Top Innovisionary Builders - Ambuja Neotia Group

Where change is the only constant, Harshavardhan Neotia Chairman INNO-VISION ZONE With several projects in Eastern India and other parts of the country in the pipeline, Ambuja Neotia Group continues to live by its maxim of making a difference to the way people live. What´s more, the Kolkata-based company has been in the news for its recent forays into hospitality, healthcare and education. Building green is certainly a mantra and under the leadership of Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group, there have been several benchmarks set: Pioneering the PPP model in housing; rewriting retail rules through the City Centre mall; and creating award-winning malls, resorts and restaurants. Neotia elaborates upon the company´s innovative experience.. Game changers One innovation was when we built our first mall: City Centre. Back then, India had just started building malls, most of which were completely air-conditioned. Charles Correa, the architect for City Centre, studied Kolkata and suggested we create a fusion mall that would be partly air-conditioned. The non-air conditioned area was designed as a traditional Indian bazaar with shops alongside the pavement. The idea of merging a traditional bazaar with a mall was a huge success. Also, more recently, we were building an office complex in Kolkata. However, following the 2008 downfall, there were few takers. To position ourselves more attractively, we created a club that provided a host of facilities including a swimming pool, gym, pool table, restaurants, meeting rooms, guest rooms for overnight stay, auditorium, conference hall, etc. This was an elaborate 70,000-sq ft complex, a first-of-its-kind then. People loved it and all offices were occupied. Brand salience The most successful aspect for any business is trust; this gets built over time and not out of innovation. It is a result of completing projects on time and having a successful track record. This is the one single reason why someone will invest in your company. In real estate, in most cases, a property is purchased much before it is completed and, hence, trust has a major role to play. Dream project The opportunity to build hospitality projects at exotic locations on a mountain top or a riverside is my dream - - a project where I am able to bring nature into the development and create a building that is in harmony with the natural topography and beauty of the place. This excites me a lot. Summing up Every innovation is a result of teamwork. As a leader I select from all the ideas put together, add mine and try to stitch it up. If it works I get the credit and if it does not, I get the stick. But every real estate builder should adopt innovative strategies because innovation is a part of life. Inno-Vision Zone Commercial Ambuja City Centre, Raipur, Chhattisgarh Size: 4.75 lakh sq ft Date of completion: June 2013 Unique features: This multi-utility commercial complex comprises a shopping mall that boasts of global retail majors as well as local brands, a four-screen cineplex, entertainment arena, food court, an adjoining office tower and a club. The development consists of a green campus with over 500 trees encompassing the shopping mall, entertainment and offices. Moreover, it features a self-generated micro climate with extensive green landscape and employment of passive cooling architectural systems. Water bodies, open spaces and lush greens enrich the senses of sight, sound and smell. Set amid great outdoor plazas and an amphitheatre, City Centre is a cluster of five blocks juxtaposed to carve internal streets and plazas such as fountain courts and event plazas. The piazza space is a grand atrium flushed with daylight and green terraces. Also, differentiated structures have been created like Dining Street, Kids´ Street, Broadway, Valentine Cafe and Garden of Senses, and Friendship Street among others, woven around unique designs. Impact on end-user: The mall has 24 x 7 security along with CCTV cameras and fire safety devices ensuring user safety. Also, it is easy to navigate. Narrow shopping aisles lead to wide open spaces and each of the blocks are well connected through elevators and escalators, helping the visitor explore the mall without facing any dead-ends. IT Park Ecocentre, Salt Lake, Kolkata Size: Land area: 2 acre; total built-up area: About 5 lakh sq ft Date of completion: 2015 Unique features: A world-class office development, Ecocentre is the first landmark at Sector V. It is located close to the arterial road that connects the airport and Salt Lake and is close to the proposed metro station and other premium developments including IT parks and hotels. A desired destination for business that offers the optimum blend of location, identity and amenities, it features open and multi-storeyed parking space, security and DG back-up, garbage disposal system, fire-fighting system and a green building concept, with neat and clean office spaces. Impact on end-user: The business park has 24 x 7 security along with CCTV cameras and fire safety devices. It has an attached multi level parking deck offering one car space for every 10,000 sq ft of office space. Also, a 52,000-sq ft-premium leisure club is located on the top two floors of the building to assure an enchanting getaway from daily work stress. 5-Step Approach for an Innovative Project Schedule the time and product in a tight manner Ensure the customer gets what he needs- - no more, no less Be sensitive to the environment Ensure that the nuisance caused during construction is minimised for local people around Have good architecture and design