reuters) - On a computer monitor in his office in the high-tech hub of Bangalore, Indian radiologist Arjun Kalyanpur examines a scan of the skull of a six-year-old boy who fell off his bicycle.A few minutes later, thousands of miles away, doctors at a hospital in Philadelphia prepare the boy for surgery after receiving an urgent email from Kalyanpur diagnosing a subdural hemorrhage in the child's brain.

It's the middle of the night in the United States, but it's daytime in Bangalore and Kalyanpur and his team of 35 radiologists are reading hundreds of scans sent by hospitals across the United States during the night shift.

"ERs in the U.S. find it difficult to staff at night. There's a radiologist shortage in the U.S. as well," Kalyanpur told Reuters.

Bangalore, the outsourcing capital of the world, is becoming a global center for telemedicine thanks to a pool of Western educated doctors, extensive outsourcing infrastructure, lower costs and a convenient time zone to diagnose medical conditions during the U.S. night.

Teleradiologists in India read x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and other medical images of patients in the United States, Singapore and a host of other countries around the world.

It's ideal for hospitals facing ballooning costs and a shortage of radiologists. And it's not just teleradiology, experts say just about every area of medicine that does not require direct patient interaction could be outsourced in the future.

NIGHT SHIFT, DAY SHIFT

Kalyanpur's clinic can make as much as $1,500 per scan, about 35 percent less than the price charged in the United States. With an average of 1,000 scans read a day, that adds up to hefty revenues.

Kalyanpur and his wife, Dr. Sunita Maheshwari founded Teleradiology Solutions from a home office in Bangalore six years ago. Both are U.S. board certified physicians and are graduates from Yale University.

Today, they have a 118-member team in a swank, five-story setup where they provide radiology services for over 70 hospitals in the U.S., 10 hospitals in Singapore, a few in the former Soviet republic of Georgia as well as hospitals and medical clinics in cities and villages across India.


REMOTE LOCATIONS

Ironically, India faces an acute shortage of radiologists even as teleradiology clinics sprout up in Bangalore. The biggest players are Kalyanpur's firm and his main competitor Wipro Ltd, a leading software services exporter.

The teleradiology business has not penetrated into the Europe as yet, largely due to data protection laws in the European Union and difficulties in obtaining accreditations by authorities, according to an Indian government planning commission report.

"There are other issues as well ... such as malpractice policies, liability insurance and jurisdiction issues for settling disputes that might arise," said the report.

Kalyanpur feels teleradiology is just the beginning.

"Telecardiology, telepathology, teledermatology, telephathology and robotic telesurgery," he said, naming a few.

"The first and the foremost requirement here is a qualified doctor at the other end. That's very important," said Sharma

:lol: Heres to outsourced surgery:cheers:

The above article had me laughing and i hit upon an idea...outsourced driving!

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/od1.jpghttp://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/od2.jpghttp://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/od3.jpg

And in the event of a speeding, we can also lend them our expertise in bribing officials.

Symphony Services announces expansion in Beijing, Bangalore, Pune (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&autono=48091)

Symphony to Expand India Footprint (http://www.cxotoday.com/India/News/Symphony_to_Expand_India_Footprint/551-94223-908.html)

Product engineering outsourcing services company Symphony is embarking on an expansion plan in India and China to efficiently service its growing roster of clients. The company will commission 2 new R&D centers at Pune and Bangalore.

Symphony is also expanding its presence in Bangalore. The company is taking advantage of a new special economic zone in the region to build a new facility with about 100,000 square feet, to support expanded operations. The first phase of the Bangalore expansion is scheduled to open at the end of 2008, complete with state-of-the-art development and training infrastructure.

Disclaimer : This is not to rub it in

Home-grown IT firm opts for Bangalore (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/Home-grown_IT_firm_opts_for_Bangalore_/articleshow/3610824.cms)

KOLKATA: West Bengal's loss is Karnataka's gain. In times of a global meltdown, a home-grown software company with branches worldwide has chosen Bangalore and not Kolkata for its major expansion project.

Metalogic Systems, which has branches in USA, UK, Australia and Japan, had been lobbying for 20 cottah of land near Kolkata. But now, pushed to a do-or-die situation in times of the global financial meltdown that would help it wangle better deals, the software company has started looking elsewhere . And guess what? In a matter of days, it has been given land by the Karnataka government , which has turned out to be as prompt as the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat.

And, the state government, which is still grappling with the Nano loss, has failed to comply with another businessman's needs, yet again.

"We have been given prime land, right next to the electronics complex in Bangalore. It's more than we had asked for and the price is very reasonable . We'll get it on a longterm lease for Rs 30 lakh an acre," said Arup Dasgupta, managing director of Metalogic Systems. The son-ofthe-soil started out at Sector V with a paltry capital of Rs 2,000 in 1999 and has grown to crores ever since.

Dasgupta's expansion project takes off next month. Ironically , on the 24th of this month, he will be leading a CIIsponsored roadshow in Bangalore to woo IT investors to Bengal. IT minister Debesh Das will also be there. "We cannot help our decision. We must capture the market that is now ripe for our business . But I shall do everything to help my own state," said Dasgupta.

N R Banerjee, chairman, Webel, sounded disappointed: "This is a home-grown venture and we have a lot of soft corner for it. We wish this expansion project worth Rs 70 crore could have happened here instead of in Bangalore," said N R Banerjee, Webel chairman, sounding a trifle disappointed.

U.S. company unveils ‘most powerful’ graphics chip, made in India (http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/19/stories/2008101953101400.htm)

BANGALORE: The mathematics is really quite simple: if a new processor delivers five times the number-crunching power over comparable options, in one-half the size, it is a ten-fold improvement of silicon performance. U.S.-based visual computing leader NVIDIA claimed this last week, when it unveiled its latest graphical processing platform for portable application. The 54 gigaflops (that is, 54 billion computer operations per second) that the chip delivers makes it the ‘most powerful integrated graphics processor in the market today,’ said its makers.

Indian engineers at the company’s Bangalore-based Research and Development Centre substantially developed the thumb-nail-sized chip. “From designing the chip architecture to translating it into a form that can be handed over to a silicon foundry to fabricate, pretty much all the hardware work was done by our India team,” Sridhar Manthani, Senior Director, told The Hindu. Software support came from the U.S.-based teams.

The GeForce 9400M is a single-chip solution – in an industry in which at least two chips are normally required to do the job. It has16 cores, or computing units, working simultaneously to handle complex challenges posed by customers. Yet, the chip is much less power-hungry than its predecessors – which means users can view a full-length movie in the upcoming High Definition format without having to recharge the batteries of their notebook computers.

Even as the 70-strong group of engineers here worked for over 18 months to deliver the product, potential customers – PC makers – were trying out early samples. And first off the block, with a family of notebook computers fuelled by the 9400M, is Apple which has used it to fuel the new MacBook family, due to be launched in India next week.

This is incredible...as an apple fanboy, i had no idea while watching the keynote a few days back that the new chip(which is pretty much the only major upgrade in the new macbook line) was made in good ol bangalore

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

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/2008101953101401.jpg

Kudos to the team!...lets hope one of them starts their own spinoff company:)

New science hub to be set up soon (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/New_science_hub_to_be_set_up_soon/articleshow/3613851.cms)

BANGALORE: A technology hub - International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) - will be set up in Bangalore by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, according to Ashok Kumar C Manoli, principal secretary in the department of IT, BT and science and technology.

The centre will seek to improve quality of science teaching in colleges and to make research an attractive option for students. Well-known scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, will be its members.

"Progress is being made in atomic energy, pure physics, biology and life sciences. To catch up with the developments, the centre will help researchers get international exposure," Manoli told reporters here on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Karnataka cabinet had approved 19.13 acres for the centre at Shivakote village near Hesaraghatta. The centre will be TIFR's third in Bangalore, the other two being the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Centre for Applicable Mathematics.

The centre's activities will focus on biological physics, computational science, complex systems, fluids, particle physics and string theory. It will also include new areas of mathematics related with biology and finance.

"An attractive feature will be to focus on teachers' training and improve quality of science education in schools and colleges. The idea is to make science interesting for students," said Spenta R Wadia, director of the ICTS.

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

The centre will seek to improve quality of science teaching in colleges and to make research an attractive option for students. Well-known scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, will be its members.

Nobel prize winners?i thought cv raman was the last guy(indian resident) to get a science Nobel...unless its good enough to attract scientists from other countries...

It seems this is shot at one of our office facilities. nvidia is one of our tenants:)


http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/2008101953101401.jpg

Kudos to the team!...

It seems this is shot at one of our office facilities. nvidia is one of our tenants:)

Which reminds me...have all developers slowed down the pace of construction because of the economic meltdown?The Shantiniketan project hasnt progressed much in the last few months.

^^There is no point in slowing down construction which is progressing in the case of recession, provided you have cash flow. Delaying means more cost on your front. For a proiftable business, the construction has to be completed at the earliest possible time to guard against the usual escalation of prices..

But yes, the developers can go slow on 'launch of new projects'

^^There is no point in slowing down construction which is progressing in the case of recession, provided you have cash flow. Delaying means more cost on your front. For a proiftable business, the construction has to be completed at the earliest possible time to guard against the usual escalation of prices..

I guess youre right...this article (http://www.livemint.com/2008/10/17233247/For-home-buyers-it8217s-a.html) says Shantiniketan was delayed because of oversupply in Whitefield...and yes,its the ones without sufficient liquidity that are delaying them.

But yes, the developers can go slow on 'launch of new projects'

Right again....Prestiges July newsletter says that they are working on 27 storey luxury apartments in Whitefield...ive been waiting for them to launch it ever since:)

B'lore college students develop a 180 km mileage car (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&autono=48219)

Those looking for a super fuel efficient vehicle may perhaps have found the ultimate one - a car has been developed by a group of engineering students that covers an amazing 180 km on just one litre of petrol.

An eight-member team of students of the mechanical engineering department RV College of Engineering, Bangalore, have designed and developed the aero-dynamic extremely light weight prototype with a low power 97 cc Honda generator engine of two horse power (HP).

Team leader Nishant Sarawgi told reporters here today that the car has a chassis made of high specific strength aluminium alloy and a fibre glass shell has an air-cooled engine with moulten sized recumbent rear and two front wheels weighing 600 gms each.

At a power-point presentation of the prototype vehicle 'Project Garuda - RVCE Supermileage Car', Sarawgi, who hails from Guwahati, said the carburator is that of a TVS motorbike for better-burning efficiency and higher control over air and fuel mixture.

Simple calipher cycle brakes have been utilised as they are light weight and provide enough braking torque, he said.

The fuel efficiency of the car under test conditions on the NICE corridor in Bangalore demonstrated a mileage of 180 km per litre.

The 55 kg single-person car is ten feet long, 2.5 feet wide and high and has to be driven in a reclining position, he said.

To a querry on the viability of the prototype design being adopted into a regular car, he said ''Commercial aspects are involved. Innovations on the engine can be given a commercial turnover.''

That is insane!

Pruva Atria | 14 floors

http://kabeer.org/~kabeer/kabeer/images/thumb/6/68/Purva_Attria.JPG/250px-Purva_Attria.JPG

Pruva Venezia | 15 floors

http://goodwillquestindia.com/images/PurvaVeneziaYelahankaBangalore%20build.JPG

Pruva Highlands | 20 floors

http://www.allcheckdeals.com/projects/purvankara/highlands/images/purva-highland.jpg

Mantri Tranquil | 14 floors

http://deltaestates.com/prop_images/1633_main.gif

MindTree and Murex Announce Strategic Partnership; Open Offshore Development Center in Bangalore (http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2008/Oct/22/MindTree_and_Murex_Announce_Strategic_Partnership%3B_Open_Offshore_Development_Center_in_Bangalore.html)

MindTree Ltd., a global IT and R&D Services Company, and Murex, the leading provider of cross-asset trading, risk management and processing solutions, today announced a strategic partnership. MindTree becomes a preferred partner of Murex for system implementation and support services and hosts the Murex Offshore Development Center (ODC) in Bangalore.

The ODC provides an extension of the new Murex division, CDS (Customer Delivery Services), and serves Murex’s technology needs in system implementation tools and technologies. The first assignments will focus on the Murex MX.3 platform upgrade program and will include report and datamart development and conversions. The current team of Murex consultants at MindTree is approximately 100 people and is expected to grow rapidly and cover the full spectrum of Murex capabilities.

Murex focuses its resources and R&D investments on providing the world’s top financial institutions with innovative integrated solutions covering all front-office, risk management and back-office operations while delivering in-depth functionalities for a wide range of asset classes - from basic to the most complex structured and derivatives products. Sell-side financial institutions, utilities, corporations, hedge funds, private banks and asset managers rely upon the Murex MX portfolio to support their capital markets activities and gain sustainable edge.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/12m-1.jpg

*sigh* I was hoping that in the time since this project was first announced, they changed it to a better design. For such an important building, the architecture is mediocre at best, garish at worst.

*sigh* I was hoping that in the time since this project was first announced, they changed it to a better design. For such an important building, the architecture is mediocre at best, garish at worst.

Don't go by the artist impression just yet. A lot of work is still pending before even the correct renders come out.

I read this article in TOI today. As much as I was happy with the concept, a few things need to be considered:

* Why have offices in the integrated terminal?? The main idea of the terminal should be to provide people with convenient connections for Metro/BMTC/KSRTC/Railways. Having office buildings inside such a terminal will only get more people into the area when the whole idea is to get people away from there as quickly as possible

* There is no mention of having direct skywalk with the railway station. The present subway stinks and surely will be not be used in coming years!!

*sigh* I was hoping that in the time since this project was first announced, they changed it to a better design. For such an important building, the architecture is mediocre at best, garish at worst.

It is to be built under PPP so hopefully the private player hires a competent architect to design it.No company wants to ruin its business prospects by building this eyesore:lol:

Prestige White Meadows l 23 Floors l Whitefield

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Picture471.jpg

i think one of those buildings fell down ...i mean u/c....??saw in newspaper......maybe its a different site or something? creect me if i am wrong........

i think one of those buildings fell down ...i mean u/c....??saw in newspaper......maybe its a different site or something? creect me if i am wrong........

No thats Shantiniketan

Astronaut training centre for manned mission on anvil: ISRO (http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/DA5F87E0A3ED5CBA652574ED003E221F?OpenDocument)

Bangalore, Oct 25 (PTI) India will set up an astronaut training facility here as part of plans to undertake a manned mission to the moon by 2015, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation G Madhavan Nair said today.

At the proposed facility, astronauts would be trained for "surviving under the Zero G conditions, radiation environment, long journey in the space and so on," Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space, said.

He said Bangalore-based Institute of Aerospace Medicine of Indian Air Force, would contribute significantly in this regard.

Nair said a centrifuge was required where acceleration can be simulated while going up in the space. Also featuring in the training centre would be a swimming pool-like facility where trainee astronauts would undergo zero-gravity simulation.

In addition, various types of thermal cycling and radiation simulation chambers would also be built, he told reporters at Byalalu on the city outskirts, where Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa honoured key ISRO scientists on the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1 to explore the moon.

"We have got 40 acres (for astronaut training facility) beyond the new (Bangalore) airport. We may require another 100 acre. Just now, I talked to the CM and he was very positive," Nair said.

He also said ISRO would build a new launch pad (at an investment of around Rs 600 crore) for the manned mission at the spaceport of Sriharikota.

Development activity for rocket and capsule for the manned mission would be taken up at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, supported by ISRO satellite centres here and in Ahmedabad, Nair added. PTI

Astronaut training centre for manned mission on anvil: ISRO (http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/DA5F87E0A3ED5CBA652574ED003E221F?OpenDocument)

More on this

ISRO to set up astronaut training institute (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/isro-to-set-up-astronaut-training-institute_100111560.html)

Bangalore, Oct 25 (IANS) Buoyed by the successful launch of the country’s maiden unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan-1, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to start an institute to train astronauts for its planned first manned space mission by 2015, said a top official.”Bangalore is our chosen destination to set up a state-of-the-art institute to train astronauts for our manned space mission. We have already got 40 acres of land near the new airport at Devanahalli (about 35 km from city centre) and the state government has promised to provide us with another 100 acres soon,” ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair told reporters Saturday at the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu, about 40 km from Bangalore.

“We are hopeful that the institute will be functional by 2013. The project will cost us around Rs.10 billion and currently we are working on a detailed roadmap for the astronaut institute,” added Nair, on the sidelines of a felicitation function for ISRO’s scientists by Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

:cheers:

cc Oakwood

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/MOD-479378_PoolNight_PrestigeOakwoo.jpg

^^Oh dam!that pic is awesome!

My word, one of the best pics of Bangalore^^. Definitely the best city in India.
Absolutely Worldclass.

Definitely the best city in India.
Absolutely Worldclass.

One little mixed use development maketh a city not....Mods!

No offence:)

Well 'Shakespeare'^^, that pic definitely adds to the exclusivity of the city.
Hard to believe its India.

...

Bangalore: Buoyed by the successful launch of the country's maiden unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan-1, the ISRO is all set to start an institute to train astronauts for its planned first manned space mission by 2015, said a top official.

"Bangalore is our chosen destination to set up a state-of-the-art institute to train astronauts for our manned space mission. We have already got 40 acres of land near the new airport at Devanahalli (about 35 km from city centre) and the state government has promised to provide us with another 100 acres soon," ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair told reporters Saturday at the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu, about 40 km from Bangalore.

"We are hopeful that the institute will be functional by 2013. The project will cost us around Rs.10 billion and currently we are working on a detailed roadmap for the astronaut institute," added Nair, on the sidelines of a felicitation function for ISRO's scientists by Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

.:banana:

cc Oakwood

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/MOD-479378_PoolNight_PrestigeOakwoo.jpg

JUST SPEECHLESS.........:):cheers:

That is beautiful.

Im guessing that is a hotel at the top of one of the UB City buidlings?

That is beautiful.

Im guessing that is a hotel at the top of one of the UB City buidlings?

Yup thats Oakwood Bangalore...

Apparently Mallya is planning another highrise adjacent to UB City and has already approached the Prestige Group to execute the project:cheers:

Ya, as 2 paise said, it is Oakwood, Bangalore, not a true hotel, but premium Serviced Apartments

That is beautiful.

Im guessing that is a hotel at the top of one of the UB City buidlings?

Well 'Shakespeare'^^, that pic definitely adds to the exclusivity of the city.
Hard to believe its India.

Beautiful no doubt and kudos to the photographer.:cheers:

Again..if one were to consider the height(location), time of day and the capability of the camera and the photographer we can have images seemingly unique as these in other cities/parts of India.

Majestic bus terminus to go underground (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1202462)

BANGALORE: Namma Metro is set to alter the landscape of Namma Bangalore, if the state government's plans are anything to go by.

The landmark inter Kempe Gowda KSRTC Bus Terminus at Subhashnagar, will make way to a 46-storey Transport Terminal Tower which will come up on an underground Metro railway station.

The adjacent BMTC bus terminus will also go underground, literally at that.

Tenders have been invited for the construction of the Transport Terminal Tower, the tallest of its kind in the country, which will act as a hub for people availing the services of the Metro, BMTC buses and the city railway station.

The tower will also house the offices of BMRCL, KSRTC, BMTC and other state government utilities, transport minister R Ashok told mediapersons here.

Once the Subhashnagar BMTC bus terminus goes underground, then it will be the first such bus terminus in the country.

The three-floor underground bus terminus will have facilities for operating and parking of buses, ticket counters and other passenger amenities. The present BMTC bus depot and service workshop would be relocated, Ashok said.

