Smart City Kochi - Under Planning & Development

[Malayaali]

SmartCity Kochi is a self-sustained industry township for knowledge-based companies located in the city of Kochi, the commercial capital of the south Indian state of Kerala.

To be developed by SmartCity and the Government of Kerala, SmartCity Kochi will be one of India’s largest business parks.

Based on the successful models of Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village, SmartCity Kochi will provide an infrastructure, environment and support systems to promote the growth of knowledge-based industry companies.

Apart from a state-of-the-art business-community infrastructure, SmartCity Kochi will offer a host of business support services as well as residential, hospitality, retail and recreational facilities.

The project has an employment generation potential of over 90,000 jobs. Multiplier effects are expected to bring several other benefits to the state.

Smart City Kochi is a planned IT township to be constructed in Kochi in India. TECOM Investments, a subsidiary of Dubai Holding is the main investor of the project. This project envisions 8.8 million sq ft of built up space out of which at least 6.21 million Sq.ft will be specifically for IT/ITES/allied services. The project is expected to create over 90,000 direct jobs.

According to the agreement signed with the Government of Kerala, the project expects an investment of 1700 Crore. The project would be spread over 246 acres (99.6 ha), On completion SmartCity Kochi would be one of the largest IT parks in the country

Project Layout

[Malayaali]

Kochi’s ‘Smart City’ project set to take off

The main hurdles which had been holding up the work on Kerala’s dream project for about four years were thrashed out by the state government and Tecom Investments officials here on Wednesday morning.

This followed talks held here between Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Ahmed Humaid Al Tayar, governor of Dubai International Financial Centre.

Achuthanandan said that Tecom would be given freehold right on 12 per cent land but within the 246 acres which has been notified as special economic zone. This would mean that the promoters will not have the right to sell the land. Tecom’s insistence on getting the 12 per cent freehold land outside the 246 acres was the main object of disagreement between the two sides for the last three years.

It was the mediatory role played by NRI businessman M A Yusuffali that paved the way for the deal which was being projected by the Opposition UDF as a mascot of the LDF government’s inefficiency.

Addressing reporters after an hour-long meeting with the Dubai government team here, the chief minister said all the issues have been sorted out and the project which is expected to put the state on the software map was going to be a reality.

The registration of the project would be done within a week, the masterplan would be submitted within a month and work would begin in three months, according to the Dubai government representative. The deal was later ratified by the state cabinet.

The Rs 1500-crore ‘Smart City’ project involves a self-contained knowledge township comprising global like Intel and Microsoft brands which have so far not yet set up shop in the state.

Deccan Herald

[Malayaali]

Fareed Abdul Rahman to continue as Kochi SmartCity CEO

TECOM Group CEO Abdul Lateef Al Mullah said that Fareed Abdul Rahman will continue as the Kochi Smart City CEO. Kerala CM had said, he has got confirmation on the removal of Mr. Fareed from the CEO position.

Meanwhile, a delegation headed by Abdul Lateef Al Mullah will come to Kochi soon to start the Smart City Operations.

ഫരീദ് അബ്ദുറഹ്മാന് സ്മാര്ട് സിറ്റി സി.ഇ.ഒ ആയി തുടരുമെന്ന് ടീകോം അറിയിച്ചു. പദ്ധതി ഉടന് തുടങ്ങാന് ടീകോം തീരുമാനിച്ചു. ടീകോം സിഇഒ ഉടന് കേരളത്തിലെത്തും.

Manorama
Mathrubhumi

[Malayaali]

Priority for Framework Agreement - TECOM

TECOM delegates will come to Kochi soon with signing the framework agreement, the top priority, said Abdul Lateef Al Mulla, TECOM CEO .

TECOM is happy in the progress of project and we are committed to people in Kerala, Al Mulla told.

The SEZ status can be obtained only after signing the framework agreement. The land registration works are complete. Master Plan is also getting ready.

TECOM expects to complete the project in time, he said

Manorama

[Malayaali]

Tecom CEO, SmartCity board members for State

Abdullatif Almulla, chief executive officer of Tecom Investments Group, the parent company of SmartCity, will, along with the board members of SmartCity, shortly visit Kerala to discuss the operations in taking the project forward.

Mr. Almulla, in a statement issued from Dubai, said “they (Tecom) will decide on the resource allocation and appointment of the key personnel to achieve the vision of SmartCity Kochi as envisaged.” This is seen as clear message from Tecom that it will decide on persons on their part to be associated with the project putting to rest speculation that Fareed Abdulrahman, chief executive officer of SmartCity, is on his way out to enable the smooth implementation of the project.

