Secularists Colony

By Mouli Mareedu

Established by the VII Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan for his security guards, AC Guards is known for its secular outlookAC Guards is one of the historical places in Hyderabad and has an interesting past. The area has been developed commercially and residentially as various Government head offices and several Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies are functioning from this colony. The colony, AC Guards, is famous for secularism as scores of Muslim and Christian families stay here. “The AC Guards had a great record and the area became an epicenter for a few Nizam Nawabs when they ruled the region,” said Afzal, a 65-year-old citizen. People staying in the colony started calling the area A C Guards when the VII Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan provided the area as residential quarters to his security guards. The last Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan imported hundreds of guards. He named them African Calvary Guards, as most of them came from Africa, Somalia and Yemen to protect the region from the invasion of the enemy. As the African Calvary Guards stayed in the colony, people started calling the area A C Guards, in memory of African guards. “The Africa Calvary Guards were divided into two groups; one provided security to the last Nizam Nawab, while the other nurtured Mir Osman’s pet animal like elephants and horses,” said local church bishop, Simon Antony. “The successors of hundreds of A C Guards from Muslim and Christian communities imported from various African and Arab countries by the Nawab preferred to locate in this area,” said Saleem Bin Khalifa, local resident. Saleem, former national hockey player and general secretary of Byswa Hockey Club, said that hockey is famous in this colony and every youngster prefers it over cricket. “The A C Guards hockey teams have participated in hundreds of tournaments and achieved number of medals and certificates from different organisations,” Saleem added. Another landmark in the colony is — Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, which works on a mission of providing high quality medication at low cost. “The Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital is leading hospital in this locality and hundreds of patients come here for treatment. The hospital is equipped with modern technology to provide better treatment facilities to poor patients at low price,” said Madhusudhan, duty doctor, Mahavir Hospital. Samachar Buildings, well-known as Information and Public Relations department Commissioner Office, Electrical Engineer of Roads and Buildings office, some national media branch offices and Income Tax and CBI offices are located in this colony. “The area has been developed as commercial and residential place and is closer to some major areas of the city. People prefer to stay here as the place is very peaceful without any untoward incidents,” said Harshad, local canteen owner.

Affluent Homes

By Mouli Mareedu

Radha Realty offers single family homes gated community as per customer’s choice Many realty firms to draw the attention of customers are designing houses as per their interests. They are providing affluent and comfortable houses with international standards at affordable costs. The first of it kind in realty industry in Hyderabad, Radha Realty is offering single family homes and gated community project houses in different models for customers.

N Ravindranath Reddy, Managing Director, Radha Realty Corporation of India Private Limited said that the new designed houses would be popular when they will be built as per the interest of customers. “Even as the realty industry faces hard time, there will no impact on the company's projects, which provides quality and affordable costs for customers. If the buyer decides to take a house as per his interest, they will not hesitate to purchase houses investing huge money,” Reddy said.

Radha Realty Corporation of India Private Limited is one of the leading real estate companies in Andhra Pradesh and it was incorporated in 1997. All Radha Realty projects are residential layouts like plotting, Apartments and Gated communities. “As of now, the Radha Realty completed Green Lands, Westend Meadows, Fortune Meadows, Dew Drops and Mukund Meadows, Dew Villa, Maple Town, Creek Town under plotting and gated community projects,” Reddy said.

Radha Realty recently unveiled its new project, U31, single family homes gated community venture in Hyderabad. The 31 limited edition ultra luxury townhouses would be built on a sprawling 9-acre land located at Kondapur, next to the Botanical Garden. Explaining the new project, U31, Reddy said that the U31 would have two different designed houses. One is courtyard houses, which would have as many as 19 houses, and at least 12 pavilion houses. “Each of these four-storeyed houses will have a property area of 1250 square yards built up area of 11,800 square feet. Each house will have five bed rooms, private swimming pool, exotic interiors, a designer home entertainment room, private elevator and 5 car parking spaces,” Reddy explained. Reddy said that the two models, courtyard and pavilion houses would be constructed in the same plinth area and each house would cost Rs 12 crore.

“The U31 houses have obtained great response. Already at least five homes out of 31 have been sold and some customers are showing interest to purchase,” he claimed. “The U31 have great demand because the homes in the project were designed as per international standards by Andrew Maynard, world acclaimed architecture based in Australia. All facilities, amenities, and the design are centered on the basic principles of family and community living,” Reddy added. The U31 main features are - Hyderabad’s most posh lifestyle Gated Community, home theatre room custom-designed by design guru Dilip Chhabria. This is the first of its kind car free single family homes community in the world, with the introduction of a podium level, ultra luxury club, Signature Day spa, managed by a famous international spa operator, Eco-Friendly: LEED certified green communit.

Property biz hits roadblock

By Mouli Mareedu

Real estate business seems to be not as lucrative as it used to be, at least in the twin cities. The sector, which was considered as money-spinner till recently, has no good tidings to offer. It has turned out to be a nightmare for investors, buyers and builders.