With work on the Subashnagar (Majestic) Metro station scheduled to start in March, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the nodal agency for implementing the project, has sought 20 acres of land for the purpose.

Satellite inter-modal transport terminuses would be built at NGEF on Old Madras Road, near Hebbal flyover on Bellary Road, Peenya on Tumkur Road and on Hosur Road to cater to inter-state and mofussil services.

While 18 acres of land is already available near NGEF for the purpose, the process of land acquisition is on for other terminuses, Ashok said.

Till these new terminuses come up, inter and intra state bus services would be operated from temporary bus stations that will come up at Shantinagar Sports Ground; near KIMCO on Mysore Road; Kengeri; Hebbal; Hoskote; Rajarajeshwari Nagar; Bidadi; Electronic City; BTM layout; Anjanapura; Byappanahalli; Vaddarahalli; Peenya First Phase and Chikkanagamangala, Ashok said.

A separate KSRTC bus terminus would also be built near the Bengaluru International Airport for the convenience of air passengers from various parts of the state.


:cheers:

^^great news:cheers:

SonicWALL opens new Bangalore Engineering and TAC facility (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/SonicWALL-Signals-Enhanced-Focus-Enterprise/story.aspx?guid={A3E486A5-F18F-4FF9-8A1B-9BA7A0B06E35})

BANGALORE, India and SUNNYVALE, Calif. --SonicWALL, Inc. today celebrated the official opening of its new Engineering and TAC Facility in Bangalore, India, and announced the appointment of Mr. Abhay Solapurkar as Vice President World Support and General Manager of India Operations. The moves are designed to accelerate growth in SonicWALL's enterprise-class product lines, support the company's expansion in India through locally-developed innovations, and drive ongoing improvements in customer service levels.

The new Bangalore facility provides engineering, quality assurance and customer support for the company's enterprise-class products including the SonicWALL Aventail Secure Remote Access line, SonicWALL Email Security, and the recently-introduced Network Security Appliance Series. With over 300 employees, the center is the largest SonicWALL facility outside the US.

Matthew Medeiros, president and chief executive officer at SonicWALL, said, "We intend to make this facility the best support center in the world for security appliances and solutions, and Abhay's appointment will accelerate our progress towards this goal. His achievements in the area of customer support have created a solid foundation on which we can build and enhance our global reputation for excellent customer service.

Sabre Airline Solutions Expands Global Customer Care with New Support Center (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Sabre-Airline-Solutions-Expands-Global/story.aspx?guid={7E2C11E1-D8FD-48F3-B970-575EAD3F8651})

BANGALORE, India, Nov 04, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sabre Airline Solutions has opened a new, full-service customer care center in Bangalore, expanding its current customer support operations and providing enhanced expertise to Sabre's global airline customers.

The center, to be fully operational by Jan. 1, 2009, will complement the current customer care center in Montevideo, Uruguay.

As with Montevideo, the additional Bangalore Sabre Airline Solutions team will include both frontline support personnel as well as resources supporting key products in an advanced support capacity. The Bangalore operation will be an extension of the Montevideo desks, responsible for covering the night-time hours in Montevideo with a complete and seamless operational integration. Sabre has formed a comprehensive center of excellence in Bangalore with in-depth knowledge on a number of airline functional areas including, Sabre's Rocade Suite, AirOps Suite, AirCrews, AirFlite Suite, AirMax Suite, Quasar system and SabreSonic Customer Sales and Service.

Bangalore: United Technologies Corp (UTC) launched an office in Bangalore on Tuesday to broaden and deepen its local supplier base for aerospace products.


More here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=727908) (post no: 6)

Toyota ramps up investment on 2nd India plant (http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=20206)

Undeterred by slowdown in car demand, Japanese auto major Toyota on Wednesday (November 5) said it would almost double its investment for its second plant at Bangalore to Rs 3,200 crore by pumping an additional Rs 1,553 crore.

“An additional amount of around 33 billion Yen (about Rs 1,553 crore) will be invested for both general-purpose and specialised equipment necessary for manufacturing a new compact vehicle,” the company said in a statement.

The company had earlier said it would invest about Rs 1,650 crore (35 billion Yen) on its second plant in Bangalore, which would manufacture its 'strategic small car' to be launched by 2010-11. The new plant, being constructed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) at the same site of its first plant, is scheduled to begin operations in 2010 with an initial capacity of 1, 00,000 units.

^^^^^^^^^^
though karnataka lost nano to gujarat,......but got double the nano investment by toyota.........:cheers:

Nokia Siemens to set up new R&D centre (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=339422)

Nokia Siemens Networks has announced that it is setting up a new development centre in Bangalore next year to augment its capacity in the city. The company said on Thursday that its Bangalore Development Centre (BDC) has witnessed steady growth since the company started its operations 18 months ago.

The new campus will come up at the Manyata Embassy Business Park in 2009 with additional capacity to accommodate this growth, a company release said.

Nokia Siemens Networks will also expand the BDC to strengthen its global research and development R&D organisation. The development centre currently employs 1,600 engineers in a variety of roles.

Stephan Scholz, chief technology officer, Nokia Siemens Networks said, “The drivers behind creating a global R&D presence include proximity to customers as well as availability of talent and competencies that drive innovation and productivity and India scores high on each of these parameters.

Today, our development centre in Bangalore drives innovation for three of our five business units globally. We see the India R&D centre playing a pivotal role in our globally distributed network of R&D centres.”

Key areas of R&D competencies for Nokia Siemens in Bangalore lie in operations and business support, charging software, voice and multimedia communication enablers, wireless access solutions for mobile voice and messaging. BDC also hosts functions like systems integration, product documentation and test laboratories.

Nokia Siemens Networks, the communication services arm of Siemens Networks, reported that it invested 586 million euro on R&D globally in the third quarter of 2008. Its globally distributed network of R&D centres has locations in China, Europe, India and the US.

Great to see investments picking up in Karnataka and esp in good ol B'lore again :) ... Wayy to go BSY and the BJP ...:banana:

Bangalore to get country’s 1st preventive forensics lab (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1204519)

MUMBAI: The brain, which can mastermind the most heinous of crimes, can also be ‘stimulated’ to give criminal intent away, say forensic scientists. This branch of forensics, which aims to prevent crimes rather than just solve them, is called preventive forensics.

Over the past eight years, more so after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the United States, preventive forensics has become a buzzword for security set-ups around the world. With the development of brain fingerprinting, it has become possible for investigators to extract information from a suspect’s brain involuntarily. Dr D Mohan of the Bangalore Forensic Science Laboratory explains that the human brain triggers an electrical response that begins 300 to 800 milliseconds after it is confronted with stimuli such as a picture, word, or phrase associated with information that may be stored in the brain. These electrical impulses can give suspects away.

The high rate of success of this non-invasive procedure makes it an ideal platform to develop gadgets for mass civilian profiling at airports and other public places.

The country’s first ever brain forensics centre, a laboratory that is expected to develop and perfect precisely such tools to prevent crimes, particularly terrorist strikes, is being set up in Bangalore.

Work on the laboratory, which was cleared by the central government two years ago, has finally begun with the government of Karnataka deciding to release the funds required. “Two days ago we were given the go-ahead by the state government to begin recruiting scientists currently working in laboratories across the country,” Mohan said. The scientists will be drawn from a variety of neurology specialisations like electro neurology and neuropsychology.

...

^^^^^^
yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers::banana: :banana: :banana::nuts: :nuts:

HOLY *&^%(^*$*!!!!!:eek2:

Excellent find India#1...any other link?

OMG

Bangalore to get 89 story tower in south.

Do you mean south bangalore?

Jesus! this made my day!:cheers:

...

HOLY *&^%(^*$*!!!!!:eek2:

Excellent find India#1...any other link?

OMG

Well heres the link where i found out about the project.

http://www.hudihudi.com/goodones/bangalore.htm

Silicon City | West Bangalore

oh great...now i can finally use the yacht i bought last year:lol:

Well heres the link where i found out about the project.

http://www.hudihudi.com/goodones/bangalore.htm

Amateur website...i dont trust it

^^I hope its all true!

^^I hope its all true!

I knew id seen the first one in dubai and i finally found it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_Marina

Great effort anyway India#1...it always pays to have someone search the nook and cranny of the internet instead of just mainstream websites.

^^^^^^:ohno::ohno:

man i jumped with joy but the moment i saw ^^ had to visit :toilet:

Sorry guys,

All the above pics are from some property expo from Dubai. All of em' are projects in the UAE. These pics have been doing the rounds on the net for quite some time now.

^^We have seen many times posts like this earlier without even closely observing what all there is in the internet.

We have seen many times the Airport models in Dubai being shown as that of Hyderbad, Bangalore, Chennai etc..

A little common sense and observation will help you to realise the truth.

I hope this better not be dubai...India #1...did you find this in your inbox which any of your friend forwarded to you saying in B'lore?

Dam! That would have been great if it were in Bangalore!That dumb website! Now all my hopes are gone of that been in B'lore!

Pending projects to be completed by 2010



BANGALORE: It was not only time for inspection of various projects, but also for setting of strict deadlines. Ahead of a central team's visit to
the city, urban development minister S Suresh Kumar inspected the progress of projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) on Monday. The minister said Karnataka is fourth on the list of states implementing the centrally-funded scheme successfully.

Despite the slow pace at which a few projects are progressing, the minister assured that all pending works will be completed by 2010. The flyover at Yeshwantpur will be done by February 2009 and the one at Gali Anjaneya Junction, worth Rs 32 crore, by March 2009.

The Rs 5.3 crore project to provide 210 houses for slum dwellers in Agrahara Dasarahalli will also be completed within a year. The foundation stone for this will be laid by the chief minister next week. The 32 houses at Kalyani slum in Sampangiramnagar are almost complete and will be ready to occupy in the next 10-15 days.

Kumar said much of the delay is due to land acquisition issues, encroachments and rain. However, the officials have been asked to speed up work.

The Centre has approved Rs 3,712 crore for Bangalore and Mysore under the scheme, of which Rs 299 crore will be spent on drinking water and drain works, Rs 135 crore on roads and Rs 70 crore on providing infrastructure to the poor. Another 20 projects worth Rs 4,041 crore are pending for approval with the Centre. Nine of these are for Bangalore.

ICON Opens Full Service Central Laboratory in India (http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20081112/icon.htm)

DUBLIN, November 12 -- ICON plc , a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced the opening of a full service central laboratory in Bangalore,India. The purpose-built, 15,000 sq ft facility expands ICON Central Laboratories' existing network of laboratories located in Farmingdale, New York; Dublin, Ireland and Singapore. The new laboratory is in the process of receiving CAP (College of American Pathologists) and NABL (National Accreditation Board for Laboratory Testing) accreditation.

"India has become a key region for global clinical trials, which has greatly boosted the demand for local laboratory testing within a global laboratory network," commented Bob Scott-Edwards, President, ICON Central Laboratories. "Having a fully-owned facility in India provides clients with the reassurance that our core laboratory services, ranging from sample management and testing to final data transfer, adhere to our stringent global quality standards. We also offer a test menu that is second to none, which avoids the need to export samples and makes ICON a one-stop-shop for clients looking to conduct complex clinical trials in India."

ICON has also appointed Dr. Anuradha Rajput to the position of General Manager, ICON Central Laboratories India. Dr. Rajput joins ICON Central Laboratories after eight years with Clinigene International, where she held the position of General Manager and Laboratory Director. She has proven expertise in laboratory operations, business development, logistics, quality assurance processes and HR management. Dr. Rajput has a PhD in Biochemistry and is a certified CAP inspector.

The MathWorks Opens Office in Bangalore, India (http://www.prweb.com/releases/the_mathworks/based_design/prweb1607074.htm)

NATICK, Mass. (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) November 12, 2008 -- The MathWorks, the world’s leading developer of software for technical computing and Model-Based Design, today announced the opening of a new office in Bangalore, India, that will be responsible for selling and supporting the Company’s MATLAB and Simulink product families throughout the country.

The new office will enable The MathWorks to provide direct support and services to its rapidly growing customer base in India, particularly in the aerospace/defense, automotive, industrial automation and machinery, technical services, and academic sectors. The Company intends to maintain its distributor relationship with Cranes Software, which will continue to serve some customers in the government and educational sectors.

“With its rich talent pool of engineers and scientists, India is a significant market for The MathWorks and is second only to China in graduating engineers on a global basis,” said Jeanne O’Keefe, chief financial officer, The MathWorks. “Many of our customers now have research and development facilities in the region and will gain increased direct service and support from The MathWorks in their use of our tools for technical computing and Model-Based Design.”

The new Bangalore location, which will initially employ approximately 30 people, strengthens the presence of The MathWorks in Asia, adding to its offices in Seoul, South Korea and Beijing, China. The MathWorks also has direct offices in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In countries where the Company does not have a direct presence, customers continue to be served by authorized MathWorks distributors and resellers.

SAP India to go ahead with $1 bn investment (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=339973)

SAP India, the business software solutions company with operations in Bangalore, has said it expects to meet its employee headcount target of 7,000 by 2010 despite global economic slowdown. The company will go ahead with its commitment of $1 billion investment in India by 2010. So far, SAP has invested a little over $25 million to build phase I & II of SAP Labs India campus.

The company currently has close to 5,200 employees in India including 4,000 in its R&D division, SAP Labs.

“We are comfortable with 4,000- 5,000 employees for SAP Labs. We will leverage scalability for new product development,” said Peter Zencke, member of executive board, SAP AG. He said the company would invest the $1 billion for new technology, Service-oriented architecture (SOA), infrastructure and new designs.

http://www.cpgcorp.com.sg/admin/files/portfolio/Leisure/Shangrila_Hotel_Bangalore.jpg

The Shangri-La Hotel, Banglore is a five-Star hotel, strategically located along Palace Road in Bangalore. The guest rooms face one of the oldest Golf Course in Bangalore and the Old Palace building. The hotel is 18-storey tall with a three-storey basement. Surrounded presently by low-rise buildings, the hotel is visible from afar and is destined to be an important landmark in Bangalore.

The hotel’s facilities include food & beverage outlets, a 500-person capacity banquet hall, meeting rooms and boardrooms, a business centre, a health club and spa, and a gymnasium. A landscape deck with swimming pool and jacuzzi sits on the podium roof level while at the top of the tower are a sky lounge and a landscape roof garden terrace offering a panoramic view of Bangalore. A helipad is also available for those who choose to arrive in style.



http://www.cpgcorp.com.sg/portfolio/viewdetails.asp?PCID=6&PDID=82

^^
Is this U/C or already operational ??

^^
Is this U/C or already operational ??

Based on the link (http://www.cpgcorp.com.sg/portfolio/viewdetails.asp?PCID=6&PDID=82) provided and a press release by Shangri-La (http://www.shangri-la.com/en/corporate/press/pressrelease/22330)dated 11th April 2005, it is still u/c. I am not sure about the exact status.

Can anybody living in the vicinity throw some light on the status?

It is Under Construction. Might be completed by 3Q 2010.

More from the same developer

Adarsh SEZ Whitefield

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Picture611.jpg

Shangri-La Hotel and Spa,ORR

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Hospitality_Shangrila1.jpg

Adarsh Prime SEZ ORR

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Picture601.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Picture581.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Picture591.jpg

Prestige Golfshire (http://www.prestigeconstructions.com/residential-properties/buy-apartment-flats/golfshire/golfshire.html)(Updated Website),a 275 acre development

CtFXdAl6Fak

NMIMS opens its Bangalore campus; Executive Management Programmes launched (http://www.mbauniverse.com/innerPage.php?id=ne&pageId=1580)

SVKM's NMIMS University of Mumbai has inaugurated its Bengaluru Operations at Koramangala on November 14, 2008.

Mr. Arvaind Limbavali, Hon'ble Minister for Higher Education, Karnataka Government and dignitaries from corporate and academics were present on the occasion.

Following its philosophy of Transcending Horizons, NMIMS took its first step with Bengaluru Operations to spread its wings to other cities. NMIMS will initially offer a twenty-month weekend Management Program for Executives (MPE) leading to Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) under its Bengaluru Operations. This will be followed by a fifteen-month full time program for Executives leading to Executive PGDBM.

Delivering welcome speech on this occasion, Dr. N M Kondap, vice chancellor-NMIMS expressed his gratitude towards the chief guest and the government of Karnataka for supporting the university. He said that, "The garden city of Bengaluru has led the IT revolution in the country and attained global recognition. And I assure you that NMIMS would, in significant way, contribute towards the management development of aspiring professionals and the corporate community of the city."

The NMIMS University, a centre of excellence for higher education in Management, Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture and science education, has won accolades such as Bombay Management Association's BMA Best Management Institute Award, BMA Best Management Teacher Award and also been rated as one of the top ten B-schools in the country since last several years.

Nice find 2paise

^^ Second that.
When will these projects be finally built?????????
I see a lot of good architecture but when will I see it in life?

More Info:http://www.vaswanigroup.com/projects/technology/index.phtml

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr322/Bob885/tech.jpg

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr322/Bob885/technology.jpg

More Info:http://www.vaswanigroup.com/projects/centropolis/index.phtml

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr322/Bob885/pers.jpg

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr322/Bob885/centropolis.jpg

PALACE GROUNDS PROPERTY SOLD FOR 6,000 CRORES

Wodeyar has sold prime land in Palace Grounds to a city-based developer. Many high profile realtors were interested in the deal but in the end leading developer Dayanand Pai struck the deal.
It is disputed land but already been sold for Rs 6,000 crore. In the biggest land deal that Bengaluru has seen so far, some 250 acres of prime land in the heart of the city in Palace Grounds, has been sold to a leading city-based developer Dayanand Pai.

The state government and the scion of the Mysore royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar are shadow-boxing in the Supreme Court over rights to the property.

The deal has been brokered by a godman, who is close to both the politicians and the maharaja.

A team of chartered accountants drafted the sale agreement that will be executed after the court case is resolved.

Highly placed sources said the Maharaja had received Rs 1,000 crore as advance and the money has been deposited in the Bank of Mauritius in an escrow account. “Mr Wodeyar is earning close to a crore as interest on the advance money. He will receive the balance after the legal hur dles are cleared. Many high profile realtors were interested in the deal but in the end Dayanand Pai struck the deal as he was confident of getting the papers cleared.

Of the 250 acres belonging to the Wodeyar family, 50 per cent is for outright sale and the remaining land will be developed on a joint venture basis by Mr Wode yar and the buyer. The plans include developing an IT Park, setting up malls and multiplexes,” sources said.

A city-based BJP Cabinet rank minister has offered to resolve the issue.

“In 1998, Mr Wodeyar had filed an application to conduct events at the Palace Ground which was turned down by the then state government. Following this, he moved the court and got a stay order on the Bangalore Acquisition and Transfer Act which was moved by the state government in 1997. The minister is working on dropping the case by the government. Another possibility being worked out is to grant the land in lieu of some other property which is also contested by the state and Mr Wodeyar. The high profile minister has resolved many such cases in the past. Looking at his track record, things look positive for the Wodeyars,” sources added.

Princesses Meenakshi Devi, Kamakshi Devi, Indirakshi Devi, Vishalakshi Devi and the late Gayatri Devi, have about 28 acres of land each apart from the major chunk of land that belongs to Mr Wodeyar.

Holy Cow!^^ Thats a lotta money. Probably the biggest land deal India has seen. But does this mean no more concerts at Palace Grounds?