Besides, the emphasis given to SmartCity board members is to reiterate Mr. Abdulrahman's role in the scheme of things as he continues to be a member of the board, it is said. The indirect nature of the response, it is learnt, was to play down the scope for any fresh controversy after reaching a consensus on another contentious issue only recently.

Television channels were abuzz with reports that there was a move to replace Mr. Abdulrahman at the instance of the Chief Minister.

A meeting of the board of directors of SmartCity Kochi is also expected soon to pass a resolution calling for the cancellation of the existing lease deed. Only after its cancellation can a fresh lease deed be registered, marking the resumption of the activities associated with the project.

Mr. Almulla's statement said the immediate priority was to sign the lease agreement, which was integral to get the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) notification for the project. Conveying happiness in getting the project move forward, he said the project was bigger than any issue surrounding it.

The Hindu

[Malayaali]

Lease agreement to be signed on Wednesday

The land lease agreement of the smart city project will be signed between Dubai TECOM and Kerala government on February 16th.The TECOM officials will arrive in Kerala on Tuesday evening. TECOM team will be led by CEO Abdul Lateef Mulla. The Master Plan of the project will be finalized by March and work on project is expected to start soon after that.

Manorama

[speed123]

Kerala government and Dubai-based Tecom sort out differences over freehold right

More than four years after laying the foundation stone, the SmartCity Kochi project, a joint venture between the government of Kerala and Dubai-based Tecom, took a decisive turn for the better on Wednesday.

The project, with an initial investment of $350 million, is expected to generate about 90,000 jobs in the next 10 years.

The lease deed for 246 acres, where the project is coming up, for 99 years was signed on Wednesday. The land was also registered in favour of the SmartCity Kochi Infrastructure Private Limited with the government giving stamp and registration duty exemptions.

After signing the lease deed, Registration Minister S. Sarma, who is also the chairman of SmartCity Kochi, and Tecom CEO Abdullatif Almulla said construction would begin as soon as the Special Economic Zone notification was received for 131 acres, which had already been cleared by the Board of Approval of the Union Commerce Ministry.

Things, however, were looking far from rosy before the meeting between Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and member of Dubai's Supreme Fiscal Committee Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer on February 2.

Stumbling block
The project had hit a stumbling block in March 2008 over the promoter's demand for freehold over 12 per cent of the project land. While the State government insisted that land with the freehold right will be inside the SEZ and hence cannot be sold, Tecom claimed that freehold by default meant right to sell. Both sides stuck to their positions till the government appointed M.A. Yousuf Ali, board member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, as a mediator to find a way out.

Mr. Ali, with the help of his team, was able to create a consensus between the parties within three weeks resulting in the February 2-meeting. Eventually, the government had its way and Tecom agreed on freehold without selling rights.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle1483834.ece

[speed123]

KOCHI: Finally, smart opportunities have come knocking at the doors of job hunters in Kerala. Putting an end to the wait for starting the construction works of Smart City Kochi, Tecom, the promoters of the project, has invited applications to various top posts for carrying out the work.
According to www.smartcity.ae, the official website of Tecom, the company wants a construction manager, document controller and senior engineers for design, mechanical and engineering services, buildings, infrastructure and cost control.
Kochi is set to become a predominant destination for the information and communications technologies (IT/ITES) industries. Being developed as a joint venture between SmartCity, a member of Tecom Investments, and the Government of Kerala, SmartCity Kochi will be home to vibrant knowledge-economy communities worldwide, anchored by leading local, regional and global companies, the site says.
To assist in achieving this vision, SmartCity Kochi is currently recruiting resultoriented, self motivated and dynamic professionals in these disciplines, the website says.
It was after clearing many hurdles that the Tecom and the Kerala Government signed a fresh lease agreement giving a new lease of life to the Smart City Kochi on February 23. Then, on March 2, the Union Government issued a special economic zone (SEZ) notification for 131 acres of the 246 acres handed over to Smart City project. The Union Government had already given the final SEZ approval for the 131 acres. The state government has started measures to secure SEZ status for the balance 115 acres.
Tecom had made it clear that the construction work would begin immediately after the issuance of the SEZ notification.
The construction of the boundary wall and the administrative block will be started on the 131 acres of land for which the SEZ notification has been issued. The works of the master plan for the project has almost been completed.

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/...ks/256550.html

[mohammedirshad06]

Smart City Kochi promoter Tecom is all set to appoint officials to carry out administrative operations, including tendering and selection of master planners for the project.

