Hyderabad realty set for revival

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad real estate market, which has been in limbo for years mainly due to the Telangana statehood agitation, is beginning to see green shoots, thanks to renewed interest from realty players outside the city who find land here cheaper.

While Bengaluru-based realty players such as Brigade, Mantri, Embassy and Prestige are among those who either launched their projects recently or are firming up land deals, many other non-local realtors are in the process of doing so, says property consultants. 

"The entry of outstation players into the Hyderabad real estate market, both for residential and commercial projects, is an indication of the improving market scenario here," said Sandip Patnaik, Hyderabad managing director of property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Barring one or two non-local players, no new player entered the Hyderabad market owing to the sluggishness in 2009-14, he said. 

Read more at:  The Economic Time 

Hyderabad ranked in the top 5 cities of Amazon.in ( Reading Books )

Hyderabad: Hyderabad has been slotted among the top 5 cities in India that are driving the country’s love for reading, for the third consecutive year, according to the Amazon.in’s Annual Reading Trends Report. The ranking of the reading trend report was determined by compiling sales data of all the physical books sold during the course of the year 2015.

This year, Amish Tripathi’s ‘Scion of Ikshvaku’ was the most sold book in the city, while last year’s bestseller, Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’ came in third. The Manorama Yearbook 2015 was ranked second in the number of sales in the city.

The sale of the top book (Scion of Ikshvaku) was over 3x the sale of the most sold book of last year, Half Girlfriend, indicating an extremely healthy growth in the reading habits of the city.

Fiction ranked as the top genre of the year in the city. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, Preeti Shenoy’s ‘Life is What You Make it’ and Robin Sharma’s self-help book ‘Who will cry when you die’ featured for the second year in the top 10 book purchased by the city.

Exam preparation books emerged as the third most popular genre and are amongst the fastest growing categories on the website that supplies the largest number of books in different languages. The Manorama Yearbook topped the Exam preparation category this year. The book moved from up from the 7th position last year to 2nd position this year in the overall book sales in Hyderabad.

The translated version of ‘The Secret’ authored by Rhonda Byrne topped the Telugu books category.

The translated version of ‘The Secret’ authored by Rhonda Byrne topped the Telugu books category.

Some findings from the trends report:

The Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities

1.	Delhi – NCR	9	Jaipur	17.	Ernakulam
2.	Bengaluru	10	Chandigarh	18.	Coimbatore
3.	Mumbai	11	Nagpur	19.	Bhopal
4.	Hyderabad	12	Surat	20.	Visakhapatnam
5.	Chennai	13	Bhubaneswar
6.	Pune	14.	Guwahati
7.	Kolkata	15.	Vadodara
8.	Ahmedabad	16.	Indore

Hyderabad RGIA to run on solar energy in 3 years

Hyderabad | New buildings and terminals will also have solar panels built into the design, says Rajiv Gandhi International Airport CEO S.G.K. Kishore.

In the next three years, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) will become self-sufficient when it comes to energy.

The GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) witnessed inauguration of its 5 MW solar power plant here on Tuesday. The company’s CEO S.G.K. Kishore said the airport’s solar capacity would be upped to 30 Mega Watts (MW) in the next three years to meet all energy requirements.

In 2016-17 alone, the airport is expected to raise the solar capacity up to 12 MW. The installed power plant which has 16,000 modules of solar panels will meet 30 per cent of the airport’s requirements.

Even the new buildings and terminals which would come up on RGIA land as part of airport expansion plans scheduled for the coming year will have solar panels built into the design, he informed media in a briefing soon after the inaugural session.

The existing power plant is expected to reduce 70,000 tons of carbon emission every year, Mr. Kishore said. The power panels spread over 21 acres of land will ensure no escalation of energy costs in next 10 to 15 years. “When it comes to conventional power there is at least a 5 per cent escalation of costs every year,” he said, adding this would bring down airport costs in the next couple of years. The energy charges for airport is Rs. 3.5 crore per month.

Total investment for the existing solar plant was Rs. 25 crore. With the aid of banking at minimal rates, the three year solar expansion plan will see an investment of approximately Rs. 150 crore.

According to the CEO, the 30 MW plant will provide energy not just for the airport, but also for the airport city which is expected to come up. International airports, including Kochi and New Delhi were the firsts to go for solar power harvesting.