Glimmer of hope in Tokyo real estate (http://www.upiasia.com/Economics/2008/12/12/glimmer_of_hope_in_tokyo_real_estate/3440/)

As the prolonged slowdown in the global economy contributes to further deterioration in business sentiment, the real estate investment market in Tokyo sees a beacon of hope. In the 2009 edition of “Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific,” an annual report jointly published by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tokyo ranked first among all cities in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of investment prospects and risk rating.

Trailing behind Tokyo in the latest “Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific” rankings was Singapore, which is viewed as the gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, followed by Hong Kong, known for its international competitiveness. Bangalore came in fourth, while Shanghai, which had ranked first last year, dropped to fifth place this year.

hehe:)...a PwC report is not to be sneezed at though.

AC Bus stop in Kasthuriba road-Bangalore

http://dkn.dinakaran.co.in/14122008/DN_14-12-08_E1_14-01%20CNI.jpg

Dinakaran-Tamil daily.

^^^^^^ bengaluru always forward

Anyone about the status of this project in Whitefield?

It is planned to open in 2010.

http://i35.tinypic.com/zvdkd4.jpg

Bangalore, the country's IT capital, is ranked No.1 on development prospects and 4th on investment prospects among Asia-Pacific (Apac) cities in 2009 from 13th poistion in 2008, according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2009 Report, which collated responses from participants across Asia-Pacific.

Source 1 (http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/dec/15bangalore-tops-pwc-apac-realty-chart.htm)

Source 2 (http://www.uli.org/News/MediaCenter/PressReleases/2008/ET%20Asia%202009.aspx)

The Karnataka government has allotted 14 acres of government land for setting up the ‘Nano-institute’ - Institute of Nano Science and Technology - in Bangalore. The centre will be set up under the guidance of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), with a Rs 100-crore grant from the government of India out of a budgetary provision of Rs 1,000 crore for nanotechnology initiatives. The state government is further planning to develop a Nano Park and Incubation Centre, Karnataka home minister V S Acharya, said on Saturday.

He was speaking on the occasion of the second edition of Bangalore Nano where Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, governor Rameshwar Thakur, C N R Rao, chairman, Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and Ajit Sapre, group president — Research & Technology, Reliance Industries Ltd, decided to call Bangalore the “Nanocity of India”.

The theme of 2nd Bangalore Nano is ‘Nanotechnology in India’s future’.

The Karnataka government has promised to take every possible measure to encourage research and development in nanoscience and nanotechnology, create opportunities for the commercialisation of nanoscience and facilitate development of small, medium and largescale Industry committed to nanotechnology.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari said it is now globally accepted that nanotechnology is dramatically changing the face of industry and economy and will be a transformative force in the future of India and the world.

“Bangalore Nano has encouraged budding entrepreneurs with business ideas by bringing them face-to-face with industry professionals and venture capitalists on a common platform to facilitate networking and business interactions. We need more such platforms in the country for various industry and research sectors,” Ansari said.

V S Acharya said the Karnataka government has taken the lead in exploring priority areas of nano scientific research and technology.

C N R Rao said India could be a nanotechnology leader if it taps young talent, particularly from rural India. “Nanotechnology, with its own challenges, promises an exciting future for Karnataka and India,” he said.

Rao conducted a special session ‘Nano for the Young’, attended by over 300 students, professors and young scientists from colleges like Mount Carmel, JNC, Acharya P S, MVJ Medical, Dayanand Sagar and GKVK.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/rs-100-cr-nanotech-institute-to-be-setin-bangalore/18/01/343203/

Source 1 (http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/dec/15bangalore-tops-pwc-apac-realty-chart.htm)

Source 2 (http://www.uli.org/News/MediaCenter/PressReleases/2008/ET%20Asia%202009.aspx)

#1 for development prospects is #1 for development prospects PERIOD.Its quite significant to be #1 among all Asia Pacific cities for development and #4 for investment.

Also, India for the first time managed to have THREE of its cities in the top 5 for development and top 10 for investment:cheers:.Of course this is partly due to the global slowdown...nonetheless...

Indian realty stands tall despite market slump (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indian-realty-stands-tall-despite-market-slump/397902/)

New Delhi: The real estate market in India might be facing one of its worst slowdowns, but its position relative to markets in the rest of the Asia Pacific region remains promising. In terms of investment, Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi are all new entrants to the top 10 markets in the Asia Pacific at fourth, seventh and ninth place respectively. This is according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2009 report, released by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Bangalore catapulted from 12th to fourth place for investment and number one for development prospects. Mumbai spiralled into seventh place for investment and third for development prospects. But, the city is also ranked the third riskiest for investment. New Delhi rose to ninth place for investment and fourth for development. Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong rank one, two, and three respectively. Shanghai falls from first to fifth place, ranking after Bangalore.

AC Bus stop in Kasthuriba road-Bangalore

http://dkn.dinakaran.co.in/14122008/DN_14-12-08_E1_14-01%20CNI.jpg

Dinakaran-Tamil daily.

Bharti Airtel, India’s leading mobile service announced the launch of India’s first ever air conditioned bus shelter in Bangalore city in association with BIG Street. B.E. Govindaraju, Joint Commissioner (Advertisement & Markets), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), inaugurated the unique bus shelter. Bus passengers in Bangalore can now look forward to a pleasant experience while waiting for buses.

Venkatesh V, CEO, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Karnataka, said, "Airtel has always been the first when it comes to offering innovative services to customers - be it path breaking services like Hello Tunes, BlackBerry or the iPhone. On the communication front, the first-of-its-kind Airtel Rajdhani Express and this Airtel Air conditioned bus shelter, which is India's first ever such bus shelter are two such examples of our innovative initiatives."

Last year, Airtel had introduced the Bangalore Transport Information System (BTIS) in partnership with the Government of Karnataka. Governed by state-of-the-art technology that is based on recording traffic densities in real-time, BTIS makes use of Airtel's mobile network to keep the public updated in order to facilitate and steer towards optimal road choices. BTIS helps commuters make informed decisions, save time and fuel, avoid stress and frustration and also reduce road accidents. People can get estimated travel times on mobiles. The traffic police can manage traffic better since it will help them plan traffic load sharing and allocate resources better on ground.

“Our Endeavour in Big Street is to enrich people’s lives out of home. We undertook the initiative of providing AC bus shelter to the citizens of Bangalore and we are delighted to have Airtel partner with us. The launch of this first-of-its kind bus shelter in the country marks the beginning of many other innovative solutions that we will be offering” said Rabe Iyer, Head, BIG Street.

The Airtel air conditioned bus shelter is situated on the pavement diagonally opposite to Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium and is adjacent to the pavement near Cubbon Park entrance (Kasturba road). With dimensions of approximately 25x8 feet, it can accommodate 20 people at a time and will be manned by a uniformed guard. This project is a quantum leap in the kind of technological and design prowess utilized by BIG Street so far.

Bangalore is a city in which a lot of people depend on buses for their daily commuting and at times, passengers end up waiting for quite some time to catch their bus. With India’s first ever AC bus shelter coming up in the city, Bangalore underlines its cosmopolitan image by offering world class facilities to citizens.

Source (http://www.indiainfoline.com/news/innernews.asp?storyId=87392&lmn=1&cat=15)

Few pics of A/C shelter..

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9411/20081215shelter1ih0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5417/20081215shelter2wk1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The Karnataka government has approved Soma Enterprises' bid to construct the Bangalore International Convention Centre near Devanahalli International Airport at an investment of Rs 1100 Crore. The centre, which will be developed on 35 acres, will house a few star hotels and budget category hotels, besides an entertainment area, an exhibition centre and a banquet hall. It will have a seating capacity for 6000 people and is being planned by the state tourism department. The centre will be built on BOT basis for 30 years. Soma Enterprises has already given the tourism department Rs 20 Lakh as a deposit for the project and has agreed to give three per cent of the total profits.

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=2925&sid=1

Hebbal area...

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/3905/img1895km1.jpg

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5633/img1894va5.jpg

The annual year-end report by global real estate consultants Cushman & Wakefield shows that Bangalore witnessed the highest commercial space absorption in the country of 10.4 million sqft - the highest in the country for the fifth consecutive year. Of that, IT and ITeS companies absorbed 88%, followed by automotive, telecommunications and other sectors.

Leading the way was i-Flex Solution, which absorbed 1,100,000 sqft of commercial space in Whitefield, followed by 350,000 sqft of space each by ABB and ANZ IT in Whitefield and the Marathalli-Sarjapur belt.

Chennai absorbed only 4.1 million sqft of commercial space of the 9.8 million sqft of supply this year, as against its absorption of 6.5 million sqft of space in 2007.

Hyderabad witnessed a whopping 67% drop in commercial space absorption -- from last year's figure of 4 million sqft to only 1.3 million sqft this year. The total supply in the city amounted to nearly 3.8 million sqft.

Source - ToI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/Bangalore_leads_in_IT_space_race/articleshow/3915932.cms)

The Karnataka government proposes to construct a 100-storey trade centre on the lines of New York’s erstwhile World Trade Center. Proposed locations are either the Race Course or the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd land at Rajajinagar.

“Nearly 10 investors have evinced interest in partnering with the government to build this skyscraper,’’ Nirani said. Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa is said to have given consent to the idea.

Source - ToI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Bangalore/City_may_play_host_to_100-floor_tower/articleshow/3921217.cms)

Source - ToI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Bangalore/City_may_play_host_to_100-floor_tower/articleshow/3921217.cms)

We've been waiting forever for something like this to come up in india.. After so many delays and waiting it shouldn't be some low quality tower they constructed due to domestic pressure. If they build this tower it should be of EXCELLENT quality and very asthetically appealing something like the International Finance center in Hong Kong.

Hey Bloke,^^
What makes you think the Govt. is gonna build a low quality tower?
I think it's the private developers we guys should be more afraid of. When we have builders like Prestige & Lanco building sub-standard structures in out country:ohno:.
I think we should have more faith in our Govt.

Adios.

^^

I agree that so far the govt buildings built for commercial purposes leave a lot to be desired. Have you visited any of the BDA complexes or the Utility Building, which was the tallest bldg for many years? It is pathetic, to say the least. Govt should go in for a PPP and leave it to professional builders to handle such projects. Also, one wonders if Bangalore is also gearing up with support infrastructure for such projects... just imagine a fire in the higher floors... our fire engines cannot reach beyond 10 floors, I am certain. Even with the current lot of tall structures, we face a catastrophe, God forbid, anything untoward happens... UB Towers, the Beary's structure in Hebbal and so on...are they geared to face and overcome such disasters? Possibly, SSC members like Sudeesh who work in the construction industry can throw some light on what is the planning.

We've been waiting forever for something like this to come up in india.. After so many delays and waiting it shouldn't be some low quality tower they constructed due to domestic pressure. If they build this tower it should be of EXCELLENT quality and very asthetically appealing something like the International Finance center in Hong Kong.

Why would they build a poor quality 100 floor building...then it might collapes.

Wish & hope it will be world's tallest Green Building.

Why would they build a poor quality 100 floor building...then it might collapes.

Haha, I'm sure they wouldn't build a tower that'd collapse in a few years... but since it's a tower of such height it should deserve to be the landmark of Bangalore and how do we do that? We need to make a tower that rivals the Burj Dubai, International Finance centre in HK, and the Petronas Towers... let's just wait and see how much they're saying it's going to cost... if it's not more than 1 billion USD ... it's hopeless. Also just my suggestion.. if they read this thread instead of hiring the usual bidders from singapore or europe.. why not give this contract to Samsung Engineering? They've built Taipei 101 and are now constructing burj dubai.

^^
I only hope the initial enthusiasm that you've displayed on this sub-forum eventually dies down.

Cheers

You forgot the grand daddy of all of them, North Star @ Brigade Gateway, which is already at 128m, which is equivalent to a 43-44 floor residential building.:)

As far as Private developers are concerned, I would say everybody would be conforming to fire & safety requirements, say like smoke & fire detectors, sprinklers, fire extinguishers etc. And there would be routine fire drills. We had recently such a fire drill at our Corporate office to check whether the systems are working fool proof.

Anyway regarding our public service utilities like Fire Brigade, what you said is very true. They don’t have cranes or ladders which would go beyond 10 floors. There is a rule in National Building Code (NBC) which stipulates that any building which is 20 floors/60m or above shall have a helipad. This is for air evacuation during fire. But helicopters are not common here and no emergency services in any Indian city have helicopters. So even if we have helipads mandatory, our fire brigade/Police would not be coming for rescue in choppers.


... UB Towers, the Beary's structure in Hebbal and so on...are they geared to face and overcome such disasters? Possibly, SSC members like Sudeesh who work in the construction industry can throw some light on what is the planning.

BANGALORE: This city is synonymous with traffic jams. To find a solution, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in collaboration with the government,
inaugurated a Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP) on Friday.

....

CiSTUP has been set up with a corpus fund of Rs 30 crore, contributed by stakeholders such as BMTC, BDA, KSRTC, NEKRTC and NWKRTC. The centre will provide academic programmes for students post graduating in transportation engineering, infrastructure and urban planning.

Online programmes in these fields are also being planned. The centre will set up laboratory in geographic information systems, remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and disaster mitigation.

IISc will also set up a specialized library and publish books dealing with these themes. CiSTUP intends to generate more trained technical and scientific professional and facilitate rigorous study of innovations. It will facilitate research in solid waste management, disaster mitigation management, remote sensing, resource optimisation, mathematical modelling, ground improvement techniques and other aspects of urban planning.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said CiSTUP will help to develop the city. Professor P Balaram, director, IISc, said, “The first activity of this centre will be initiated before Republic Day. I hope in a few years time, CiSTUP will be at par with United Nations University.”



Source: ToI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/IISc_takes_a_shot_at_urban_planning/articleshow/3928496.cms)

Hope CiSTUP will be able to solve Bangalore's traffic & other woes.

How many parking complexes are ready now? - Jayanagar, Yeshwantpur, ... so many are there I think...

^^ Sorry, first priority is to cities in the backward regions of the state.


ACTION LATER
If you are thinking that your problems will be addressed with the launch of CiSTUP, you have to wait. According to senior officials, except for the formation of the executive committee nothing will happen immediately. “The planning of projects cannot happen overnight. It requires time and a lot of ground work before coming up with solutions for problems,” explained Professor T G Sitharam, a professor in the Civil Engineering department at IISc. First, a CiSTUP centre must be set up with facilities needed for research and development. And Bangalore will not be first on its list of beneficiaries. “We need time to study the conditions in the city. Moreover, the government has asked us to give more importance to tier-II cities like Bellary, Gulbarga,” Sitharam added.


Source: Bangalore Mirror (http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=10&contentid=200901032009010300294248566e90e08&sectxslt=)

Designed by Studio u+a architects -

Cityview, Bangalore
A 1.6 million sqft mixed use project comprising commercial offices, luxury hotel, premium residential apartments and high end retail.
Client: Cityview Developers
Status: Design in Progress (2011)

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/889/bl1ie6.jpg


http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/2995/bl2oy8.jpg

^^Sleek designs:cheers:

Nice find!

AC Bus stop in Kasthuriba road-Bangalore

http://dkn.dinakaran.co.in/14122008/DN_14-12-08_E1_14-01%20CNI.jpg

Dinakaran-Tamil daily.

Fabulous concept - but is it workable in India as of now? This is something hardly seen even in advanced developed countried such as Singapore and Dubai.

Though a desirable luxury in the heat of the Bangalorean summer these days - this hudson circle a/c bus stop is even otherwise one of the more shady and cooler bus stops - I guess it will reduce the burden on the a/c. Wonder for how many hours they will run it each day...

I hope the private party that maintains it has put aside some funds for maintenance - - to make it as vandal and bundh proof as possible and to quickly replace broken parts.

Also I am curious to know how crowds will be regulated on a scorching hot summer day when it would be an attractive oasis for the local chakli/ push cart vendor, beggars who'd otherwise sleep on park benches, and even passing stray dogs etc. I hope the ad revenue covers all this and pays for this attractive concept and it's on going maintenance...

That expansive swathe of glass needs regular cleaning like 4 or more times a week to rid it of dust, hair oil stains as people lean on it.Not to mention other grubby stains left behind by people with varying levels of personal hygine.;) If this is not done it will soon end up looking as shabby and scratched as the window panes of those clattering old truck like buses of yore. I certainly hope this concept works well for all of us - perhaps then we would have more of these around...

^^I drove by that Bus stop some 2-3 times, was not able slow down or shoot, but never saw a person in it. But the normal Bus shelter, just ahead of this one was occupied and people spilling over to the roads. Not sure whether it was locked or not.

Ramesh, I still feel Bangalore summer is nothing, you feel the heat only if you are directly under the sun. You get in to some shade, it is comfortable.

This is nothing more than an Advertising space for 'AIRTEL' The road has trees over it, just like a canopy. And just behind the shelter, it is one of the heavily wooded parts of Bangalore. AIRTEL can save on cleaning costs, because of less dust and dirt. And the funny thing is that they opened it during winter when an average bangalorean out on the road is in jackets, sweaters and caps.

^^I drove by that Bus stop some 2-3 times, was not able slow down or shoot, but never saw a person in it. But the normal Bus shelter, just ahead of this one was occupied and people spilling over to the roads. Not sure whether it was locked or not.

Ramesh, I still feel Bangalore summer is nothing, you feel the heat only if you are directly under the sun. You get in to some shade, it is comfortable.

This is nothing more than an Advertising space for 'AIRTEL' The road has trees over it, just like a canopy. And just behind the shelter, it is one of the heavily wooded parts of Bangalore. AIRTEL can save on cleaning costs, because of less dust and dirt. And the funny thing is that they opened it during winter when an average bangalorean out on the road is in jackets, sweaters and caps.

^^I agree. It does not make any logical sense for the commuter but a whole lot of business sense for Airtel from a marketing perspective. Ofcourse the shelter can serve its purpose in the few rainy months of the year:)

They have these kinds of bus shelters here in dxb and people were using it quite a bit during the summer months... Now durng winter, i always see people standing outside the shelter and barely anyone inside. So i guess the true value will only be seen in summer....

Bangalore Projects designed by Studio u+a:

1. Manyata Complex, Bangalore
A 1.2 million sqft mixed used project on a 7 acre site, comprising of offices, hotel serviced apartment and retail.
Client: Manyata Developers
Status: Design in progress (2011)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/3179126406_1431bb4d89_o.jpg

2. E-city World, Bangalore
31 acre mixed use project with group housing, offices, hotel and serviced apartments.
Client: ETA Star Alliance
Status: Masterplanning in progress (2010)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3178288377_89460b8962_o.jpg

I hope I can highlight the state of infra in Bluru in this thread. I am sad to say that the general conditions of roads in Bluru City has taken a turn for the worse.

No single road seems to be "done". Major roads are always in some state of dis-repair, a side walk torn apart, lights don't work, pot holes, dust and debris. I wonder whether the govt works or cares. IT sections of the city are pathetic. How does Bluru hope to become a major IT destination. Now I fully empathize with all those whining CEOs of IT companies. Many areas are booming with new constructions, housing and shops. They are often created in new land areas. The roads to access these are dirt roads, not graded properly, sewer and water lines are ad hoc laid, electric lines are strewn on makeshift poles. The city is collecting huge taxes from land development, including property taxes, yet the people who live in these areas suffer through shoddy and indifferent infrastructure.

