SPEECH BY MR CEDRIC FOO,MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AT THE MODEL UNVEILING CEREMONY FOR THE NIRVANA TOWNSHIP PROJECT FOR JURONG CONSULTANTS AND METROCORP, 13 APRIL 2005, 4.00 PM AT HOTEL LEELA, BANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA
Director, MetroCorp, Mr. Kenneth Blades;
Chairman, Jurong Consultants (India), Mr Tang Tat Kwong;
CEO, Jurong Consultants (India), Mr Rao Munukutla;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
1 It is my pleasure to be here to unveil the Nirvana Township Model.
2 The exponential growth in the IT industry of Bangalore over the past few years has created a strong demand for residential housing. With more multinational companies setting up their offices here, high-end housing would be in great demand.
3 I believe it is with this confidence that MetroCorp selected Devanahalli, the site for the new Bangalore international airport, to be the location for its maiden residential project.
4 Formed by a consortium of American and European investment and mortgage bankers, non-resident Indians and prominent local business houses, MetroCorp has positioned itself as a premier developer of integrated townships in India.
New Development Trend
5 I am very pleased that MetroCorp has chosen Jurong Consultants (India) to design, project manage and construct its township at Devanahalli in Bangalore. From a brief glimpse at the building model, it is evident that the project will create a new wave in development trend here.
6 The proposed 136-acre Nirvana Township at Devanahalli would have 1,000 exquisitely designed tropical bungalows. More than just a residential estate, Nirvana Township would have a unique life-style spun around a sprawling Spa and Club House, which spread over 25 acres. At a development cost of Rs 3 billion or about S$120 million, the township would have 2.1 million square feet of premium living space.
Jurong Consultant’s Presence in India
7 I must commend Jurong Consultants for having the foresight to establish its India headquarters in Bangalore a few years ago. Since their first foray into India in 1997, Jurong Consultants has established an impressive reach in India with many projects in many parts of India, from Uttaranchal in the north to Kerala in the south.
8 Jurong Consultants has handled a wide range of projects ranging from IT parks to tourism infrastructure. Of late, they are also diversifying into residential township projects. In fact, the Nirvana Township Project is their second residential township project in India.
9 It is especially noteworthy that for this project, Jurong Consultants has stretched her capabilities to provide a full spectrum of services from master planning to engineering designs. The ability to provide this one-stop service is most encouraging. It shows the flexibility of our firms in adapting their skills to give value-added services to their clients. Such ability will sharpen the competitive edge of our firms. I am sure that this is the way to go in the future, for both design houses and construction firms, if they want to succeed in their ventures overseas. And in Jurong Consultants, I am confident that it will continue to uphold the Singapore brand and its reputation to deliver professional and quality services to its clients.
Conclusion
10 I am pleased that a Singapore company is able to contribute to Bangalore’s urban development and housing needs. I believe there are still many opportunities for our firms to share their experiences in urban planning, development and construction, and to contribute to Bangalore’s growth and development plans.
11 Last but not least, allow me to congratulate both MetroCorp and Jurong Consultants, and to wish them every success in their collaboration to bring to fruition the Nirvana Township.
12 Thank you.