A survey report reveals that the demand for real estate in and around Hyderabad has been reduced by 11 per cent to 12 per cent. One and half year ago, all domestic and international banks had huge rush in front of their counters for loans in the housing sector. As the real estate business is on the verge of a slump, some banks are hesitating to sanction loans. Majority of experts in real estate sector feel that the global changes in various sectors impacted on the Indian realty business.

"Uncertainty has been prevailing among realtors as there is some crisis erupted in Information Technology (IT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), US financial and banking system and aviation sectors. We considered these are the key causes crippling the real estate business," says Rakesh Talwar, country head (marketing and sales), Karvy Realty (India) Private Limited.

On the other hand, as some political parties are demanding separate Telangana State, customers are just waiting to invest hoping for reduction in prices of lands and realty. Land sellers in Ranga Reddy district, well-known for realty market, are undergoing a bad patch as hundreds of buyers have dropped their decision to purchase land. According to sources, the State government obtained approximately Rs 700 crore income by the registration of lands in 2005-2006. The income has come down to Rs 1.55 crore in 2006-2007.

Aditya Verma, business head, makaan.com told Deccan Post that as per their recent survey, majority of the people in Hyderabad prefer to purchase a house but they take time to invest because of the negative propaganda in the sector. The fluctuations in the realty are making buyers hesitate from time to time, he said.

"The slump in the realty is in commercial and domestic sectors," said Manjit Singh, vice-president, IJM India Private Limited. This situation may continue for another year, he opined. Builders have no interest in starting new projects, he said. A few prominent realty firms have decided not to start new ventures and are struggling to sell their existing property. Manjit Singh said the IJM would not go ahead for any construction in the next six months. "The government should intervene and take steps to provide home loans at zero percentage interest rate on the lines of the Malaysian government. Then only the slump in the realty business will be rectified," Manjit Singh felt.

Till 2007, people used rush to buy homes during Dussera and Diwali. This year there is no big business in the property segment. Customers rather prefer to buy a four-wheeler or any other vehicle. According to sources in the banking sector, many customers prefer loans to take four-wheeler in the festive season than investing to buy a house.P Krishna Mohan Reddy, chief manager, State Bank of India said the demand has drastically come down in real estate business. As the realty market is in various financial circumstances, buyers prefer to deposit their money in banks rather than buying houses. "In 2005, we worked additional hours to give home loans to customers. We sanctioned as many as 130 home loans per day in 2006 -2007. Now, we sanction only 10 home loans per month in the current financial year. As per the Reserve Bank of India guidelines, the State Bank also is considering to reduce interest rates on home loans," Reddy explained.

Anil Girotra, executive director, Andhra Bank told Deccan Post that even as the real estate business is in critical condition in the present situation, the Andhra Bank is encouraging customers by providing home loans. "The demand for home loans has come down and there are some bad signs as people are not showing interest in investing their money into a house or a plot. To survive the real estate market, the Andhra Bank is also planning to reduce interest rates on home loans soon," Anil said. Even as the realty sector faces hard time in the present scenario, many developers, who invested more than Rs 100 crore on construction of various projects, are optimistic and hurry to sell off their properties.

N Ravindranath Reddy, managing director, Radha Realty Corporation (India) Private Limited said even as some uncertainty prevailed around the realty business, some projects are getting good response from customers. "I think the present circumstances in the real estate may continue for a short period," Ravindranath Reddy says. Maheshwar Singh, head, DLF commercial section, Hyderabad, said the demand for commercial projects has been continuing and it was proved as the DLF commercial project sold almost all of its properties. "Even as the real estate business, especially, the residential projects struck in dilemma, commercial ventures have good demand," Singh claimed.

(The story published as cover story item in Deccan Post, english paper)

Add zing with colours

By Mouli Mareedu

A rigid marble can express amusement as it is moulded into a beautiful doll by a statuette with the assistance of a sharp tool, a white sheet maintains different expressions as it is drawn by a painter with a smooth brush, a devil can create panic and wish us on silver screen as it is designed by an animator – wondering what we are talking about? Yes! Its all about Fine Arts. With most youngsters opting for it as a profession, various institutions have jumped on to the bandwagon and are offering various courses that are lucrative.

Dr P Padmavathi, Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNTU), says that the Fine Arts courses – sculpture, painting, drawing, applied arts and photography have a huge demand and score of students' desire to opt for these courses as their career option.

Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University offers animation, painting, sculpture, photography, and applied arts under the Fine Arts division. And, the eligibility criteria? A 10+2 is the minimum requirement. "Fine Arts is an ever-green part and it has creative courses. Only innovative and motivated candidates generally prefer these courses," adds Padmavathi.

The Fine Art courses, she avers, are very popular and provide better opportunities to students soon after they are out of college. "After the JNTU split into four universities and obtained a new status for the Masab Tank JNTU as Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, we are concentrating on providing better infrastructure to all the departments that have professional courses," Padmavathi adds.