Terminal, cargo expansion

GHIAL’s expansion plans are not limited to solar power as the airport which has reached a passenger capacity of 12 million this year will start terminal, security, counters expansion the coming year. “We have witnessed robust traffic growth in the last few years. Last year, the growth was 24 per cent and this year so far, it is 20 per cent.

The idea is to maximise passenger traffic capacity to 20 million,” Mr. Kishore said.

Hyderabad airport has also witnessed high volume cargo growth, second only to New Delhi airport, he revealed. While the Delhi airport’s cargo traffic growth is 11.5 per cent Hyderabad recorded 11 per cent growth.

Pharma and defence sectors contribute most of the city’s cargo traffic. “In the next couple of years we will focus on developing facilities for perishables, food products and express cargo. Logistics is another important area of growth,” the CEO said.

Not limiting itself to Hyderabad centred cargo growth, RGIA is aiming at catchment expansion. “We are seeing cargo traffic from places such as Goa. While 15 of the cargo is currently coming from outside Hyderabad in the next two years, we aim at expanding this capacity to 30 per cent, over and above cargo expansion in Hyderabad. In the next three years, we expect double digit growth,” Mr. Kishore said.

It is stable governments, both at the Centre and State, that has enhanced Hyderabad airport’s growth rate, the company stressed.

Solar energy to light up RGIA in three years

Source : The Hindu

Hyderabad beats realty slowdown as housing sales rise 67%

Housing sales in Hyderabad rose by 67 per cent to 7,000 units during October 2014 to September 2015 period on improved demand from both end-users and investors after formation of Telangana. 

According to property consultant JLL India, housing sales stood at 7,000 units during the fourth quarter of 2014 to the third quarter of 2015 as against 4,200 units in the year-ago period. 

"After creation of new Telangana state and Hyderabad's status as joint capital, the end-users demand as well as investors sentiment has improved, resulting in an increase in sales," JLL India National Director - Research Ashutosh Limaye said when asked about rise in sales despite overall slowdown in real estate market. 

Going forward, he said sales would remain robust with reasonable price rise. 

"As the city moved past the global financial crisis and later, the formation of Telangana, developers are no longer holding back launches and buyers are also returning to the market," the report said. 

JLL said there has been a significant increase in the number of units launched. In the last three quarters alone, launches have picked up strongly, increasing by more than 1.5 times since last year. 

"Moreover, improved economic activity seen during the last six months has led to a better market sentiment. Corporates are also coming in as the political environment has improved," it added. 

The capital values have also witnessed a significant rise in Hyderabad of about 5-10 per cent year-on-year, after many years of seeing sub-5 per cent rate of appreciation. 

The city is likely to witness further price rise going forward, given its good quality of life and state-of-the-art infrastructure, the consultant said. 

"As the government goes all out to bring investments, heightened economic activity can be expected to further bolster the residential realty market," the report said.

Now, Take a Tour of Hyderabad in Helicopter

HYDERABAD:   Citizens of Greater Hyderabad as well as tourists visiting the heritage city would be able to enjoy a spectacular aerial view and watch the unique city scape, glare at the most lively city, as Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) in association with Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) has decided to launch ‘Helicopter Ride’ (Heli Tourism) soon.

There are many tourists spots around Hussainsagar, which look outstanding from an aerial view. The idea of helicopter ride is to provide an enthralling experience to the tourists and boost potential tourism in the city, HMDA Metropolitan Commissioner T Chiranjeevulu told Express.

HMDA will provide the required land at nearby People’s Plaza for setting up an helipad for chopper rides. There is also a proposal to establish ‘Go Karting facility’ opposite PV Ghat on Necklace Road.

Hyderabad | Gadkari assures big boost for highways in TS

HYDERABAD, JANUARY 4:  

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today announced a number of road projects with a total outlay of over Rs. 40,800 crore, including two expressways from Hyderabad to Bangalore and Amaravati.

A detailed project report for development of Expressways between Hyderabad and Bangalore (550 km) and Hyderabad and Vijayawada (Amaravati 270 km), with potential investment outlay of Rs. 16,000 crore will soon be prepared. Apart from that about Rs. 25,000 crore would be invested in development of highways in the State, he said.

Speaking to reporters here today, the Union Minister said that the Centre was open to considering more projects if proposed by the State, in addition to some of the already under consideration projects. He said that the investment number is yet to be finalised as this could go up depending upon other proposals.

Gadkari, who had a luncheon meeting with the State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, assured him all necessary support in taking up more highway projects in the State.