Another annoying and back breaking feature is speed breakers everywhere. You cannot drive peacefully without your bones being rattled now and then, since there is no warning of these wretched speed breakers. In some places they have 3-4-5-6 (some senseless number) breakers, god knows why. The whole system is corrupt. The police are lazy a-holes who slap speed breakers whenever there is an accident or some halli dude walks across the roads. The city goofballs never work an honest hour in their lives. Politicians eat away at project costs. The contractor does a shoddy half-assed job, never completing the project fully. Next come the various sundry departments, digging away, destroying the newly laid roads. Roads have open storm water drains which inevitably becomes a massive dumping yard for rubbish and other human activity. The whole situation in Bluru is one happy pig sty.

When will these a-holes fix the place. Private developers can lay a finished road overnight. It costs roughly a few crores per km. Having all the roads in bluru fixed should not take a few 1000 crores, the tax base of the city can pay for this over time.

Bangalore : Pedestrians will soon be able to glide across some of Bangalore's chaotic roads. The government will soon build four skywalks
that will be accessible by escalators. What's more, users will be completely insulated from the traffic by way of barricaded footpaths.

The four areas identified for installing the skywalks are Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Magrath Road, D'Souza Circle and Race Course Road. Each of the skywalks is estimated to cost Rs 1.2 crore. The structure is similar to the already existing skywalks -- a steel structure supported by girders. The only difference is the use of escalators or vertical lifts.

The new structures will be 3 metres wide and have a capacity to cater to 2,400 pedestrians per hour in both directions. "Past experience has also been considered in designing these skywalks,'' traffic adviser and expert member of Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development (ABIDe), M N Sreehari, said.

The four places selected have an average pedestrian traffic of 1,000-2,000 per hour. While the area near Garuda mall has maximum footfall on weekends, the other three bear it on weekdays too.

The pilot air-conditioned bus stop may have failed to attract many as it was not a necessity. But the skywalks accessible by escalators are expected to be useful to many, particularly the physically challenged and senior citizens.

The cost of maintaining the escalators will be borne by sponsors. Pedestrians will be encouraged to use these skywalks by barricaded footpaths and closing medians with 5-feet grills. This way, they will be completely insulated from the vehicular traffic, he said.

The detailed project report is ready and a technical committee has submitted its feasibility report. Tenders will be called for shortly. "What remains to be decided is opting for either PPP or the Swiss Challenge method,'' he said, adding that the expert committee is all for the latter method as it involves less parties and hence unnecessary interference. The skywalks will be up in three months once the tenders are finalized.




Source: The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Skywalks_for_pedestrians_soon/articleshow/3995090.cms) on 18th jan 2009

Ozonegroup’s ‘affordable’ housing project

Bangalore, Jan. 21 Targeting the salaried class with an annual income of Rs 5-8 lakh, real estate developer Ozonegroup has launched, what it claims is, “India’s first affordable city housing project” – Evergreens near Sarjapur Road in Bangalore.

The eight-tower 912-unit development, with two- and three-bedroom apartments (about 900 sq ft and 1,200 sq ft respectively), would be available in the Rs 29 lakh to Rs 35 lakh price range. The project is expected to be completed in February 2011.

According to Mr S. Vasudevan, Chairman and Managing Director, Ozonegroup, the company has made efforts to see that plans are functional. “Planning has played an important role in keeping sizes to optimum,” he said.
Cost management

Mr K.S. Sudarshan, Chief Operating Officer, Ozonegroup, said that cost-management solutions, developed in-house, helped them reduce wastage and also bring down construction costs.

He expected to carry forward the concept of “affordable city housing” to other cities “if it is possible to develop such entry-level projects there”.

The company, with a land-bank of about 450 acres, has two projects in Bangalore and Chennai (one each). It expects to launch another project in Bangalore (at North Bangalore) soon.

Totally, five projects are in the pipeline, said Mr Vasudevan, at an estimated Rs 9,000 crore. The company plans to raise debts of about Rs 2,500 crore for these projects, he added.

SOURCE: www.thehindubusinessline.com

Bangalore Projects designed by Studio u+a:

1. Manyata Complex, Bangalore
A 1.2 million sqft mixed used project on a 7 acre site, comprising of offices, hotel serviced apartment and retail.
Client: Manyata Developers
Status: Design in progress (2011)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/3179126406_1431bb4d89_o.jpg

2. E-city World, Bangalore
31 acre mixed use project with group housing, offices, hotel and serviced apartments.
Client: ETA Star Alliance
Status: Masterplanning in progress (2010)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3178288377_89460b8962_o.jpg

Looks great, amazing!

Folks,

Need your help here. Has anybody heard off or had any dealings with Akruti Developers in Bengaluru

Thanks:cheers:

OZONE EVERGREENS PERSPECTIVE

http://www.ozonegroup.com/projects/images/ever_big.jpg

Orange Properties, a Bangalore-based real estate construction and marketing company, is setting up a township comprising international villas, luxury apartments and exclusive apartments at Devanahalli.

Speaking to Projectmonitor, Ms Nova Das, a marketing official of Orange Properties, said that the township had been planned on 65 acres which had been acquired and construction work would commence next month.

In phase-I, 25 acres will be developed for construction of 800 apartments, 270 villas and 45 row houses; phase-II will entail the construction of exclusive apartments on 7,000 sq. ft of land.

The township will have 5-star amenities like clubhouse, poolside lounge bar, multi-cuisine restaurants, conference centre, supermarkets, helipad, landscaped gardens and swimming pools. "An international school within the township will be a unique feature of the project," Ms Das noted.

The project will require an investment of Rs 350-400 crore that will be met entirely through internal resources. The villas and luxury apartments will be offered at cost price (i.e. cost of land plus construction), making it the only residential project offering housing at cost price in Bangalore, Ms Das pointed out. The exclusive apartments consisting of only one house per floor will be sold at a higher price.

Source: http://www.projectsmonitor.com/NEWPROJECTS/orange-properties-plans-township-at-devenahalli

Check out Hebbal lakeside apartment complex inaugurated in 2007:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtWjneh3-Fg&feature=channel_page

Check out Hebbal lakeside apartment complex inaugurated in 2007:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtWjneh3-Fg&feature=channel_page


The interior and landscaping seems quite nice, the the tower design is really dated, and unbelievably ugly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zBfktMj164&feature=channel_page

Also, keep watching "Real State TV" you tube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/retvindia

^^I always thought UB City was taller.

And thats an awesome shot of Mumbais skyline at 1:25.

^^I always thought UB City was taller.




Actually on a more genersalistic view,that was something I had in mind for a long time. Recently when I asked one of my architect friends he said, it wasnt advisable for a city like bangalore to have real tall skyscrapers because of two reasons:

Bangalore has a pretty high altitude usually at which tall buildings are not favoured

Bangalore also has an uneven terrain compared to other cities.

I am not sure how correct these are but this is what I was told.

As far as 'completed' buildings are concerned, Bearys Lake Side Habitat would be the tallest at around 72m.

Northstar @ Brigade Gateway has anyway reached 128m, but some more months to go to be called a 'completed building'. It would be the tallest building for some time.

Tata Aquila Heights at 105 m will be the second runner.


^^I always thought UB City was taller.

And thats an awesome shot of Mumbais skyline at 1:25.

Bangalore is better off, it is on a hard plateau.

In other places like Mumbai or Kerala, extensive piling is required, where the soil is much slushy. 30-45 floor apartments are under construction in cities like Calicut, Kochi and Trivandrum.

Bangalore has a fairly even terrain also. Most similar sized metros in India are also like that.

Actually on a more genersalistic view,that was something I had in mind for a long time. Recently when I asked one of my architect friends he said, it wasnt advisable for a city like bangalore to have real tall skyscrapers because of two reasons:

Bangalore has a pretty high altitude usually at which tall buildings are not favoured

Bangalore also has an uneven terrain compared to other cities.

I am not sure how correct these are but this is what I was told.

I dont think height will be a factor because cities like Mexico City, Bogota and Johanesburg are much higher than bangalore and have lot of high rises

I dont think height will be a factor because cities like Mexico City, Bogota and Johanesburg are much higher than bangalore and have lot of high rises


I agree.. I just wish we have some in bangalore..

Thats gud.. Waiting to see North Star completed!!
I guess only Chennai is the city which doesnt encourage High rises within its CBD or even Metropolitan area....
All the other cities of karnataka, Kerala, Andra in southern India are expected to have High rises skyline in say some 5 years!?

Commercial Tower - ???-fls - Proposed

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7915/bangalore.jpg

Hindustani, please provide the website address from where you got this pic.

Designed by CPG Corp architects -

Shangri-la hotel - opening in 2010

The Shangri-La Hotel, Banglore is a five-Star hotel, strategically located along Palace Road in Bangalore. The guest rooms face one of the oldest Golf Course in Bangalore and the Old Palace building. The hotel is 18-storey tall with a three-storey basement. Surrounded presently by low-rise buildings, the hotel is visible from afar and is destined to be an important landmark in Bangalore.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8669/shangrilahotelbangalore.jpg

The hotel’s facilities include food & beverage outlets, a 500-person capacity banquet hall, meeting rooms and boardrooms, a business centre, a health club and spa, and a gymnasium. A landscape deck with swimming pool and jacuzzi sits on the podium roof level while at the top of the tower are a sky lounge and a landscape roof garden terrace offering a panoramic view of Bangalore. A helipad is also available for those who choose to arrive in style.

^^Where is it located??

^ Palace Road.

Dont think this has been posted here before.

Taj ITPL Hotel

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2334/blore.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blore.jpg)

Dont think this has been posted here before.

Taj ITPL Hotel

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2334/blore.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blore.jpg)

this project has been done for quite a while

http://www.tajhotels.com/TajGroup/Vivanta%20by%20Taj%20-%20Whitefield,BANGALORE/default.htm

^^ Taj Vivanta was opened in December 08.

Taj Vivanta,Whitefield (Opened today)

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn150/2paise/Exterior-Pool1.jpg

More long shots..It is just next to ITPL. Shot some three months back. It is having a strange shape

http://i39.tinypic.com/29modb5.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/bea2xw.jpg

Tata Business centre in Bangalore

http://www.tata-realty.com/images/new_home4.jpg

from tata-reality.com

Bangalore In Hotel - 26fl?

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3465/banglore.jpg
Copright Architect Reza Kabul

Link (http://http://www.architectrezakabul.com/hotels/banglore.htm#)

Renaissance Hotel

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8855/renaissance.jpg
Copyright Architect Reza Kabul

Link (http://www.architectrezakabul.com/hotels/renaissance.htm)

Has this one been posted before?

Nitesh Central Park - 8 floors - Located of Bellary Rd National Highway

http://indiapropertyexpert.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/niteshcentralpark2.jpg

Link (http://indiapropertyexpert.com/2488.htm)

Bengaluru is still ‘best city’

URL: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/potholed-bengaluru-still-%E2%80%98best-city%E2%80%99-318

Bengaluru is still the best place to live in the country. Though potholed roads and poor infrastructure have pulled down the city by a couple of notches on the best cities list compared with last year, global human resources consultancy firm Mercer still rates it as the best city in India followed by Mumbai, whose ratings fell since last year after 26/11.

The just released Mercer’s Quality of Living Global Cities Ranking-2009 pegged Bengaluru at 142, down by two points from last year, out of a sample survey of 215 cities from across the world.

Interestingly, this year’s rankings also identify cities with best infrastructure based on electricity supply, water availability, telephone and mail services, traffic congestion and the range of international flights from local airports.

According to the Mercer Report, Vienna is the best city in the world and Baghdad at 215 has been rated as the worst and the most unsafe city. The other top cities after Vienna are Zurich, Geneva, Vancouver and Auckland.

Mercer conducts an annual study to help multinational firms and governments to place their employees in the international job market based on the quality of living in the respective cities.

The report is based on an evaluation of 39 criteria for each city including political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other public services.

The cities are compared to New York as the base city, with an index score of 100.

In India, New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai follow Bengaluru in terms of better quality of living for expatriates.

Mumbai’s image in the global positioning fell drastically from last year’s 142 to 148.

However, New Delhi has managed to maintain the same rank this year at the 145th place in the global list, while Chennai has been ranked at the 152nd place, the survey revealed.

According to Mercer’s information product solutions India business leader Gangapriya Chakraverti, when firms relocate executives from one country to another they need clear and objective information establishing quality of living differences between cities.

“Some are perceived to be safer, while others provide entertainment activities or more comprehensive medical services,” he said.

Apr 01 2009

Bangalore-based real estate group Ozone Developers is all set to launch an integrated project, Urbana, on a 187-acre site on the Devanahalli Road, five km from the Bangalore International Airport.
The mixed-use project would house residential, retail, hospitality, education, IT and R&D segments, with a total built up area of 20-30 million sq ft. The company plans to invest between Rs 2,500 crore and Rs 3,500 crore in the project, slated for completion
by 2016.
Sudarshan K S, chief operating officer of Ozone Group told FC Estate that the venture would be flagged off in three months’ time. “We plan to begin initial work on the residential section of Urbana by June this year,” he said.
The residential section would comprise entry-level, mid-level and luxury-level residential units. A hospital has also been planned as part of the project.
Sudarshan said the project would be self-sufficient with its own water management system, which would reduce dependence on municipal supply for drinking water .
Sudarshan said, “the entry-level or affordable housing segment would be the main revenue driver in present market conditions. “Market corrections have helped us understand customers. The speculator-investor has been eliminated and we see only genuine home buyers now,” he added.

Source: www.thehindubusinessline.com

Bangalore, May 1

If this developer manages to set a trend, homes in Bangalore could well go the Mumbai way – small and compact. And in these times of recession, when a genuine buyer is not able to loosen his purse strings for that prized home, a product in the Rs 4 lakh to Rs 19 lakh category is indeed a blessing. At least that’s what this new real estate developer hopes it would be.

CSC Constructions has launched three projects in Bangalore – at Attibele near the Electronics City, Devanahalli, and Sarjapur Road – hoping to make “home buying within the reach of one and all.”

All the projects will have apartments in the studio, single bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom categories. The target customers include senior citizens, ex-Servicemen, young couples, first-time buyers, government employees and all those who would want to move from rentals to EMIs without any difficulty.

Mr P.C. Sukanand, Managing Director, CSC Constructions, said, “We cater to all income levels. We would provide what other developers have been providing all these years, but at realistic prices. We have cut down on our margins instead of loading our profits on to the cost of construction.”
More projects

The company also plans to launch six more projects in the city in the next six weeks. “Depending on how we do here, we plan to go to Mumbai also,” he said.

The company would be investing about Rs 20-35 crore in each project towards development, with the landowner being the joint developer.

“We are not over-exposing ourselves to a single location, and we are going across multiple locations, thus offering customers a choice of location,” said Mr Rohit Chugani, Executive Director of the company. The company is also in talks with private equity players for funding for future projects.

“We hope to close in on few deals soon,” he added.

CSC Belle at Attibele will have 1,400 units ranging from 253 sq ft to 850 sq ft, with prices starting at Rs 4 lakh. Phase 1 of this project would see 860 units developed. CSC Boulevard at Devanahalli would have 480 units ranging from 290 sq ft to 1,000 sq ft, with prices starting at Rs 5 lakh. CSC Belva at Sarjapur Road would have 840 units in the 350-950 sq ft range, with prices starting at Rs 5 lakh.

“There will be no compromise on quality or cutting short of amenities in our projects,” said Mr Sukanand.

The residential complexes will come with amenities including swimming pool, kids’ play area, a Hospice centre, crèche, 24-hour security, supermarket/shops, gym, party hall, club house, etc.

Date:08/05/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/08/stories/2009050855871600.htm
Honeywell opens new R&D centre

UPBEAT: David M. Cote (left), Chairman and CEO, Honeywell, with Krishna Mikkilineni, President and Managing Director, Honeywell Technology Solutions, at a press conference in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: Diversified U.S. engineering company Honeywell International said it remained committed to India as a manufacturing, engineering and R&D location even as President Obama proposed reductions in tax benefits to U.S. companies investing in subsidiaries outside the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of Honeywell’s new $50 million R&D and engineering facility in Bangalore, Chairman and CEO Dave Cote said India was an integral part of the company’s global growth strategy. The company would continue to grow and build capabilities in India.

“I get worried when I hear about protectionism. It is certainly worrisome and harmful,” said Mr. Cote. “It would cause people to believe in things that would be harmful in the long run. I am a big fan of creating jobs everywhere,” he added.

Mr. Cote said anything that prevented globalisation would be harmful to standards of living around the world, even in the country that initiated it.

Honeywell expects sales of about $600 million in 2009 from India, which is slightly higher than what it earned in 2008. China and India would grow at double the pace than in the developed economies, he said, terming the two economies as bright spots in the world.

For the first quarter of 2009, the company reported a drop in profit and cut full year earnings forecast on the back of slower sales in its key business divisions comprising aerospace, automation and control solutions, transportation systems and speciality materials.

In India, Honeywell expects business to grow in all the four divisions. The company is collaborating with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to produce TPE331 aircraft engines in India, as well as pursuing a programme to re-engine the Indian Air Force’s strike aircraft with its F125IN turbofan engines. At present, Honeywell has 10,000 employees in India, compared with 1,000 in 2002. It has five manufacturing facilities in the country.

The new 6.90 lakh sq. ft. facility, the largest in the company, can accommodate 3,000 people, and it would move in people from its temporary locations in Bangalore, it said.

Mr. Cote said a majority of U.S. companies was saying that the recently proposed measures were bad not only for the U.S. economy but also for the global economy. :cheers:

DLF's Bangalore project caught in trouble : Read More (http://www.exchange4projects.com/COMCOM/dlfs-bangalore-project-caught-in-trouble)

I dont understand why such reputed companies behave in such a way

^^
what exactly was terribly wrong there? there is probably more to it than meets the eye with media paying too much attention to bbmp without getting into details. perhaps lost opportunity for kickbacks from the dlf satellite city prompted bbmp to do this?

i am sure reputed companies such as dlf would like to first get approvals before lauching projects if we have a more responsive bda's and bbmp's.

Stage set for B'lore's largest power plant
Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/1543/stage-set-blores-largest-power.html

The State government had promised an exclusive 5,000 megawatt mw) plant to the City. Now, the 2,100 mw CCBPP, the first in the State and the closest to Bangalore, is finally happening.


Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL)’s much awaited Combined Cycle Bidadi Power Plant (CCBPP) is all set to be a reality, with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) agreeing to supply Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) required for the plant and the Yelahanka diesel plant, which KPCL intends to convert to a gas-based plant.

In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, the State government had promised an exclusive 5,000 megawatt (mw) plant to the City. Now, the 2,100 mw CCBPP, the first in the State and the closest to Bangalore, is finally happening.

A top KPCL official, on condition of anonymity, told Deccan Herald that frequent meetings were held by the State Government with several companies including GAIL, Reliance and Malaysia based Petronas, since April to supply LNG .

Entering into pact

“We had totally stopped pursuing the gas deal due to several reasons. Now the situation has changed a lot. GAIL has come forward to supply the required fuel. Due to the initiative of the Secretary, Infrastructure Development, we are expecting the MoU to be inked within the next two to three months,” the official said.

The Bidadi plant requires an estimated 14 million metric standard cubic meter per day (MMSCMD) of gas. The Yelahanka diesel unit, which is to be converted into a gas plant with a capacity of 720 mw, requires about 4 MMSCMD of gas, he said.

Accordingly, GAIL will be storing the LNG at Mangalore before it is transported via pipeline to the outskirts of Bangalore, where it is regasified and used.

“This process requires three years, but before that, our boilers will be kept ready to generate power. It requires less than two years because the readymade gas boilers in a package of 700 mw capacity each, just needs re-assembling,” explained the officer.

Sources in KPCL also said that one more pipeline from the East coast is also on the cards. This, according to the officials, will bridge the gap of demand and supply in the State.