Vamsi S, a final year student who has chosen Applied Arts, claims that he did so since he aims at becoming an expert in the field. "Already, I've got a placement in Cognizant as an ad promoter, in the campus recruitment, held recently in JNTU. Soon, I'm planning to do a Master's degree in Applied Arts from National Institute of Designing (NID), Ahmedabad," he explains.

And, 22-year-old Rajyalakshmi P , a final year painting student, admits that she's "very passionate about painting and prefers to spend more time painting different kinds of pictures." "Whenever I get free time, I pin up pictures to my clip board and add some colour to the dull ones." She also states that she came from Orissa to pursue the course in painting and plans to exhibit her paintings in Hyderabad too. Then, there are some others who have done something to prove a point.

Like Revanth, a 21-year-old student of sculpture, who has made his own statue along with other prominent personalities. "I wanted to be an icon for myself. So, I have been making my statue since the last three months and will unveil it in November. As many as 15 statues were made by me during the course. I'm also planning to put them on display soon after I complete my course."
So, a career in fine arts doesn't seem bleak at all. Not when you consider students such as Revanth and the likes of him.

Vineetha P , a final year student of painting, firmly states that fine arts courses are now in demand. "I plan to paint more rather than work as an employee elsewhere." And then, there are a large number of students who want to revive the painting culture.

"I will start an institution to create an awareness among students in rural areas. Also, I will teach those unaware there, how to paint and add colours to pictures," she concludes, on a positive note.

Global realty firms looking up to city

By Mouli Mareedu

Several global real estate giants are opting Hyderabad for the expansion of their business activities, Tishman Speyer India Private Limited being one of the early birdsMajor real estate firms in the United States are eyeing at India for expanding their business activities. Not surprisingly, most of them find Hyderabad a safe bet as the city’s infrastructural system is of international standard.

Massive real estate ventures — both residential and commercial — are on the pipeline. In the wake of the recent economical developments, India happens to be the best place as all infrastructure amenities are obtainable at lower prices than in the US.

Tishman Speyer India Private Limited is one such US firm which opted to expand its business activities in India. A Robert Paratte, senior director and official spokesperson of Tishman Speyer, said real estate business in India would have marvelous growth as numerous overseas firms are planning to start their business activities in this country.

“We chose Hyderabad and started a massive commercial project here as plenty of infrastructure facilities are available and all kinds of material can be obtained at the cheapest price to build huge constructions in India,” Robert says. Tishman Speyer is one of the leading real estate firms in the world. It was incorporated in 1978 and headquartered in New York.

It has acquired, developed and operated over 270 projects totaling over approximately 113 million square feet and more than 91,000 residential units, and a property portfolio in excess of US$76 billion in total value across the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia, including signature properties such as New York’s Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Center and the Peter Cooper Village, Stuyvesant Village residential complex in New York, Berlin’s Sony Center and Torre Norte in São Paolo, Brazil.

Robert says the Tishman Speyer provides utmost quality services for its worldwide network of premier leaseholders. In each of its properties around the globe, the Tishman Speyer provides a reliable international quality environment for business worldwide. And, in each city, Tishman Speyer’s assets establish new quality standards for meeting the needs of its stylish cosmopolitan dweller.

The Tishman Speyer is concentrating on Chennai and Hyderabad starting a few ventures — both residential and commercial. In Hyderabad, Tishman Speyer has two projects, one is the Tellapur Integrated Township which will come up in 400 acres at Tellapur in Hyderabad. Another prestigious commercial venture is WaveRock, Class A office, IT Park, which is being constructed under Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The WaveRock is sprawling in 12.13 acres at Nanakramguda near Gachibowli in Hyderabad. Explaining about the WaveRock venture, Robert says it is a joint venture by Tishman Speyer and ICICI and it is designed to be a world class office campus serving over 20,000 professionals located in Hyderabad, a Class A office space in a Special Economic Zone being promoted by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).

“As a signature design by world renowned architects Pei Cobb Freed and Partners architects and RSP, Architects Planners and Engineers, WaveRock is a green building poised to set a new standard in India’s commercial real estate landscape,” Robert added. “The WaveRock will have two massive buildings, one is 10-storeyed and another one will be 20-storeyed. The construction works will be held in a phased manner. We are planning to complete 6,95,500 square feet for 10 office levels and 4 parking levels in the first phase. Two amenities levels, 16 office levels and four parking levels will be constructed in the second and third phases of construction. The total project will be ready by 2010,” Robert says.

The WaveRock advantages are well-connected site with easy access to the Gachibowli Expressway and the Outer Ring Road (ORR), located opposite to a new luxury Ista Hotel in the high growth employment corridor already home to Microsoft, Franklin Templeton, UBS, CA, Infosys, Wipro and the Indian School of Business (ISB).