The Tecom expects that it will be able to find the right candidates to the key posts from the Malayali workforce in the Gulf region.

The Tecom has invited applications to various top posts, including construction manager, document controller and senior engineers for design, mechanical and engineering services, buildings, infrastructure and cost control. Once appointed, the officials will begin tender procedures to select master planner for the project. The construction of administrative office and project office will be carried out first, Tecom sources said. The construction of these offices will be started immediately after the recruitment to key posts is completed.

The Tecom has invited infrastructure consultants and landscape designers for the project. In an effort to avoid delay, the master plan will be prepared for the entire 246 acres of land, sources said. For their other projects in Malta and Dubai, the master plans were prepared for each phases separately.
Tecom had made it clear that the construction work would begin immediately after the issuance of the SEZ notification.

Earlier, the Tecom entrusted the Londanbased Collin Buchchnen with the task of preparing the master plan for the project. After the differences of opinion with the state government over freehold land right, the Tecom decided to cancel the master plan.

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/...ts/258025.html

[dpkanu]

Finally, smart opportunities have come knocking at the doors of job hunters in Kerala. Putting an end to the wait for starting the construction works of Smart City Kochi, Tecom, the promoters of the project, has invited applications to various top posts for carrying out the work.

According to www.smartcity.ae, the official website of Tecom, the company wants a construction manager, document controller and senior engineers for design, mechanical and engineering services, buildings, infrastructure and cost control.

Kochi is set to become a predominant destination for the information and communications technologies (IT/ITES) industries. Being developed as a joint venture between SmartCity, a member of Tecom Investments, and the Government of Kerala, SmartCity Kochi will be home to vibrant knowledge-economy communities worldwide, anchored by leading local, regional and global companies, the site says.

To assist in achieving this vision, SmartCity Kochi is currently recruiting resultoriented, self motivated and dynamic professionals in these disciplines, the website says.

It was after clearing many hurdles that the Tecom and the Kerala Government signed a fresh lease agreement giving a new lease of life to the Smart City Kochi on February 23. Then, on March 2, the Union Government issued a special economic zone (SEZ) notification for 131 acres of the 246 acres handed over to Smart City project. The Union Government had already given the final SEZ approval for the 131 acres. The state government has started measures to secure SEZ status for the balance 115 acres.
Tecom had made it clear that the construction work would begin immediately after the issuance of the SEZ notification.

The construction of the boundary wall and the administrative block will be started on the 131 acres of land for which the SEZ notification has been issued. The works of the master plan for the project has almost been completed.

[Malayaali]

Dr. Babu George is Kochi Smart City MD

Dubai International Financial Centre project director Dr. Babu George has been appointed as the MD of Smart City, Kochi by the high level committee of the Dubai Holdings Supreme Council.
He was earlier, the director and company secretary of the Smart City.

The project is expected to pick up pace here on.

Manorama

[Malayaali]

SmartCity promoters to pump in more funds

Tecom, the promoters of the SmartCity Kochi project, is in the process of pumping in more funds to take the project forward.

While Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in UAE, will be main financier, support finance is being sought from the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) Bank.

IDBI Bank had consulted one of the director board members of SmartCity Kochi to evaluate the feasibility of the project. The bank is said to have received a positive feedback.

In a letter sent to the then Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan last month, the Supreme Fiscal Committee of the Dubai government had emphasised the need to pump in further investments by SmartCity and the State government in the ratio of 84 per cent and 16 per cent respectively during the three quarters between April and December this year. The initial investment of Rs. 120 crore made by the partners had been exhausted on acquisition of land, project development cost and operating expenditure since 2007.

The promoters, however, are yet to open their office in the city. It is now learnt that a larger space would be rented in the coming days. It is hoped that the office would be opened straightaway once this is done as the promoters had been in the process of recruiting people for their Kochi office.

Earlier this month, the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee, had appointed a five-member committee headed by Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, member of the Supreme Committee for Dubai World Group and Dubai Holding Group, to facilitate the progress of the Kochi project.

In the meantime, the impact of the change of guard in the State on the project is expected to be known soon. Whether principal players in the project, like IT Secretary K. Suresh Kumar who is also a member of the SmartCity Kochi board by virtue of his position, will keep their posts remain to be seen.

Sources, however, said that nothing about the basic tenets of the project could be changed as the agreement had already been signed. The new government will have to follow it in letter and spirit.