Yelahanka diesel plant

On the Yelahanka plant, he said that it is inevitable to convert the plant to gas considering the non-availability of low sulphur high speed diesel (LSHSD) to run the plant.

“The plant being within the City limits, needs clean fuel where the sulphur emission is less than eight percent. But even the low sulphur high speed diesel which meets the requirement is beyond the reach considering the cost factor as well as the availability,” he said. The Yelahanka plant currently contributes up to 1.6 million units per day, but is put to use only during the days of crisis.

“We have been utilising it since 2007 during scarcity. But it was operating full time during this year because of the crisis. Converting the plant to gas would bring down the generation cost and another plant with a capacity of 600 megawatt will be installed here to meet the city’s requirements,” said the official.

^^

I don't understand why Planners are not thinking about Solar. Everyone seems to think that India has the highest potential to reap Solar energy since the all year sun shine is highest. Clearly solar has only an 8-10 hr window, but then conventional based plants can be used during the lean sun hours. India needs to think along the lines of reducing its carbon footprint. Gas/oil is still being imported and the only ones who benefit are oil sheikhs.

Date:12/05/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/12/stories/2009051252911600.htm
Chinese city beckons Indian IT cos

Special Correspondent
Partnership will enable BPO firms to service markets in Japan, Korea and in the ASEAN region
Lower tax rates a major incentive for offshoring in Nantong

BANGALORE: A five-member delegation from the city of Nantong in China was here on Monday to woo Indian IT and BPO companies to establish partnerships with Chinese companies to jointly reach out to markets in East Asia.

Chen Xiao Dong, Vice Secretary and Vice Director, Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA), said Nantong’s “highly skilled labour force” could enable Indian IT and BPO companies to service markets in Japan, Korea and in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region.

Mr. Chen said the lower tax rates on companies operating in NETDA and the financial support provided by the Chinese Government were major incentives to encourage offshoring from Nantong. He said large multinational companies preferred “not to put all their eggs in one basket.” They would rather “diversify their offshoring locations to minimise risks”, he added.

Mr. Chen said major Japanese corporations had already established their bases in Nantong and invested about $5-6 billion in facilities there. Referring to the difficulty that Indian IT and BPO companies faced in addressing the Japanese market because of “cultural constraints”, Mr. Chen said Indian and Chinese companies could jointly service the outsourcing business that lay untapped. He pointed out that revenues from Japan constituted only about six per cent of the Indian IT and BPO companies.

The delegation’s visit to India is being coordinated by Beijing-based India-China Economic and Cultural Council (ICEC) and the Federation of Indian Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME).

Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary-General, FISME, said the sever recession in the advanced economies required Indian companies to adopt a “look east policy” because the East Asian economies were relatively better off in these times. He pointed out that the impending accession of India to the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement gave the partnership with China added relevance.

I have started a thread Renewable Energy in India (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=36521924#post36521924), please continue the Solar Energy Discussion there.

Rs 3,383-cr drinking water project launched


Source (http://www.exchange4projects.com/WATTREAT/rs-3383cr-drinking-water-project-launched)


Steps are being taken to bring an end to the water woes of Bangalore city. B S Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister of Karnataka has launched the Rs 3,383.70 crore Phase II of the stage IV of Cauvery water supply scheme on 25 May 2009.

The project aims to bring an additional 500 million litres daily (mld) of water to Bangalore to meet its water needs. The scheme slated to be completed in 30 months is being implemented by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) with funds from Japan International Cooperation Association (JICA.

BWSSB and Katta Subramanya Naidu, Excise Minister said that the state government was making efforts to bring 20 TMC of additional water to Bangalore city from various sources. At present, the city is receiving 18 TMC of water from Cauvery.

The CM also launched the BWSSB programme of installing water metres in residences of slum-dwellers free of cost. BWSSB has identified 17,500 residences from 350 slums in the city for the purpose. This facility will be extended to all slums in the city in a phased manner.

Even China towns beat Bangalore
30 May 2009, 0433 hrs IST, Prashanth G N, Times of India

BANGALORE
: Is Bangalore in the league of Shanghai? Don’t even ask. How about Wuhan, Shanyang, Changchun, Tianjin, Foshan or Nanjing? These aren’t
cities with instant name recall. They are not brands or global hotspots like Bangalore. But even these little known Chinese cities are giving ‘Brand Bangalore’ a run for its money in urban governance and order, scoring way above it and a few other Indian metros.

Initial results of a study of five Indian and Chinese cities including Bangalore by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Chinese scientists have thrown up some harsh facts. Chinese cities that are nowhere in the league of Shanghai score better than Bangalore on atleast two fronts — respect for and execution of urban regulations and city orderliness.

T V Ramachandra of IISc told TOI: “Initial data we and Chinese scientists have collated indicate that five Chinese cities studied are better than metros like Bangalore and Chennai in implementation of urban norms and organisation of the city.” He says that there is far more sensitivity to norms and regulations in Chinese cities.

Owing to far better implementation, Chinese cities are expected to score better on land use, zoning regulations, density concentration, transport networks and overall sustainable urban development. “It is well known that Bangalore is bursting. We should ask how sustainable this growth will be. If we have reached this stage there must be something wrong with planning. We could get a lot of lessons in urban planning especially from the sustainable point of view,” says Ramachandra.

“We will study five more cities in both countries and we will have more data to compare and analyse then. By November we will have a complete picture on sustainable urban planning,” he adds.

Purva Atria | 14 floors

http://kabeer.org/~kabeer/kabeer/images/thumb/6/68/Purva_Attria.JPG/250px-Purva_Attria.JPG

Update from Purvankara website (http://www.puravankara.com/projects/bangalore/atria.htm)

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/773/22260823.jpg

Centre to spend Rs. 1 lakh crore on Metro Rail Projects (http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/2009/06/centre-to-spend-rs-1-lakh-crore-on.html)

The Centre has decided to invest Rs. 1 lakh crore in the Metro rail projects across the country. The major cities to be included in the project are Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. Some of the cities that are set to be included in the Metro Rail project are Pune, Lucknow, Kochi, Ludhiana and Jaipur. The Government expects to repeat the success of Delhi Metro elsewhere in the country in the days to come.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) MD E Sreedharan has said that they are contemplating to offer consultancy to some developing nations that want similar projects in their countries. Pakistan, Indonesia and Syria have reportedly approached the DMRC for consultancy.

Once the Metro Rail project is expanded to other parts of the country, India may require at least 250-300 coaches every year.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=No+takers+for+these+vacant+homes&artid=uXwFHvumPQ4=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&SEO=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==
BANGALORE: Recession clouds are yet to clear out. Once a busy market for real estate, Bangalore is now a feeble replica of itself-- all around you are fullybuilt apartments which no one is coming forward to buy or apartments in their still-being-built forms. The impact is such that at least 2.50 lakh apartments in the city are in this stage.


Outer Ring Road, Bellary Road, International Technology Park, Electronics City and JP Nagar, are dotted with incomplete housing projects started by various builders.

While the real estate boom was at its peak, many small-time builders from neighbouring states tried to make quick money by imitating the established builders in Bangalore.

They paid more than the actual price of the land to the landowners.

The result: Artificial hike in land price thus increasing the project cost. The other disadvantage of this phenomena was that the small-time builders do not have sufficient funds to complete the projects on their own.

According to Ravi N of Property @ Bangalore.com, the reason for the incomplete or unsold apartments is supply overtaking demand.

“With more and more builders launching housing projects, demand for apartments has come down. Because of this, more than 2.50 lakh apartments are vacant in Bangalore. If we estimate each of the apartment at Rs 15 lakh, the total value of these apartments comes around Rs 37,000 crore,” says Ravi.

With the completed housing or commercial projects failing to get buyers, the builders are in a dilemma on how to pay the loans availed from the financial institutions.

As if this were not enough, many banks have reduced housing loan portfolio considerably. “It would become more difficult for us to continue in this business if we fail to get loans from banks at reasonable rate of interest,” says a builder under the condition of anonymity.

IT companies and business establishments are suffering losses.

For example, commercial spaces used to command Rs 200 per sq ft on 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar two years ago. “Now there are no tenants to pay even Rs 50 per sq ft,” says a realtor in Jeevan Bheema Nagar.

With the danger of pink slips looming large in IT sector, many prospective buyers from this segment have been postponing their decision to buy apartments. It may not be an exaggeration to say the a majority of the buyers, especially IT professionals, are not able to pay the EMIs regularly due to salary cut. “Public sector banks are ready to sanction loans to IT professionals but it is the latter who hesitate to avail of loans because of the insecure future,” says an employee of a nationalised bank.

Hope alive However, many builders are optimistic about regaining the old glory. They expect that the recent announcement by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to help the real estate segment will provide the sector the much-needed boost. “If the nationalised banks convert the assurances into deeds there will be no reason why the segment can’t gain momentum,” says Suresh Hari, vice-president, CREDAI - Karnataka.

Hari disputed the theory that a number of apartments are in incomplete or vacant stage. He said that no builder had launched a new project for the last one year.

“There may be between 2,000 and 3,000 apartments vacant in Bangalore,” he said.

On the future of real estate in Bangalore he says,”Yes, there is a future. Now the number of enquiries has been increased considerably.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has also evinced interest to help the real estate sector,” said Hari.

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/06/02/images/2009060258910401.jpg
— Photo K. Murali Kumar

READY BUT... Two underpass built at Maharani College Circle (above) and K.R. Circle are ready for inauguration.

Bangalore: The two new underpasses built at Maharani’s College Circle and K.R. Circle are ready for use, but the motorists will have to wait another week before they can use them as the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is waiting for a convenient time for Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to inaugurate them.

Making these underpasses operational will ensure signal free movement at Maharani’s Circle and K.R. Circle. However, Bangaloreans will have to wait till June 7, the likely date for inauguration by Chief Minister, even though the underpasses are ready.
Commenced

The work on underpass at Maharani’s College Circle, built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crore, commenced on March 13 and has been completed in a record period of about two-and-a-half months.

The use of pre-cast elements (popularly known as “magic boxes”) technology has reduced the construction period when compared to convention technology which would have taken more than a year, said a senior BBMP engineer.

Road-widening

Meanwhile, work on widening Palace Road stretch between Bangalore University Hostel and Mysore Bank Circle, and Sheshadri Road stretch between Freedom Park and Anand Rao Circle is yet to be completed for introduction of two-way traffic on these roads as proposed.

Similarly construction of an underpass and remodelling of K.R. Circle to introduce a signal free rotary at the junction commenced on April 10 and has been completed in less than two months.

The BBMP has spent about Rs 2.5 crore for this project.

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/06/02/stories/2009060258910400.htm

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/06/02/images/2009060258910401.jpg
— Photo K. Murali Kumar

READY BUT... Two underpass built at Maharani College Circle (above) and K.R. Circle are ready for inauguration.

Bangalore: The two new underpasses built at Maharani’s College Circle and K.R. Circle are ready for use, but the motorists will have to wait another week before they can use them as the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is waiting for a convenient time for Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to inaugurate them.

Making these underpasses operational will ensure signal free movement at Maharani’s Circle and K.R. Circle. However, Bangaloreans will have to wait till June 7, the likely date for inauguration by Chief Minister, even though the underpasses are ready.
Commenced

The work on underpass at Maharani’s College Circle, built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crore, commenced on March 13 and has been completed in a record period of about two-and-a-half months.

The use of pre-cast elements (popularly known as “magic boxes”) technology has reduced the construction period when compared to convention technology which would have taken more than a year, said a senior BBMP engineer.

Road-widening

Meanwhile, work on widening Palace Road stretch between Bangalore University Hostel and Mysore Bank Circle, and Sheshadri Road stretch between Freedom Park and Anand Rao Circle is yet to be completed for introduction of two-way traffic on these roads as proposed.

Similarly construction of an underpass and remodelling of K.R. Circle to introduce a signal free rotary at the junction commenced on April 10 and has been completed in less than two months.

The BBMP has spent about Rs 2.5 crore for this project.

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/06/02/stories/2009060258910400.htm

Two and half months for construction and further two and half months for inaguration? Way to go with our politicians!!!!! With BBMP elections round the corner such instances will only increase. God bless the commuters.........

^^ The commuters themselves should inaugurate these and start using it.. That'll mean a tight slap on BBMP. :ohno:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/8169/underpass-thrown-open-k-r.html

Construction of seven flyovers, one underpass to begin on Friday
31-km stretch of ORR to be signal-free by 2011
Bangalore, DH News Service:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The construction of seven more flyovers and an underpass on the 31-km stretch of the Outer Ring Road - from Hebbal Flyover to the Central Silk Board - will begin on June 26, to facilitate signal-free travel on the stretch.


The foundation stones for the infrastructure projects will be laid by Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.

The total cost of these projects is Rs 240.03 crore, according to sources at the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

On the agenda is a flyover at HSR Layout, at a cost of Rs 24.56 crore; another on 14th Main of HSR Layout (Rs 36.56 crore); a third flyover at Bellandur (Rs 39.96 crore); a fourth at Devarabeesanahalli junction (Rs 39.8 crore); another at Kalyananagara Junction (Rs 33.93 crore), besides the Hennur flyover and underpass (Rs 54.76 crore) and the Veerannapalya Junction flyover (Rs 37.02 crore).

These projects will have to be completed in 18 months, and BDA authorities promise to strictly monitor the work to get it done by the stipulated time. There have been complaints aplenty about chaotic traffic on this stretch, leading to frequent jams.
The government approved these projects taking into consideration the regular problem faced by the commuters.

Four flyovers have already been constructed at Hebbal, Central Silk Board, Ramamurthy Nagar and Marathahalli Junctions. The BBMP is undertaking works at Banaswadi and Nagawara.

Although the Outer Ring Road was designed to decongest the city traffic, the mounting vehicular traffic eventually led to chaos on this road as well. The intersections were bound to trigger more trouble and the road planners apparently overlooked this.
In the recent past, four flyovers have already been constructed at Hebbal, Central Silk Board, Ramamurthy Nagar and Marathahalli Junctions. The BBMP is undertaking works at Banaswadi and Nagawara.

The only obstacles right now, to developing a signal-free vehicular movement from Hebbal Flyover to Central Silk Board are the two junctions at Mahadevapura and Kadabeesanahalli.

The reason: the contract has not been allotted. Recently, the BDA had called for tenders for flyovers at these two junctions, but the bidders demanded prices that were considered too high. The BDA has decided to float tenders afresh for these two junctions.

Projects cleared

In a step towards helping ease traffic congestion, the BBMP on Tuesday cleared two under-pass projects, for the smooth flow of traffic towards Majestic.

BBMP Commissioner Bharatlal Meena on Tuesday discussed the problems of commuters from Rajajinagar and Magadi Road, with the engineering section of the BBMP.
The Commissioner approved an underpass near Okalipuram Junction, and a junction on Magadi Road. The cost of these two projects is Rs 40 crore, said BBMP Chief Engineer Chikkarayappa.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/9878/31-km-stretch-orr-signal.html

Just wondering those underpasses are very narrow and short in height, can a container truck clear the ceiling?

^^I think the minimum clearance for the 'smallest' underpasses would be 4.5 m or 4.2 m. Remember seeing such a board it in Cauvery Jn magic box.

Anyway I do not think Container lorries are permitted in those zones, where the above mentioned underpasses are located. They do not normally get inside beyond the circle of Outer Ring road.

The underpasses in Outer Ring Road and other highways are pretty much wide and high.

Vivanta flagship hotel completes ??

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=11822

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1697/118225vivanta6big.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2166/118223vivanta4big.jpg

It's owned by Taj hotels and was opened last year.

Westin B'lore u/c at the Manyata tech park. It has been designed by Studio u+a architects.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2318/45756200.jpg

It's opening on July1, 2011.

Designed by RSP architects:

Mixed used development for the Tata group along MES road
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2207/12190510.jpg

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8343/21533649.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8995/75184595.jpg

Trident Hilton Hotel at BIAL - 321 rooms
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/3033/35022320.jpg

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4330/42933180.jpg


Traders' Hotel for Adarsh group at Whitefield - 252 rooms
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4664/86393913.jpg

One more five-star hotel in Bangalore

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Bangalore is expected to have another five-star hotel with the State High Level Clearance Committee on Wednesday clearing a proposal by Trishul Developers to build such a hotel and service apartment at a cost of Rs. 119.31 crore.

The committee also cleared a proposal for building a luxury hotel and service apartment by City View Bangalore Properties Pvt. Limited at a cost of Rs. 971 crore. Proposals for setting up a luxury hotel in Bangalore Rural district at a cost of Rs. 51.75 crore and a resort in Uttara Kannada district at a cost of Rs. 100 crore also secured the green

signal from the committee.


http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/25/stories/2009062560660400.htm

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/India_reply_to_Obamas_No_Bangalore_policy_-nid-58574.html

Pruva Atria | 14 floors

http://kabeer.org/~kabeer/kabeer/images/thumb/6/68/Purva_Attria.JPG/250px-Purva_Attria.JPG

Pruva Venezia | 15 floors

http://goodwillquestindia.com/images/PurvaVeneziaYelahankaBangalore%20build.JPG

Pruva Highlands | 20 floors

http://www.allcheckdeals.com/projects/purvankara/highlands/images/purva-highland.jpg

Mantri Tranquil | 14 floors

http://deltaestates.com/prop_images/1633_main.gif

Hi,
Purva Atria is delayed for almost 2 years and has legal hassels for staying in . I am suffering after dealing with Purvankara and will advise people to be careful. It is Poor construction , highly mis managed Project Managment ( delay, costs, ambiguities ) and poor record keeping . I have received three ' to be paid statements ' and all are in correct

Ritz Carlton Hotel, FM Cariappa Road - 267 rooms - opening by 2010 end
Website (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Bangalore/Default.htm)
Project on architect's website (http://www.watg.com/?pageid=4133A8FF-3048-7B3D-C5216AAB19E0DD4Chttp://www.watg.com/?pageid=4133A8FF-3048-7B3D-C5216AAB19E0DD4C)

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7342/portfolio4134f15e30487b.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/3858/portfolio413876a030487b.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/3706/portfolio4137562b30487b.jpg

Resi tower designed by HC for DSK Tricone JV group:

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/1788/dk1.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3434/dsk.jpg

Resi tower designed by HC for DSK Tricone JV group:

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/1788/dk1.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3434/dsk.jpg

If built near Ub city,it will give bangalore a brand new world class skyline that it deserves!

^^:cheers: thats bengaluru...........:)

Resi tower designed by HC for DSK Tricone JV group:

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/1788/dk1.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3434/dsk.jpg

Project Details
http://www.triconeco.com/currentprojects/index.php

Second Project under Master Planning

EVERY VOTE COUNTS

Please vote for a new moderator - the contest is hotting up

Voting closes July 16, 2009.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=909566

copyright retv
8zBfktMj164&feature=related

^^ fantastic...thanx a lot
plz someone enlighten me about the 1:19(road??) and 1:20 to 1:27(humongous structures ??) :cheers:

^^ fantastic...thanx a lot
plz someone enlighten me about the 1:19(road??) and 1:20 to 1:27(humongous structures ??) :cheers:

I was wondering the same thing.

both are not in bangalore........:bash: they are visulas of bombay/mumbai.....during the road shot u can see BEST double deck buses (yellow) as well as the humongous structures i previously mentioned about.....

both are not in bangalore........:bash: they are visulas of bombay/mumbai.....during the road shot u can see BEST double deck buses (yellow) as well as the humongous structures i previously mentioned about.....

Ashok towers i suspect?

seems very much............