Responding to TS Government request to support the development of inland waterways, Gadkari said that the NDA Government was keen on development of waterways and assured to look into the proposals made by the State. A dry port is under consideration for development in Telangana.

The Centre was considering a multi-modal hub on Godavari, which will have a dry port, national highway network connectivity and inland waterway connection.

He was in Telangana to formally lay the foundation stone for four-lane highway project between Yadadri and Warangal section of national highway and inauguration of a major bridge across river Godavari on Hyderabad-Bhoopalapatanam section of National Highway 163 at Madikonda village of Warangal.

Source :  Businessline 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016

Cognizant buys Hyderabad office space

Nasdaq-listed IT software firm Cognizant has bought a 11.04-acre land parcel that includes a 250,000 sqft operational office space facility in Hyderabad, from Bangalore-based technology park developer DivyaSree.  The Rs 112-crore transaction, struck in Hyderabad's IT hub of Gachibowli, gives the $7.35-billion IT services company room to further develop around 1 million sqft of office space. Last year Cognizant had bought 18-acres of land in Kochi; work here has begun.

Despite political uncertainties over the status of Hyderabad, the city's IT corridor of Madhapur, Kondapur, Hitec City and Gachibowli continue to remain the most active commercial micro-market, owing to the expansion and relocation requirements of IT/ITeS firms. Industry analysts estimate that around 3-million sqft of commercial office space is likely to be released into Hyderabad's IT corridors over the next six months.

Major IT companies are all expanding facilities as demand remains robust . Last week TOI reported that Infosys Technologies had bought a 300,000 sqft facility for Rs 115 crore in Bangalore.

In Hyderabad, Cognizant has been working out of a leased office it got when it acquired the business interests of UBS in India in 2010. This facility nowhasover 3,000 employees working out of it.

Confirming the deal, a Cognizant spokesperson said, "The facility will support our expansion in Hyderabad. It is at a conveniently accessible location in the city's financial district." International property consultants CBRE South Asia had structured the deal.

Google Campus Set to Change IT Face of Hyderabad

NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD:Adding another feather to its cap, the pearl city can soon boast of housing the only own campus of  IT giant Google in entire Asia. This will also be the biggest facility of Google, outside the United States of America (USA). With the Google CEO, Sundar Pichai’s official announcement of setting up Google’s new campus in Hyderabad on Wednesday, the Telangana government’s aggressive industrial policy has made one of its biggest achievements so far.

Following Pichai’s announcement in New Delhi, K T Rama Rao, IT Minister of Telangana, thanked him for choosing Hyderabad for the company’s expansion plans in India. “Thanks Sunder Pichai for reiterating commitment to Hyderabad,” the Minister tweeted. 

During the visit of the IT minister to Silicon Valley in USA, a few months ago, the State government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Google, according to which 7.2 acres of land in Gachibowli has been allotted for its new campus.

Google agreed to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the project in four years. As per the agreement, the new facility of Google will be developed in a sprawling 2 million square feet campus in the middle of the IT Corridor of Hyderabad. Google is expecting the facility to be operational by 2019.

The new campus in Hyderabad, is also going to double its employee count. Sunder Pichai, who was in New Delhi on Wednesday, announced that Hyderabad is one of the cities where Google is planning to recruit more employees. Bengaluru is another Indian city that will see recruitment by the company. Google had already announced that it would launch India’s first ‘Street View’ project in Hyderabad.  Reacting to the announcement, IT Secretary of Telangana, Jayesh Ranjan, said, “The ground work has already been done. Once the necessary clearances are obtained, it can be launched.”

more ........ 

HYDERABAD today - TELANGANA - The Hindu

HYDERABAD today - TELANGANA - The Hindu

Hyderabad most affordable metro for homes

Hyderabad remains the most affordable metro for home buyers, followed by Ahmedabad and Kolkata. 

The 2016 edition of the 'Buy Vs Rent Report' of financial advisory firm ArthaYantra shows that buying a house will be better option than renting in the Telangana capital. 

The study factors in rentals and real estate prices across eight major cities and then examines how affordable a 1,000 sq ft house is for different income levels. 

It also assumes that the buyer will borrow 80% of the price of the property Hyderabad tops the chart with the highest score for prospective buyers earning Rs 8 lakh a year. Property prices have fallen 10.5% in the past four years, while rents are up marginally by 1%. 

In Ahmedabad, ranking second, property prices have dropped 20% in the past four years and rents by 4%. This makes buying a compelling option in the city. 