The Hindu

[Malayaali]

UDF Government to review LDF's SmartCity Kochi agreement

Kochi: Shri Oommen Chandy, who took over as the new Chief Minister of Kerala last week, today said that the UDF government will implement the SmartCity Kochi project on a priority basis after sorting out few issues in the agreement, the previous government had with Tecom, which are against the State’s interest.

Interacting with the media, the CM said, “There are some issues which are against the interests of the state in the agreement the LDF government had with Tecom, the Dubai based promoters of the proposed Rs.1,500 crore SmartCity Kochi project. The government will review and take steps to change the agreement but the project will not be delayed. We do not want to delay the project even by a day”.

It was on February 23, 2011 that the new lease agreement for the SmartCity Kochi project was signed at the Board of Directors meeting held in Kochi. The lease deed for 246 acres was signed between Abdullatif AlMulla, Group CEO of Tecom Investments and K Suresh Kumar IAS, IT Secretary, Government of Kerala. This was necessitated as the earlier lease agreement had expired when the project was stuck in a deadlock for over five years.

The construction work was to begin soon after getting the SEZ approval but the SEZ notification was held up as the Model Code of Conduct for the State Elections came into place by then. The Board of The Board of Approval (BoA) of the Central Government on Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is expected to meet on May 31, 2011. The BoA had earlier issued a notification granting SEZ status for the 132 acres of land for the SmartCity Kochi project but the approval for the remaining 114 acres is now pending.

Source

[induzcreed]

Originally Posted by Malayaali

UDF Government to review LDF's SmartCity Kochi agreement

Source

This project is heading towards troubled waters for sure. 6 years already lost. And now whole thing going back to square one? what the heck and who wants the so called changes again? for heaven sake pls stop this drama

[DileepKS]

The key is the new 4 acres being given from the Kinfra land. this would enable them to build the lifestyle zone outside the SEZ.

(Now waiting for ArunPR to pounce )

[arunpr]

Originally Posted by DileepKS

The key is the new 4 acres being given from the Kinfra land. this would enable them to build the lifestyle zone outside the SEZ.

(Now waiting for ArunPR to pounce )

Another interesting fact is, TECOM didnt ask this 4 acres(For lifestyle zone) in the last 5 years !!! They wanted 12% land. Suddenly it reduced to 4 acres after the govt change. Now its very clear who delayed the project, whether it is TECOM/LDF government

TECOM is successfull in delaying the project for 5 years and put all the blame on LDF govt for the delay with the support of medias

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by arunpr

Another interesting fact is, TECOM didnt ask this 4 acres(For lifestyle zone) in the last 5 years !!! They wanted 12% land. Suddenly it reduced to 4 acres after the govt change. Now its very clear who delayed the project, whether it is TECOM/LDF government

TECOM is successfull in delaying the project for 5 years and put all the blame on LDF govt for the delay with the support of medias

But the govt changed SEZ policy to Central policy, which allows around 50% of total land into lifestyle zone. In addition, the concept itself now changed from IT city to mixed use city with inbuilt services zone like mall, retail, banking, entertainment, leisure etc. Naturally it was these things which planned in a separate lifestyle zone, which now became part of this 250 acres zone.

[KMC]

let us be realistic here , if we look at the projections made by kerala govt 7 years back . I thought 7 years down the line , Kerala will be full of silicon vallies every where ... and look at IT Exports , we have grown to 2000 croresssss!!!!!!! in 15 years what an acheivement that is (is it .1% of Total IT Exports in India ??) , surprise that still we keep boasting on this when actually we are the No. 1 loosers who missed the bus altogether despite starting the first IT park in India .

Whole purpose is to create Job opportunities , and generate exports . success of smart city depends on these two factors. The impact it brings to the city is really huge.

[DileepKS]

I think TECOM still gets 12% freehold land within SEZ as per the original agreement. The 4 acre is in addition to the original 246 acres, 100% SEZ parcel. The only thing to know now is whether the 4 acres is freehold or not, IOW, what rights does TECOM have on that 4 acres.

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by DileepKS

I think TECOM still gets 12% freehold land within SEZ as per the original agreement. The 4 acre is in addition to the original 246 acres, 100% SEZ parcel. The only thing to know now is whether the 4 acres is freehold or not, IOW, what rights does TECOM have on that 4 acres.

I understand the remaining 4 acres will also be part of SEZ, to meet Central Govt's stipulation of minimum 250 acres for a non-sector specific SEZ.

Now they don't need outside, because the concept completely changed into Mixed use SEZ, which allows multiple options inside SEZ itself. I believe, it should aim like Mahindra World City of Chennai or things like that