Garden on BTC land
TNN 31 July 2009, 03:45am IST

BANGALORE: Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa wants to develop a garden at Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) on Race Course
Road.

The government recently issued orders to shift BTC to the outskirts at Chikkajala by December 31 this year.

"A major portion of the existing race course will be developed into a magnificent garden. Bangalore Development Authority will plan the idea," Yeddyurappa wrote to the legislative assembly on Wednesday.

He said the government's decision to shift BTC was firm. "Once BTC goes, traffic will ease in the central part of the city," he added.

The government has issued orders to give 85 acre to BTC at Chikkajala on a 30-year lease. It will cost Rs 50,000 per acre per year. Of the 85 acre, 10 acre will be parking space.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Bangalore/Garden-on-BTC-land/articleshow/4839517.cms

^^ a very good move........:cheers:

A slight change in statement about the reply on BTC from yediyurappa

100-storey tower at Race Course
The CM was categorical that Bangalore Turf Club will have to move end-2009. While most of BTC would be turned into a garden, a 100-storey tower would be built in one portion. He’ll keep talks channel open on giving BTC an extension till Chikkajala club is ready.


Source : TOI (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG/2009/08/01&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00100&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

It is an unrealistic project: Janaagraha

Multi-storeyed tower questioned at Turf Club

Bangalore, DH News Service:

As the Yeddyurappa government goes ahead with its plans to shift the Turf Club outside the city, speculation is rife about the 100-floor tower being planned in its place.


The government maintains that it is planning to utilise only about 15 to 20 per cent of the Race Course premises for putting up the tower and maintain the rest of the area as park.

A bureaucrat said that subject experts at international level would be contacted before going ahead with the tower project. Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) would be seeking the opinion of the experts.

Provision will also be made for a huge vehicle parking lot, he added. Asked whether such a tall tower was required in the centre of the city, which is already choking with vehicular population, the officer said, We will maintain greenery in 80 per cent of the Race Course. We will plan the tower in such a way that it will not pollute the area in any way.

No traffic congestion

Even at Freedom Park (earlier Central Jail) we have allowed vehicle parking. But we are not facing any pollution or traffic congestion. But providing mere parking space at the one end and catering to needs of occupants of a 100-floor tower are drastically different.
Why is it imperative?

The primary question is why the State considers it imperative to build a monstrosity in the heart of the city, when it had clearly promised the citizens much needed lung space.
City activists are convinced that the State cannot resist the lure of capitalising on prime urban land.

Unrealistic planning

Chairperson of Indian Urban Spaces and Co-founder of Janaagraha, Swathi Ramanathan asks Why should the State act as a real estate developer? First of all, the plan is unrealistic and the place like that would stick out like a sore thumb.

There is no transparency in the decision making process of the government. It is their responsibility to be transparent about making such plans in prime urban space. And where is the money going? Is it going to be ploughed back into the city’s development?
The silence of an agency like Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development Task Force (ABIDe) in this matter has raised hackles of many. Col Mathew Thomas of Citizens Action Forum is scathing in his comments.

Ridiculous tower

What are they doing when the CM goes around announcing plans like this? Their silence exposes the kind of organisation they are.

Why do you need such a ridiculous tower there? They should be converting it into a good lung space.

If the advisors of this Task Force cannot tell him that it isn’t a good idea and merely adhere to this statements, then the Task Force itself is a publicity stunt and waste of public funds. The whole idea is just motivated by greed, he observed.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/17472/multi-storeyed-tower-questioned-turf.html

Hi there!

I don't know where to ask, but I have a little question to Bangalore citizens. :)

We have the Bangalore Square in Minsk, because Minsk and Bangalore are twin towns since 1973. I saw the Bangalore Square in Minsk a lot of time, but I hadn't seen any shots of such square in Bangalore (somethink like the Minsk Square, perhaps). So, where can I see the photos of such square at SSC?

Thanks in advance.

PS: sorry for mistakes. My English is bad... :nuts:

Hi there!

I don't know where to ask, but I have a little question to Bangalore citizens. :)

We have the Bangalore Square in Minsk, because Minsk and Bangalore are twin towns since 1973. I saw the Bangalore Square in Minsk a lot of time, but I hadn't seen any shots of such square in Bangalore (somethink like the Minsk Square, perhaps). So, where can I see the photos of such square at SSC?

Thanks in advance.

PS: sorry for mistakes. My English is bad... :nuts:


http://bangalore.metblogs.com/archives/images/2006/08/minsk_1.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/385621523_97b8d66d59.jpg?v=0

metro project is also coming in this square

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3521/pc0021400hl2.jpg


Minsk square in google maps

http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&q=minsk+square+bangalore&ie=UTF8&sll=12.981423,77.596904&sspn=0.021597,0.006295&ei=xRp5SvyFCoXKuwPo3dS_BQ&cd=1&usq=minsk+square&cid=7121480956851748064&li=lmd

^^ yes we have a Minsk square right at the heart of Bangalore city

see this link

http://bangalore.metblogs.com/2006/08/30/minsk-square-bangalore/

Oh, cool. Thanks you all! :banana:

We have a project of "Bangalore Square" underground station in Minsk. :) But it's just a perspective... So there are no renders in this Universe... :)

Hi,
Purva Atria is delayed for almost 2 years and has legal hassels for staying in . I am suffering after dealing with Purvankara and will advise people to be careful. It is Poor construction , highly mis managed Project Managment ( delay, costs, ambiguities ) and poor record keeping . I have received three ' to be paid statements ' and all are in correct

can you let me know what the issues are athese projects

US-based fast food restaurants brands operator Yum! Restaurants is planning to introduce its Mexican speciality chain Taco Bell in India with the first restaurant planned to start in Bangalore in October.

Source: Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/yum-restaurants-to-launch-mexican-chain-taco-bell/366139/

Not sure whether this was posted before.

Hit by the global recession, exports by Karnataka-based Information Technology companies have decelerated sharply in 2008-09. The growth of IT exports — hardware and software — from the State increased only by 15 per cent in 2008-09, compared to 24 per cent the previous year. The exports of 2,084 IT companies registered with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Karnataka amounted to Rs. 67,500 crore in 2008-09, compared to Rs. 58,500 crore during the previous year.

Not that bad considering the huge base figure and the recession

http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/24/stories/2009062454790800.htm

ITC Hotel

photo copyright Dayanidhi


http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/6462/bangaloreitcdayanidhi.jpg (http://img504.imageshack.us/i/bangaloreitcdayanidhi.jpg/)

Ashok towers i suspect?

No they are the three Oberoi Spas towers.

I am getting lazy these days to get photos and post it. This hotel is just infront of my office and during lunch at terrace cafetaria, I see work progressing every day. The helipad is also shaping up well.

ITC Hotel

photo copyright Dayanidhi


http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/6462/bangaloreitcdayanidhi.jpg (http://img504.imageshack.us/i/bangaloreitcdayanidhi.jpg/)

Court has banned construction in the park

Namma Metro seeks a slice of the park for the project



BANGALORE: In what could raise the hackles of environmentalists, two government agencies and the Election Commission have sought the permission of the Karnataka High Court to construct additional buildings in the Cubbon Park.

All the three establishments have filed applications before the High Court seeking its permission to expand their office space. The applications were filed before the High Court as the court had several years ago banned construction in the park and also asked the State not to alter the boundaries of Cubbon Park.

Additional floor

All the three applications are likely to come up for hearing shortly. In the first application, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, has moved the court seeking its permission to construct an additional floor atop its existing premises in Cubbon Park. The office is located next to the KGID building and the application was filed by Joint Chief Electoral Officer B.V. Kulkarni.

The application says the office of the Chief Electoral Officer is located in a single-storeyed building measuring 5,456 square feet. It says it needs additional floor space to house a data centre it plans to set up to take care of electronic revision of electoral rolls, a ladies’ room, conference and meeting halls.

Responsible

It says elections to the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are conducted by it. Moreover, it is entirely responsible for revision of electoral rolls. Since there is electronic revision of rolls, there is a need to set up an excusive data centre. As 10 per cent of the staff are women, there is a need to set up a ladies’ room.

The office has been housed in the same premises for 50 years and urged the High Court to modify its earlier order and permit construction of an additional floor.

Other departments too

Apart from the Election Office, the Public Works Department and the Horticulture Department too have filed applications seeking permission to construct buildings.

The Horticulture Department says its office in Cubbon Park is located adjacent to the Lawn Tennis courts.

It says the building is in a dilapidated condition and seeks the court nod for reconstruction and repair of the building.

The PWD, in its application, has urged the court to permit it to construct new canteens on a temporary basis at a cost of Rs. 29.30 lakh. The PWD says no trees could be cut down and that the structures would be temporary.

All the applications are expected to come up for hearing along with the main petition relating to ban on any new construction on Cubbon Park.

Namma Metro

Besides these organisations, Namma Metro has also sought a slice of the Cubbon Park for the metro project. Namma Metro temporarily wants to convert the lawns of the High Court for forming a road when Ambedkar Veedhi would be closed to traffic.

It also wants land near the nursery adjoining the GPO and Gopala Gowda Circle for constructing ventilators for the underground metro station.


Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/20/stories/2009082060960400.htm)

I am getting lazy these days to get photos and post it.

:)

Govt to rejuvenate 180 lakes
Bangalore, August 26, DHNS:

The State Government has decided to rejuvenate 180 lakes in Bangalore in the coming days, Bangalore In-charge Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu said on Tuesday.


Speaking to reporters, he said work has been already commenced to rejuvenate and beautify 33 lakes. While the BBMP is developing 21 lakes, the BDA has taken up 12 lakes. Rejuvenation work includes plugging the flow of sewer water, desilting, forming approach roads, beautifications and others, he added.

Besides, directions have been issued to both the BBMP and the BDA to prepare detailed project reports to rejuvenate additional 71 lakes in Bangalore. The plan is to commence the work with respect to these 71 lakes within three months. It is estimated to cost Rs 200 crore, he said. The Minister said the Government will approach the Union Government to include the lake rejuvenation project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The BWSSB is conducting the survey as part of Arkavathy river rejuvenation project.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/21544/govt-rejuvenate-180-lakes.html

^^^This is really good to hear that Govt will try to beautify the lakes. I think it would really help if Indian Companies can adopt a Lake. They can advertise for free plus get a tax break as they will spend money(Which is expense for company) to maintain lakes. We have adopt a highway program in US and Adopt a Lake will really help out community as well. :)

BBMP starts mapping city lakes

B.S. Ramesh

Bangalore has lost at least 43 lakes so far, most of them in the heart of the city
http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/27/images/2009082761490401.jpg
— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.
To be restored: A view of the Begur Lake in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has started a process of mapping lakes and water bodies that come under its jurisdiction.

It has also launched an exclusive website on the lakes www.bbmp.lakes.info for the benefit of the public. In addition to these steps, the palike has launched an action plan for the development of 143 of the 183 lakes coming under its jurisdiction.

Called Namma Bangalore Nisarga, the action plan says the total cost of renovating, reviving and protecting the 143 lakes would come up to Rs. 985 crore. It says work on demarcating boundaries of 21 lakes have already started.

Of the 183 lakes, 25 lakes have been developed, 21 taken up for development by the BBMP, 123 proposed for development, 12 lakes adopted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and 2 by the Lake Development Authority.

Some of the lakes proposed for restoration include Puttenahalli in B. Pura, Allasandra, Yelahanka, Atturkere, Kalkere, Kaudenahalli, Chinnapannahalli, Kaikondanahalli, Ambalipura, Uttarahalli, Dorekere, Puttenahalli Kere in B. Halli, Dorekere, Dasarahalli, Nayandanahalli, Malgal, Deepanjali, Kodigehalli, Herohalli, Giudanapalya, Bellandur and Varthur.

Bemoaning the loss of water bodies in and around the city, it said 43 lakes, most of them in the heart of Bangalore, had been lost forever including Dharmambudhi which has now become the Kempe Gowda bus stand. It said almost all these lakes, except a few, had been breached under the malaria eradication programme and for forming layouts. It says Marenahalli Lake has given way to J.P Nagar locality, Chinnagara Lake to Ejipura, Challaghatta to Karnataka Golf Association, Siddapura to Jayanagar 1st Block, Geddahalli and Nagashetttahalli to R.M.V. Extensions, Kadirenahalli to Banashankari 2nd Stage, Tumkur Lake to Mysore Lamps factory, Ketamarenahalli to Rajajinagar, Gangasheti to Minerva Mills and grounds, Jakkaraya to Krishna Flour Mills, Sampige to Kanteerava Stadium, Shule to Football Stadium, Akkithimmanahalli to Hockey Stadium, Koramangala to NDDI, Kodihalli to New Thippasandra and Sonnenahalli to Austin Town.

Sounding a note of warning about depleting groundwater levels, the plan says there are 1.25 lakhs borewells in Bangalore and said the water-table would recede further, if lakes continued to be encroached or breached. It says the huge expenditure incurred on sinking borewells would go waste if the depletion of water-table is not arrested. Calling for revival of the lakes, the plan said under the first phase, boundaries would be demarked, lakes fenced and sewage inflow diverted. In the second phase, deweeding and desilting activities would be taken up apart from bund formation.

In the last phase, the area around the lakes would be afforested and low-key activities such as paddle boating would be permitted.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/27/stories/2009082761490400.htm

Anil Kumar M, TNN 26 August 2009, 12:58am IST
BANGALORE: The IT Capital is working hard to hold on to its investors and prevent them from being enticed to other emerging hubs. The latest
sweetener is an exclusive IT space for investors near the `aerotropolis' Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). The IT region will be spread over 10,000 acres.
The Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR), to be developed by state-owned Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (Keonics), is planned in Devanahalli and Doddaballapur region. As the area is near BIA, the region will be called `Bangalore-BIAL ITIR'.
Keonics is identifying consultants to prepare a techno-economic pre-feasibility report to promote investments in ITIR, which include IT, ITES and electronic hardware manufacturing (EHM) sectors.
Keonics managing director Arvind Jannu said the region will be a combination of production units, public utilities, logistic, environmental protection mechanisms, residential areas and administrative services. "It will have processing facilities for IT, ITES and EHM units along with associated logistics and infrastructure. The non-processing area will include residential, commercial and other social and institutional infrastructure,'' he explained.
The initiative is an offshoot of the Centre's policy for setting up ITIRs by all states. Central government official said only Karnataka and Gujarat have started this process.
"Over the past five years, the country's IT & ITES sector has proven to be significant economic growth engine. The total service exports were $31 billion in 2007 and it's projected that exports for 2010 will exceed $60 billion. Today, electronics production is only 1.7% of the country's GDP and is expected to grow to 5% by 2015," Jannu said.
The main purpose of choosing Devanahalli and Doddaballapur taluks is their proximity to BIA. Another reason is three Special Economic Zones (SEZs) -- aerospace, IT and hardware -- proposed on 3,400 acres in the BIA region. In addition to good rail and road connectivity, a high speed rail network is also in the offing in this area.
Besides new integrated townships, higher educational and research facilities of relevance like Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) is also likely in this ITIR. The feasibility report of the state government will be submitted to the Centre, which has formed a committee headed by the cabinet secretary to approve the proposals quickly. The panel's recommendations will be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
"The Centre, apart from ensuring availability of external physical infrastructure linkages to ITIR in a time-bound manner, will also provide the necessary viability gap funding through existing schemes," a central government official said.
On the state's part, Jannu said internal infrastructure like power connectivity, bulk requirement of water, road and mass transit connectivity, sewerage and effluent treatment plants will be provided.
ITIR may include one or more SEZs, industrial parks, free trade and warehousing zones, export-oriented units or growth centres. "All the benefits available under the relevant legislation or policy will continue to be available to the zones and parks if they form part of the ITIR," Jannu said

source :times of india
link:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/IT-region-planned-near-airport/articleshow/4934371.cms

Vaishnavi Nakshatra

Fast transforming from the mundane industrial zone it once was, today Yeshwanthpur is on the fast track, burgeoning with the finest features that are distinctively traits of a blossoming cosmopolitan neighbourhood. The drive from the CBD (Central Business District) to Nakshatra via Mekhri Circle is a posh experience – a social statement in itself; broad tree-lined roads and a strategically positioned flyover make connectivity to the city a breeze.

The proposed Metro and elevated highway will take this aspect to the next level. In this day and age, connectivity is a key factor. Bangalore is clearly well into the process of transitioning from a small town into a true cosmopolitan city, which definitely means that the city limits are going to expand tremendously.

It is in this light that proximity to the CBD is no longer a main concern, connectivity to it is all the more important. In fact, in terms of an intelligent investment destination, Vaishnavi Nakshatra’s high appreciation potential is strikingly apparent.

Specifications

Structure
All elements of structure are designed for Earthquake resistant compliance to SEISMIC ZONE-II. The degree of Quality Control on concrete will be Grade-A.
Masonry Walls
Exterior walls with 8” Solid Block,
Internal walls with 6” Solid block.
Plastering
Internal walls – Cement Mortar plastering with smooth lime rendering.
External walls – Cement Mortar plastering with sponge finish.
Doors & Windows
Main door: First Quality Teak wood frames – teak veneered and melamine polished designer shutter.
Internal doors: Teak Wood frames, designer shutters painted with synthetic enamel paint.
Windows: Three-track Aluminum powder coated Glazed French
Window Cum Door in the Living Room. Three track Aluminum powder coated Glazed French windows in the other rooms with a provision for Mosquito Mesh Shutters.
Flooring
Vitrified tile flooring in living, dining, bedrooms, kitchen and passages leading to the bedrooms. Ceramic anti-skid flooring in utility, toilets and balconies.
Paints
Plastic emulsion paint for internal walls.
Water-proof paint/cement paint/textured paint for external surfaces.
Toilet
Master bedroom: Granite counter-top wash basin, dadoing up to the false ceiling, with a provision for a geyser and an exhaust fan point, floor mounted EWC (Hindware or equivalent) and CP fittings Jaquar or equivalent.
Common & Children’s toilet: pedestal wash basin, dadoing up to false ceiling, with provision for geyser and exhaust fan points, floor mounted EWC (Hindware or equivalent) and CP fittings Jaquar or equivalent.
Kitchen
Single bowl stainless steel kitchen sink.
Black Granite kitchen platform.
Glazed tile dado up to 2’ height above kitchen platform, with provision for aqua guard and exhaust fan/chimney points.
Misc
Washing machine point in the Utility Area
Cable TV points in the Living Room and Master Bedroom
Internet / Telephone points in the Living Room and all Bedrooms
AC point in Master Bedroom
Provision for Video Phone at the front door
Lift
2 elevators for passenger in each tower.
Electrical
Power supply 4 KW for 2BHK & 5 KW for 3 BHK
Power backup – 1KVa for each apartment & 100 % backup for services
Switches – Anchor Roma or equivalent
Internal Wiring – Concealed, fire resistant high quality wiring
PHE
Domestic water is supplied through a Hydro Pneumatic System and Municipal Water by gravity.

http://www.vaishnavigroup.com/images/projects/nakshatra/main-nakshatra.jpg

http://www.vaishnavigroup.com/images/projects/nakshatra/nakshatra-location.jpg

http://www.vaishnavigroup.com/images/projects/nakshatra/main-nakshatra.jpg

http://omltestbed.com/vaishnavi/images/co-sapphire.jpg

Vaishnavi Nakshatra has a comfortable range of amenities to keep you occupied without leaving the project.
Commercial Complex
Landscaped garden
Jogging track
Amphitheater
Toddlers park
Club House
Multipurpose Hall
Gym
Table Tennis
Reading Room
Carom / Card Room
Children’s play area
Crèche
Swimming pool
Basketball Post
Netted Cricket Pitch
Pleasant space for Yoga

June 24, 2008 – 1:25 am
Bangalore-based real estate developer Vaishnavi Infrastructures has received an investment of $25 million from private equity investor Actis for its Rs 350 crore Bangalore project, an investment bank official said.