Source : The Economic Times 

Hyderabad | Relaxed rules can spur growth

Apart from bringing in more transparency and checking corruption, will the proposed legislation on the lines of TS-iPASS act as catalyst in giving momentum to the dormant real estate sector in Hyderabad?

Typically in Hyderabad and elsewhere in Telangana State, a developer spends anywhere between eight months and a year to get building permission for a non-multi-storeyed (under five floors) structure. For permission to take up construction of multi-storeyed structures (more than five floors), which includes getting no objection certificates from a host of departments and building permission from GHMC, it takes more than a year.

Can the legislation mooted by the State government exclusively for real estate sector provide building permissions for builders within a span of two weeks? Apart from the promise of introducing more transparency and checking corruption in the sector, will the proposed legislation act as a tool that will be a catalyst to give momentum to the dormant sector in Hyderabad?

The recent decision of the Chief Minister to have legislation on the lines of Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self Certification System (TS-iPASS), has managed to raise hopes for the sector. The sector experts point out that such a legislation for real estate would encourage investment, transparency and moreover, the benefits of lower time in acquiring permissions for real estate projects would ultimately be passed on to the consumer. “In our talks, we have urged the municipal authorities and even the Chief Minister that there was a need to come out with solutions by thinking out of the box. Drastically reducing time to get permissions by introducing innovative measures like making the whole process online is important. It’s possible to reduce time for permission to only two weeks,” feels former president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association (CREDAI) C. Sekhar Reddy.

More ....  The Hindu 

Hyderabad City to Host 5-Day Sky Fest From December 23

HYDERABAD: The City of Pearls is all set to host its largest-ever five-day festivity, Sky Fest, in December. It will be held at the Gachibowli Stadium from December 23 to 27.

To be hosted by Sparsh Hospice, a charitable initiative of Rotary Club, it will be a one-stop destination for adventure, entertainment, food and will have some major attractions like hot-air balloon rides, concerts, midnight open-air movies and acrobatic shows.

Speaking at the curtain raiser of ‘ACT Fibernet Sky Fest 2015’, IT and panchayat raj minister KT Rama Rao here on Wednesday said, “For any city to become a global city, social capital plays a major role. If the investors, migrants and natives do not have a social life, then that city cannot be called a true metropolitan city. That is the reason why we started promoting Hyderabad as a social capital through the ‘Happening Hyderabad’ programme and hosted many concerts and international conventions in the past one year. The upcoming Sky Fest will be a way forward and will definitely be a highlight among all our programmes.”

Rao added, “The festival is being organised with an aim to connect all sections of  people under one roof to create vibrant communities leading to a better life.

Also, the motive is appreciable as the organisers are trying to raise funds to expand their hospitality scope by adding new facilities,” Rao added.

He advised the organisers to target school students to make the programme successful. “As the programme will be hosted during the Christmas holidays, it will be better if  educational institutions are also involved in the event. As all the programmes will be held at one venue, there are high chances of children turning out in large numbers,” the minister said.

“Besides hot-air balloon rides, the other attractions of the festival will include concerts, midnight open-air movies, acrobatic shows, five days of carnival, shopping, food and much more fun and frolic  to bond people,” Dr M Subrahmanyam, trustee, Sparsh Hospice, said.

The movies to be screened are Dilwale, Baji Rao Mastani, Bahubali (Hindi), Sreemanthudu and Maya Bazar (Colour). Noted singers  Shanker Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam and Devi Sri Prasad will perform at the event.

Sparsh Hospice is a 15-bedded hospital in  a rented building at Banjara Hills in the city. The fundraising event is being organised to generate funds required to build its own premises and expand the capacity from 15 to 50 beds.

Source : Indian Express 

Innofest on Nov 21 : Hyderabad Startups

#Hyderabad to host Innofest on Nov 21

Start-up incubator T-Hub will host the first edition of Innofest, a festival of Innovation on Saturday. Angel investor Mohandas Pai, IT products association iSpirit co-founder, Sharad Sharma and Pramati founder Jay Pullur are among the speakers who would address different sessions in the daylong event.

It will be inaugurated by K T Rama Rao, the Minister of IT and Panchayat Raj, Government of Telangana. He will also deliver plenary key note address.

“Innofest is unique event organised to celebrate Innovation. It is a platform that brings together many unsung heroes among innovators and uncovered innovations and gives them their due recognition,” Hyderabad Software Exporters’ Association (HYSEA) President Ramesh Loganathan has said.

Source : The Hindu