The proceeds of the investment will fund the construction and development of approximately 925,000 square feet of high-end residential and retail space at Yeshwantpur, a Bangalore suburb.

This is the first investment by Actis India Real Estate Fund, a $300 million fund sponsored by Actis.

“Actis has taken a significant minority stake in Vaishnavi’s Bangalore project as it is situated at the perfect location. With current realty market conditions private equity players prefer to invest in projects as they can get the right valuations,” T R Srinivas, director at o3 Capital told from his Bangalore office.

Srinivas added that, for further funding, Vaishnavi would take the “debt route” rather than sell more stake in the project.

With the current turmoil in the real estate market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for realtors to raise debt from banks. Industry experts believe many developers are paying interest of around 30% for new loans.

To address the problem, developers are hunting private equity investors to sell stake in their projects.

Recently, the New Delhi-based Unitech said it would sell a 50% stake in the first phase of its Mumbai project (near Bandra-Kurla complex) to Lehman Brothers for $175 million.

However, another Delhi-based developer Parsvnath Developers said it has no liquidity issues for its current project.

“I have Rs 300 crore in fixed deposits and over Rs 500 crore is unutilised and sanctioned debts available with us. I do not see any liquidity issues and am in a comfortable position,”
Parsvnath’s chairman Pradeep Jain said. He added that the average cost of the funding is around 12% for Parsvnath.

By rajani | Posted in Property News | Tagged Actis, Bangalore, India Real Estate, Industry Experts, Infrastructures, Investment Bank, Lehman Brothers, Pradeep Jain, Private Equity Investor, Real Estate Developer, Realty Market, Retail Space, Unitech | Comments (1)
source:http://indiarealestatemonitor.com/2008/06/

the project is also close to upcomming taj hotel which is part of RNS Shantinivas

Should plan a design SEZ in the BIAL zone.
It is so tiring to hear of more IT zones coming up when all they do is add to traffic and build hot buildings. Instead the state should concentrate on making Bangalore the creative capital of the country. Prices and standards of living will automatically go up (See the examples of London, Milan, San Francisco/ Cupertino, Paris, Hong Kong, and now Beijing). Bangalore has close to 3000 qualified design professionals and entrepreneurs, and a much larger base of tier-2 workers. The creative community should have a space that has facilites for prototyping, small scale workshops, art based manufacturing for statues and sculptures, small infrastructure projects such as using modular systems for beautifying city zones, and so on.

Software exports from Karnataka amounted to Rs. 74,929 crore in 2008-09, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous year.



Exports from Bangalore accounted for over 97 per cent of the State’s software exports. Mr. Naidu added that the State had made “serious efforts” to enable development of the industry in Tier II and Tier III cities such as Mangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, Belgaum and Hubli. While exports from Mysore amounted to Rs. 1,374 crore (an increase of 36 per cent), exports from Mangalore grew at 59 per cent amounting to Rs. 644 crore.

Source (http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/02/stories/2009090254840600.htm)

Bangalore seems to be stuck below 35 flrs. Please build some tall skyscrapers a handfull of classy skyscrapers.

photo copyright Janaki Srinivasan

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/8865/janakisrinvasanblr.jpg (http://img512.imageshack.us/i/janakisrinvasanblr.jpg/)

World's second largest building coming in bangalore known as Bangalore Turf towers.
The proposed building is a 155 storied building and only Burj Dubai is higer than that .so bangalore can have the largest building in india .
Hyderabad have a 125 storied lanco hills being constructed and a 100 storied building proposed and also Gujarat have a 100 storied building proposed.

^^
link??

BBMP to take the high road to development (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/BBMP-to-take-the-high-road-to-development/articleshow/4977102.cms)
TNN 6 September 2009, 12:52am IST

BANGALORE: The BBMP is all set to wave its magic wand and fix Bangalore’s infrastructure. But, you’ll have to

wait till 2012 for things to
fall in place. On Saturday, it unveiled its mega plan which includes no more narrow magic
boxes and underpasses, but escalator-powered skywalks, 12 signal-free corridors, development of 123 lakes and tanks and 272 new parks.

Even as the BBMP gears up for elections, the government announced infrastructure projects worth Rs 22,000 crore. The proposal, to be placed before the next cabinet meeting, seeks constitution of an empowered committee to execute these projects.

The plan includes an elevated corridor on JC Road between Minerva Circle and Hudson Circle to ease congestion in the south corridor. The project also proposes to construct a 16-km elevated north-south corridor between Madiwala and Hebbal and a 12-km elevated eastern connectivity corridor from Vellara Junction to Kundanalli.

Unveiling the blueprint, transport minister R Ashoka said the BBMP would also construct elevated roads on storm water drains of Koramangala, Chalaghatta, Vrishabhavati and Hebbal valleys.

“The development of the city is being dictated by the whims and fancies of those at the helm of affairs. This blueprint ensures the development takes place in a planned manner, irrespective of who is in power,” he said.

BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said resource mobilisation was not a problem. The HUDCO, ready to finance anywhere between Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore, had agreed to lead the consortium. “BBMP itself was confident of mobilising Rs 5,700 crore on its own, while the BDA, state government and Centre (under Jn-NURM) had agreed to contribute Rs 2,000 crore each. Besides, we are floating bonds/ loans with government guarantee which will fetch us Rs 8,300 crore. We plan to mobilise Rs 2,000 crore through public participation,’’ he added.

Ashoka said the government will not levy any fresh cess on Bangaloreans to mobilize resources for these projects. He added that the government had decided not to have any more magic boxes and underpasses as they’d proved ‘ineffective’ in handling high traffic.

^^
link??

I've been hearing alot about this. Not sure if it's going to happen though. At the moment there's nothing over 30 floors under construction, and to go all the way 155 is a huge step.

Here's an article -


Multi-storeyed tower questioned at Turf Club (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=476400)

Monday, August 03, 2009
Multi-storeyed tower questioned at Turf Club
Bangalore, DH News Service:

As the Yeddyurappa government goes ahead with its plans to shift the Turf Club outside the city, speculation is rife about the 100-floor tower being planned in its place.


The government maintains that it is planning to utilise only about 15 to 20 per cent of the Race Course premises for putting up the tower and maintain the rest of the area as park.

A bureaucrat said that subject experts at international level would be contacted before going ahead with the tower project. Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) would be seeking the opinion of the experts.

Provision will also be made for a huge vehicle parking lot, he added. Asked whether such a tall tower was required in the centre of the city, which is already choking with vehicular population, the officer said, We will maintain greenery in 80 per cent of the Race Course. We will plan the tower in such a way that it will not pollute the area in any way.

No traffic congestion

Even at Freedom Park (earlier Central Jail) we have allowed vehicle parking. But we are not facing any pollution or traffic congestion. But providing mere parking space at the one end and catering to needs of occupants of a 100-floor tower are drastically different.
Why is it imperative?

The primary question is why the State considers it imperative to build a monstrosity in the heart of the city, when it had clearly promised the citizens much needed lung space.
City activists are convinced that the State cannot resist the lure of capitalising on prime urban land.

Unrealistic planning

Chairperson of Indian Urban Spaces and Co-founder of Janaagraha, Swathi Ramanathan asks Why should the State act as a real estate developer? First of all, the plan is unrealistic and the place like that would stick out like a sore thumb.

There is no transparency in the decision making process of the government. It is their responsibility to be transparent about making such plans in prime urban space. And where is the money going? Is it going to be ploughed back into the city’s development?
The silence of an agency like Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure and Development Task Force (ABIDe) in this matter has raised hackles of many. Col Mathew Thomas of Citizens Action Forum is scathing in his comments.

Ridiculous tower

What are they doing when the CM goes around announcing plans like this? Their silence exposes the kind of organisation they are.

Why do you need such a ridiculous tower there? They should be converting it into a good lung space.

If the advisors of this Task Force cannot tell him that it isn’t a good idea and merely adhere to this statements, then the Task Force itself is a publicity stunt and waste of public funds. The whole idea is just motivated by greed, he observed.

I think UB city tower in bangalore is more than 48 floors.Then why 30 floors.In bangalore district lot's of space is avaliable.So no need for height,but now they are going for heights.

I think UB city tower in bangalore is more than 48 floors.Then why 30 floors.In bangalore district lot's of space is avaliable.So no need for height,but now they are going for heights.

Dont' know who told you 48 floors. It's barely 20 floor high

would anyone know whether the following are still u/c ...

Name of Tower ======= Hight == # Flrs == ETA
ASTA VIBRANT TOWER ==== 215 m (705 ft) 60 2012

Karnataka Financial Centre = 208 m (682 ft) 58 2013

Golden Empire ========== 195 m (640 ft) 56 2011

Bangaluru47 (Trump Tower) = 165 m ===== 47 2010

Brigade North Star ======= 188 m (617 ft) 45 2009

Is it safe to say today that Bangalore today is ahead of Kolkata as a centre of economic activity and in terms of overall economic importance in India?

^^ here is some news ...
World Capitals Of The Future (http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/02/world-capitals-cities-century-opinions-columnists-21-century-cities-09-global-capitals.html)

Mumbai,Bangalore and Hyderabad were the only Indian Cities on the List


........Also remarkable: the rise of other great cities--Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in India; Beijing; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Dubai--that a quarter century ago were either obscure or better known for their destitution than their rapid construction.

Of course, none of these cities' wealth or economic power have passed leading global centers like Tokyo, London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong. But our list of emerging global cities is clearly gaining on them--and with remarkable speed.

The main reason lies in economic fundamentals.....

True, Concorde block of UB city is having only G+19 Floors.

Dont' know who told you 48 floors. It's barely 20 floor high

Form where did you get this?:) Interesting to see many projects which I am yet to see in Bangalore.

North Star @ Brigade Gateway has been topped up some months back, the Tower is getting its final touches. It is at 128m only. (LB+UB+ G+ 30)Being an office tower with floor height of 4.2m, it is equivalent to a 44-45 floor residential tower.

Apart from North Star, all other projects are non starters till date.

We had heard of Trump Towers some time back, but no progress after that. The proposed site is still a 'Pay & Park' yard, where I use to park my car whenver I need to go to Brigade Road.



would anyone know whether the following are still u/c ...

Name of Tower ======= Hight == # Flrs == ETA
ASTA VIBRANT TOWER ==== 215 m (705 ft) 60 2012

Karnataka Financial Centre = 208 m (682 ft) 58 2013

Golden Empire ========== 195 m (640 ft) 56 2011

Bangaluru47 (Trump Tower) = 165 m ===== 47 2010

Brigade North Star ======= 188 m (617 ft) 45 2009

http://mangalorean.com/images/newstemp22/20090907post3.jpg

http://mangalorean.com/images/newstemp22/20090907post6.jpg

http://mangalorean.com/images/newstemp22/20090907post7.jpg

Picture Courtesy: Mangalorean (http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=144519)

Read India Post to invest its insurance fund in market (http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/08/stories/2009090853470400.htm) for details.

my first post to the forum... ironically never knew about skyscrapercity when in bangalore... But now I am away, I came across this... Great job guys.... Hoping to contribute in future(though I dont know how much I can staying away from Ind.

After three years of landlock, the government has finally approved the masterplans and opened up the three towns for development. The order was issued on Tuesday.

The Bidadi Special Area Plan 2021 encompasses 462.5 sq km, drawn for a projected population increase of 2.5 lakh in the next 12 years. Currently, Bidadi town has 40,000 people. Nearly 2,500 hectares have been opened up for urbanization in 111 villages. This plan excludes the BMICAPA jurisdiction.

Similarly, in Ramanagaram-Chennapatna local planning area, the interim masterplan has been spread over 62 sqkm, comprising 25 villages.


Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/Bidadi-Ramanagaram-can-smile-again/articleshow/4987930.cms)

Bangalore’s IT Sector Sees Some Big Investments

EMC to invest $1.5 b in India TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Bangalore: EMC Corp on Wednesday announced a $1.5 billion investment in India over the next five years, marking a big bright spot in the IT sector that has been one of the most badly hit by the global recession.

Making the announcement in Bangalore, the $15-billion company’s CFO, David Goulden, said the investment represents a three-fold increase over the investment made by EMC in India over the previous five years. The information infrastructure company has invested $500 million between 2006 and now, mostly in Bangalore. “This is the largest investment that we have committed outside the US,” Goulden said.
The new investments will go into three areas: expanding R&D infrastructure at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore; increasing EMC Global Services capabilities at the CoE; and adding more technologists to drive deeper levels of engagement and support for local customers and partners.

On Wednesday, the company inaugurated a new 4.95 lakh sqft facility on the outer ring road near Marathahalli that will not only bring together operations that currently function out of four separate locations, but also create additional space. It has the capacity to seat 3,500 people. EMC India currently has a little over 2,000 employees.
In a measure of the importance EMC attaches to its India operations, Goulden was accompanied in his visit to Bangalore by Sanjay Mirchandani, chief information officer, Mark Sorenson, senior VP (storage software group), Jack Mollen, head of HR, Gary Baty, VP (HR) for Asia-Pacific & Japan, Steve Leonard, president of Asia-Pacific & Japan, and John Herrera, VP in the office of globalization. EMC focusses on next generation virtualized data centres, cloud computing, virtualized desktops and clients, and next generation backup, recovery and archive solutions. The Bangalore R&D centre, EMC’s largest outside the US, has particular strengths in software for storage management, network management and content management. Sarv Saravanan, MD of the India Centre of Excellence, said the centre has filed about 40 patents, some of which have been cleared.

Commenting on EMC’s fresh investment, Aman Munglani, principal research analyst at Gartner, said the announcement is in line with some of the other leading technology and engineering companies who have identified India as a key centre for technology innovation and global support services.

Cisco expands in Bangalore Anshul Dhamija & Sujit John | TNN
Bangalore: In what is said to be one of the largest commercial space expansions in South/South-East Asia following the global financial collapse last year, Cisco India is adding two additional office blocks totaling a floor area of 700,000 sqft.
This expansion will happen around its 1.2 million-sqft campus located at Cessna Business Park on the Outer Ring Road in Bangalore. While this deal has recently been finalised, sources said Cisco also plans to take an additional 2.2 million sqft of office space in Bangalore in the coming years.

Some realty analysts say the 7 lakh sqft expansion is by far the biggest in the commercial space market in this region in the last one year. Cisco declined to say anything on the expansion, but issued a statement that reiterated past positions: “We have designated Bangalore as our Globalization Centre East and indicated that we will have 10,000-12,000 employees based here over the next three to five years. The idea is for 20% of the top talent in Cisco to be based here.”

Cisco has around 4,000 employees in India currently. The networking major has been amongst the most aggressive MNCs in trying to build a strong base of R&D and support staff in India. Wim Elfrink, Cisco’s chief globalization officer, who relocated to India in 2006, was recently quoted by India Knowledge@Wharton as saying: “The Globalization Centre East was established as a second headquarters for Cisco — you can think about it as “Cisco East”. We set up this centre to explore how to globalize talent, innovation and growth. The Globalisation Centre is much more than a sales centre or an R&D centre. Every function at Cisco is represented here, at every level, from individual contributor to executive vice president.”

He said Cisco chose India for a number of reasons, “including its proximity to 70% of the world’s population within a five-hour flight; a growing young, English-speaking population; strong engineering talent; an open, partner-friendly government; and a strong partner ecosystem. Also, being 12 and a half hours ahead of Cisco’s San Jose headquarters allows us to conduct business on a truly 24/7 basis.”

Form where did you get this?:) Interesting to see many projects which I am yet to see in Bangalore.

That's from Wikipedia. I researched all the projects and found none.

Date:16/09/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/09/16/stories/2009091659951500.htm
Sonia Gandhi inaugurates Infosys’ Global Education Centre-II

Special Correspondent
MYSORE: United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the Global Education Centre-II (GEC-II) of Infosys here on Tuesday and described it as “a stunning reminder of what Indian talent, ingenuity, competence and hard work” could accomplish.

The GEC-II, located on the Infosys premises, has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 350 crore. It is the largest monolithic structure to be constructed in independent India with a built-up area of more than 10 lakh sq ft.

Speaking after the inauguration, Ms. Gandhi said Infosys had proved that Indian companies could not only be world class but also be ahead of it.
Ms. Gandhi complimented Infosys mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy and his team for their endeavour...

Date:16/09/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/09/16/stories/2009091653510100.htm
It’s a stunning reminder of India’s talent, ingenuity, competence and hard work: Sonia

Special Correspondent

MYSORE: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the Global Education Centre-II (GEC-II) of Infosys here on Tuesday and described it as a stunning reminder of what Indian talent, ingenuity, competence and hard work could accomplish.

The GEC-II, located on the Infosys premises, has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 350 crore. It is the largest single structure to be constructed in independent India with a built-up area of more than 10 lakh sq. ft.

Speaking after the inauguration, Ms. Gandhi said Infosys had proved that Indian companies could not only be world class but also ahead of it. She complimented its mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy and his team for their endeavour. Lauding the founders of Infosys for their scale of ambition and building the world’s largest training centre, Ms. Gandhi pointed out that the Government too made a difference by providing an enabling environment for the growth of the information technology sector in the country.

In this context, she recalled the contribution of the former Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, and said he laid the foundation for the revolution in information and communication technology. “It is hard to remember when India was not wired to the world but it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who built temples of modern learning and this was followed by the vision of Rajiv Gandhi who realised the potential of communication and provided telephone connections to villages. There was bitter opposition to the introduction of computers as well, but he persisted and his greatest contribution was changing the mindset which resulted in the emergence of Bangalore as the silicon valley of India,” said Ms. Gandhi.

Pointing out that wealth creation does not take place in vacuum and economic regulation is only the tip of the iceberg, she said social stability, communal harmony, secured frontiers and stability were some of the elements of wealth creation, and the focus of the Government was to ensure all these elements were in place. She emphasised on collective effort to bring about a change in society and said success should not be measured in billions of dollars but in bringing about a change in the lives of others.

Earlier, Mr. Murthy said that when Infosys was launched in 1981, the founders’ belief was that poverty could be eliminated from India only through the power of entrepreneurship.

Infosys was a testimony to that conviction as it had emerged as a model for responsible and transparent business. Visible signs of progress should also be reflected in infrastructure and hence Infosys decided to build the largest single structure in India, he said.

He said the GEC was a testimony to the company’s commitment to building the competency of its employees. In 2008-09 more than 16,000 new entrants were trained here and special programmes were conducted for students from Australia, Bhutan, China, Columbia, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Panama, Thailand, the U.K. and the U.S. The company’s Mysore campus is spread over 337 acres and has 12,042 employees. Of the total investment of Rs. 2,055 crore, Rs. 1,705 crore has been utilised for creating facility for training and education by way of GEC-I which can accommodate 4,500 employees and has 52 training rooms and 183 faculty rooms.

The GEC-II can accommodate 9,500 trainees in one sitting and is designed by Hafiz Contractor, who was felicitated on the occasion.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, Director of human resources at Infosys Mohandas Pai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Kris Gopalakrishnan, Infosys staff members, MPs and local elected representatives were among those present.

World's second largest building coming in bangalore known as Bangalore Turf towers.
The proposed building is a 155 storied building and only Burj Dubai is higer than that .so bangalore can have the largest building in india .
Hyderabad have a 125 storied lanco hills being constructed and a 100 storied building proposed and also Gujarat have a 100 storied building proposed.

It / they wont happen.
its about money freind. when india needs mega talls someone will pay for them

It / they wont happen.
its about moaney freind. when india needs mega talls someone will pay for them

^^ true

Facelift to railway station (http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/21/stories/2009092159140300.htm)
http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/21/images/2009092159140301.jpg
The Kengeri Railway Station, an once unobtrusive, shed-like structure, has now given way to a sleek, well-designed public space, drawing admiring glances from passers-by.

Built under the modern railway station programme at a cost of around Rs. 70 lakh, the new building has a large area for passengers and several other facilities, said Akhil Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), South Western Railway (SWR), Bangalore Division.

Even the platform surfaces have been improved while work is on to provide shelters on the platforms.

Besides counters to issue day tickets, the station houses an advance ticket reservation counter that functions from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also on the premises are two ATM centres.

Rangaswamy, who stays nearby, said local residents are proud of the station’s metamorphosis. “We did not expect such changes,” he smiled, gesturing towards the glass façade.
Security

However, there are grouses regarding security, particularly theft of two-wheelers. The nearby Kengeri Police Station receives an average of four such complaints a week, said a police constable. There were even attempts to smash open the ATMs, he added.

Responding to this, Mr. Agarwal said South Western Railway will make arrangements for sheltered parking to be manned by attendants.
Trolley path

Though more than 6,000 people make use of this station every day, there is no trolley path connecting Platform 1 with Platforms 2, 3 and 4, said S.R. Ramanuja, a regular commuter.

He said this really stresses out the aged and the sick as it is difficult for them to use the foot-overbridge climbing up and down 80 steps. Mr. Ramanuja suggested a trolley path near the booking office.
Halt request

Though Kengeri has been an important suburb of Bangalore and is situated on the busy Bangalore-Mysore line, not all trains stop here, particularly the Tipu Express, the Mangala (Mangalore) Express, the Jaipur Express, the Ajmer Express and the Tanjore Express, forcing passengers to travel all the way to the Bangalore City Railway Station. A halt here will obviate such expensive and time-consuming commuting, Mr. Ramanuja said.

To this, Mr. Agarwal said the division has forwarded the demands to the Railway Board, which has to take a decision on it. Even a two-minute stop will increase the journey hours, and will have a cascading effect on long-distance travel, he added.

thats very good news for all of us , cheers


World's second largest building coming in bangalore known as Bangalore Turf towers.
The proposed building is a 155 storied building and only Burj Dubai is higer than that .so bangalore can have the largest building in india .
Hyderabad have a 125 storied lanco hills being constructed and a 100 storied building proposed and also Gujarat have a 100 storied building proposed.

New ITC hotel restores a bit of green Bangalore (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/new-itc-hotel-restores-a-bit-of-green-bangalore-with-images_100251575.html)



While residents of India’s tech hub are crying foul over the increasing loss of its “green heritage”, ITC’s newest luxury hotel here is trying to bring a slice of “green cover” into what was once called India’s Garden City.
Ready to welcome guests from Oct 5, The Royal Gardenia is located at Residency Road, one of the busiest avenues in Bangalore’s upscale central business district.

Its location overlooking the century-old Bangalore Club — of which former British prime minister Winston Churchill was a member and whose debt of Rs.13 has been written off — is one of the hotel’s USPs.

Inside, there’s the wind-cooled atrium lobby, with its vertical hanging gardens leading to the central courtyard garden, in the midst of which stands the multi-pillared Lotus Pavillon, with its sloping roofs covered with a lawn of fresh green grass. The hotel tries to blend nature in each of its aspects.

“The hotel is a tribute to Bangalore the Garden City and the green cover it once used to host. We’re trying in our own special way to recreate a slice of Bangalore’s greenery in the hotel,” Nakul Anand, chief executive, ITC Hotels Division, told IANS.

“An eco-responsible ethos is an inherent part of our system and in creating ITC Royal Gardenia, the challenge was to see how luxury and responsibility could be in harmony. Bangalore has always been India’s ultimate garden city and in our small way we hope to be able to give back to the city what time took away.”

In recent years, Bangalore has lost around 50,000 trees to various “development” projects, according to a report by the Environment Support Group (ESG), an NGO and part of Hasiru Usiru (Greenery is Life), which is a conglomeration of various city-based community organisations and has been in the forefront of protests against the “illogical destruction” of Bangalore’s greenery.

The Royal Gardenia gives back the greenery with its vertical hanging gardens, said to be the first hotel in India to use the concept. The vertical gardens are in the hotel’s main lobby and at The Cubbon Pavilion, its multi-cuisine coffee shop. The gardens rise right to the ceiling.

“The vertical gardens are created to bring the mood of tropical forests to the interiors of the hotel. The vertical gardens have used a soil-free gravity-defying method to grow plants. The plants are supported by a vertical wall and divided into two layers,” said Shona Adhikari, consultant of ITC Limited Hotels Division.

The plants are watered through a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system placed at the top. The hotel management has ensured that the lighting system is energy efficient.

The four strips of vertical gardens at the lobby have 1,500 plants each. The one in the coffee shop reaches the second floor and has around 25,000 plants. The plants belong to the Philodendron family and have all been grown locally.

The 300-room hotel spread over 11 floors has been designed by architect Rajinder Kumar, while the interiors have been created by Britain-based designer Francesca Basu.

“Since nature is the theme, I have drawn inspiration from different layers of life forms and each floor follows this theme through colours, motifs and textures. The themes are based on moods and representations of various elements of nature, ranging from stones and fossils, to earth, trees, wood, water, fire, foliage, animal life, flowers, the winged species, including birds and butterflies, sky and cloud,” said Basu.

Other prominent features of the hotel include a banquet hall spread across 8,000 sq ft and a party hall measuring 2,500 sq ft. There are also three meeting rooms, a board room and a business centre. ITC’s Kaya Kalp Spa, with eight treatment rooms, jacuzzis, sauna and steam baths, a salon and gym with latest fitness equipment are parts of the experience.

“The hotel has lip-smacking and exclusive cuisines, to be served in signature restaurant Kebabs and Kurries. The menu for the restaurant has been drawn from ITC’s heritage restaurants — Peshawri, Dum Pukht and Dakshin,” said Adhikari.

At The Cubbon Pavilion — named after Sir Mark Cubbon, who gave Bangalore its very own Cubbon Park, the city’s largest lung space — along with sipping coffee and enjoying breakfast, patrons get an idea of the Cubbon Park, as large photographs of it cover the walls.

“ITC’s branded restaurant West View, known for its Mediterranean-style grills, is expected to open in November, followed by opening of ITC’s first Japanese restaurant Edo, during Christmas and New Year celebrations,” said Adhikari.

Orchids, ferns, creepers unique to Western Ghats to be grown on 1,070 sq metre
A part of Malnad in Cubbon Park
Subhash Chandra N S, Oct 2, Bangalore:

The IT City will soon be getting a feel of Malnad with the Horticulture Department to recreate its atmosphere by landscaping a portion of Cubbon Park, which was neglected for decades.


The department hopes to maintain it with the recently announced entry fees to Cubbon Park. Though the decision evoked mixed reactions from people, the Horticulture Department says that it requires the fees to maintain its new ‘Malnad garden’, which is specially landscaped with orchids, ferns and creeps which are found in Western Ghats region.

The new park, which is coming up on a patch of 1,070 sq metre adjoining Venkatappa Art Gallery, was without maintenance for nearly 30 years. However, with the Government having released a sum of Rs 2 crore to develop the entire park, the department has come forward with this unique idea to beautify and protect the tree cover in this patch, which was a dump yard to debris just a few years ago.

Suitable micro climate
“We came up with the idea after we realised it is suitable for such a garden. It will be full of orchids, ferns and attractive creepers, they will be grown amidst the shade, since the micro climate here differs and is suitable for such garden,” said Dr M Jagadish, Joint Director, Gardens, Department of Horticulture.

He said that the stretch, which extends up to UB City, has been carefully planned for such garden. “The shady patch is comparatively cool from the other parts of the garden as well as the City. It will facilitate the growth of several orchids. We are planning to introduce at least 15 varieties of orchids and ferns, which includes ground orchids with attractive flowers,” he explained.

Aimed at recreating the Western Ghats’ climate, the department has gone for huge creepers like Scindapsus aureus (money plant) and at least 50 varieties of philodendrons (creepers) which can grow over 100 feet, if supported by huge trees, which already exist.

Orchid species of dendrobium, cenbidium and other species, which are classified into terrestrial and jewel can be found here. “Most of these dendrobiums being ground orchids have colourful flowers, this along with other select varieties can be cultivated in modified conditions and will have an attractive flowering,” explained Dr Jagadish.

Over 70 ferns will be planted along with the shade grass and creepers and shrubs over here. Not just these even various kinds of peppers and betel leaves will also be grown here.

Explaining about the ongoing work, Jaydev, Joint director, Cubbon Park said that sphagnum moss, a variety of moss to aid growth of creepers, have been grown. Planting of yellow bamboo all around the fence is being done. “The park will soon wear a new look like a forest patch with a natural rock, we have even converted a natural rock amidst the patch into a water fall,” he said.

Karagada Kunte
The lake within the garden where the historical Karaga begins is also being developed and beautified along with this patch of land.
Horticulture officials said that the renovation of gazebo and lawn work has begun. A mechanised lawn mover has been procured to maintain the patch, while landscape design is being done. The entire work will be taken up at a cost of Rs 17 lakh.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/28272/a-part-malnad-cubbon-park.html

Laundered clothes in Malleswaram to be cleaned in automated method
Dhobi ghat to go hi-tech
By S Lalitha, Oct 3, Bangalore:

Clothes sent to dhobis for laundering and ironing in Malleswaram are all set to become cleaner and itch-free.

cleanse: A view of Dhobi Ghat in Malleswaram. dh photo
This is due to a mega water recycling unit, mechanised washing machine units and automated ironing unit getting ready at the premises of the age-old Dhobi Ghat here.

Nearly one lakh pieces of clothes are washed and pressed by nearly 1,000 washermen daily. In the process, the washermen suffer from the professional hazard of being exposed to caustic soda used to brighten clothes. Also affected to a lesser extent are consumers who wear the clothes due to the chemicals used.

A major improvement is slated to take place due to the Rs 2.25 crore project to modernise the Dhobi Ghat undertaken here. "It began eight months ago and is slated to be completed by October 15," says Malleswaram MLA C N Aswathnarayan, who is the brain behind the whole scheme. The water recycling unit, to be set up at a cost of Rs 15 lakh can recycle the waste water after used for washing purposes. It is capable of generating two lakh litres of water daily.

The rainwater harvesting unit, which is being set up a cost of around 50 lakh, would help in storing 75 million litres of water. Four mechanised washing machine units are being set up and they will have a huge dryer unit. "Initially, the machine will wash 25,000 clothes per day and the rest will be done manually," the MLA said. The ironing unit is capable of pressing four clothes at one go.

The detergent to be used for the machine will be one of a better quality which would cost less than what is used presently. This would offset the harmful effect the chemicals used by washermen cause to those with sensitive skin.

The building to house all these units and equipment is presently being constructed at a cost of Rs 65 lakh. "The daily washing keeps continuing even now while construction work was taking place simultaneously," Aswathnarayan added.

An MoU has been signed recently with an association representing the dhobis and the State government. They will be responsible for paying for the electricity and other miscellaneous charges that need to be paid but are entitled to take the revenue generated. There will be no loss of jobs as the present dhobis were being trained to operate the automated machines. The project, the first such large scale washing unit in the country, is being looked at with great interest. "If it proves to be a successful venture, we will consider replicating it at other dhobi ghats in the City," the MLA said.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/28427/dhobi-ghat-go-hi-tech.html

AAE now has funds to fix minor civic work

Aarthi R, TNN 3 October 2009, 03:08am IST

BANGALORE: Broken footpaths, potholed roads or clogged drains? No more being just complaint boxes. Minor civic emergencies in your area needn't
wait longer anymore. Many can be fixed by the assistant executive engineer (AEE) of your ward.

In an initiative aimed at bringing effective partnership with people, the BBMP has embarked on a ward-level revolving emergency fund of Rs 1 lakh. It's been two months now since this fund was introduced and seems to have benefited many areas, particularly in the west zone. Wards like Malleswaram and Gayatrinagar have already spent Rs 84,000 and Rs 98,000 from their funds.

Here's an example. There was a damaged stretch on the footpath on MES College Road in Malleswaram. The patchwork, which may have taken a long time waiting for funds and approvals, was done in no time. Alongside, a few emergency civic works on 11th Cross were tackled too.

With this funding, there's also scope for effective and meaningful participation of residents, particularly resident welfare associations. "Initially, we had to identify the work needed ourselves as not many people were aware of it. Now, we're roping in RWAs to help us spot trouble areas, which can be tackled with this fund," explained an AEE in west zone.

How does funding work

The discretion on using the Rs 1-lakh fund lies with the AEE of every ward. The money is to be used mainly to tackle emergency problems, including road work, desilting of drains and footpath work, among others.

The AEE is completely accountable for fund utilization. He has to maintain a record of all expenditure. Once completely utilized, the fund is topped up again by the BBMP. Over time, BBMP hopes to get voluntary contributions from residents and RWAs to ensure there's always money in the fund.

The hitch

The AEE will be able to utilize this fund mainly for emergency work and for those below Rs 1 lakh. BBMP plans to make it accessible only with the consent of residents and RWAs concerned.

Solving problems easily

We now have the money. There's a need to sensitise people about this funding concept and on how they can participate. Once awareness level increases, we'll branch into specifics. The aim is to go local and look at solving basic civic issues at the ward level

Bharat Lal Meena, commissioner, bbmp

Not many know

Almost all 198 wards in BBMP area have been provided with the revolving fund of Rs 1 lakh. But not many resident welfare associations seem to be aware of this. Result: only a few wards have been utilizing this fund.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/AAE-now-has-funds-to-fix-minor-civic-work/articleshow/5081948.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/Property-cards-to-fix-glitches-in-records/articleshow/5085360.cms

Property cards to fix glitches in records
S Kushala, TNN 4 October 2009, 01:53am IST


BANGALORE: You may have credit, debit, petro and membership cards, but a Property Card could be the one to have. For it promises to revolutionize
the realty sector in Karnataka.

When the Karnataka Land Grabbers (Prohibition) Act comes into force soon, it’ll bring in transparency by cleaning up land records. These had always been messed with, resulting in dubious property transactions and disputes. These cards, to be issued to property owners, will serve as authentic documents.

Sources in the revenue department said that, with new rules in place, registration of sale deeds would be replaced with registration of titles. This will be done by introducing the progressive system of property titles and maintenance modelled on the Torrens System. The newly formed task force for eviction of encroachers on government land is also part of it.

During talks with stakeholders on irregularities in khata transfer and building construction, it was felt there’s no reliable system of land and property title records in Bangalore Urban. Records of rights are written casually, leading to endless disputes. The present system of registration of documents can be misused quite often.

Going by the experience of the town planning department and BMRDA, which conducted a GIS survey of properties, it’s possible to survey all urban properties with an accuracy of 5 mm covering 2,000 sqkm of Bangalore Urban. This may cost nearly Rs 50 crore. There are about 20 companies in India qualified to do such surveys using Total Stations. Even if 10 participate using 500 such stations, a detailed survey can be completed in 6 months.

The Karnataka Land Revenue Rules provide for a detailed inquiry of urban properties — both land and buildings — which can be done by the survey department following a procedure of issuing notices, hearing objections, ascertaining documents and finally writing property cards. In Bangalore, this was last undertaken in 1975. The property card proposal is currently awaiting presidential assent.

It’s estimated that about 150 qualified surveyors would be required to complete the city survey inquiry in six months. There are about 15 lakh properties under BBMP and still more in the 2,000 sq km of Bangalore Urban district. Even if a citizen pays Rs 500 to get the highly dependable property card, the cost of the project can be met.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/AERA-may-revise-UDF-DF-at-major-airports-/articleshow/5086477.cms


AERA may revise UDF, DF at major airports

NEW DELHI: The hefty user development fee (UDF) of up to Rs 1,070 charged at the Bangalore and Hyderabad airports and the development fee (DF)
levied at the Delhi and Mumbai airports could be revised as the newly formed Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) is planning their review.

"We would revise the UDF at Hyderabad and Bangalore airports...and also the development fee at Delhi and Mumbai," AERA Chairman Yashwant Bhave told reporters here.

The Hyderabad airport levies Rs 375 and Rs 1,000 on every outgoing domestic and international passenger, respectively, as UDF. Similarly, Bangalore charges Rs 260 and Rs 1,070 from domestic and international passengers, respectively.

The government also allowed the Delhi airport to levy Rs 200 and Rs 1,300 on every domestic and international passenger, respectively, as the development fee. Passengers at Mumbai pay Rs 100 and Rs 600.

The fee would be revised keeping in view the financial requirements of the airport projects and traffic projections. Passenger numbers have also improved since August on a year-to-year basis.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/Hotel-industry-to-add-55000-rooms-in-4-years/articleshow/5082237.cms


Hotel industry to add 55,000 rooms in 4 years


3 Oct 2009, 0207 hrs IST, Meenakshi Verma Ambwani, ET Bureau


NEW DELHI: The Indian hotel industry will almost double the number of rooms from the current levels in 3-4 years by adding an estimated 55,000
rooms, as per a study by consulting firm HVS India.

The development of new rooms is going to be led by regional real estate players and hospitality firms as most large real estate developers have abandoned or scaled down their expansion plans. The study revealed that fewer new rooms were announced last year but developers started work on a higher proportion compared to 2007-08.

Of the 94,115 rooms announced by various hotels and real estate developers for the year ended March 2009, 60% of the rooms saw some active development. Compared to this, in the previous year (April 2007-March 2008) companies announced plans to build over 1.14 lakh rooms of which 58% saw actual development.

"Despite the economic downturn, Indian hospitality will see the maximum development of rooms in the next 3-4 years. The rate of development of rooms would be much higher, something that we have not seen in the past ten years," said Manav Thadani managing director at HVS India.

He added that even as big real estate developers have shrunk their hotel plans, regional real estate developers as well as Indian hotel companies are continuing with their own expansion plans.Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune were among the top five cities in terms of active development of new projects announced last year.

With revival in corporate activity, business travel is expected to bounce back sooner compared to the leisure travel market which is one reason why hotel construction is being pursued aggressively in Mumbai, believe hotel consultants.

On the other hand the five year tax holiday granted by government for hospitality projects in Delhi & NCR region to increase supply of rooms for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games is driving hotel construction in this region. But the HVS report points out that only 5,700 rooms of the 8,776 rooms being actively built are expected to open for the games next year.

Raymond Bickson, managing director of the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), who is also the chairman of World Travel & Tourism Council, India Initiative( WTTCII) said that the Indian hospitality sector will witness improvement in the future.

"Thanks to the huge domestic market, the Indian hospitality sector is expected to continue to grow even as other markets like US and UK are witnessing a degrowth," he said.

Vivek Nair vice chairman & managing director of luxury hotel operator Leela Hotels & Resorts, said, "Occupancies in Gurgaon and Bangalore have already witnessed an improvement and I believe the winter season would result in better times for the industry."

Mr Nair added that the recent RBI notification which has delinked hotels from the "high risk category" of real estate business, will provide hospitality firms with easy access to funds for hotel development.

Millenium group is planning on a hotel in Bangalore.

Asia Travel Tips (http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news08/104-HotelsinIndia.shtml)