Ace Update October 2014

MAHENG/2011/38968

Vol 4 Issue 9 • Pages 92 • October 1, 2014 • `100/-

A C E UPDATE ARCHITECTURE

CONSTRUCTION

ENGINEERING

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An I-Tech Media Publication

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Industry Analysis Construction Chemicals Sanitary & Ceramic Doors & Windows

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News analysis on construction & infra

CONTENTS

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TOP ARCHITECTS

Hafeez Contractor: the starchitect of India

S. P. Anchuri talks about what makes someone a great architect.

Hafeez Contractor shared his upbringing, success mantra, journey to the top, and why India needs smart cities.

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Architecture: happy blend of science and art

Rafiq Azam shares his love for Tagore, Rumi, and Rohe and how they helped him develop his sense of architecture.

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Becoming a great architect

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Manchanda Associates: taking health-care facilities to a new height

Shamit Manchanda shares how Manchanda Associates has been growing from strength to strength.

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Architecture to have shining future in India

Architecture: a great form of art

Dikshu C Kukreja shares why he took the responsibility of contributing to the ‘citybuilding’ in his country through good architecture.

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Adaption is the key for architects

Jit Kumar Gupta shares his journey, achievements and his mantra in architecture.

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36 Over the years, architect has become a great piece of artistry. Rajeev K Saini shares his journey as an architect.

38 Anand Upalekar shares his architecture vision and what he learned from the great Fathy Hassan.

Everyday is a new lesson for a architect

Architecture is more than designing for incredibly wealthy

42 50

Architects see the world through a lens of optimism and opportunity, ambition and aesthetics. Explains Vibhor Mukul Singh.

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Archohm: one-stop shop for everything design

Time for fast-track architecture to match our fast-track life style

Prem Nath talks about why he is proudest for the transformation of his dream to become a scientist to an architect.

Architecture needs cultural evolution not revolutions

Sourabh Gupta shares his ideology on how to become a great architect.

DSP: designing to become trusted advisors and agents for change

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Kumar Ravindra discusses why it is important that we have to be opinionated in architecture.

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Mehul Shah shares his architectural journey, passion and commitment to make a better world.

Industry Analysis

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Infrastructure needs to be great for a great nation

Satyakam Garg shares his experience of working on international project.

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News Update

64

Construction chemicals market gaining strength day by day

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EVENTS

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Demand for sanitaryware blooming in India

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Projects

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Doors and windows market opening up

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Tenders

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ENGINEERING

SEPTEMBER 2014

5

Editorial

Green cities and beyond

Today “green” and “sustainability” are the buzzwords. Architects, being the think tank, are responsible for sowing the seeds of sustainability through green practices. So architects have a major role to play in nation building. And, as the economy grows, they will have many other significant roles to play.

However, only 5 per cent of the buildings in the world are built by the architects. A large part of our society still feels that there is no need to employ an architect for building construction. That’s the challenge!

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For a building, however, responsibility toward achieving green doesn’t end with designing a structure. The post-commissioning performance of a green building is the most crucial part. Every stakeholder involved in achieving ‘green’ through sustainable design should not keep themselves restricted to getting ‘green ratings’. They should implement a stringent standard operating procedure to practice green. The building has to be environmentally responsible throughout its lifecycle.

GROUP EDITOR* Subhajit Roy Email: editor@aceupdate.com EDITORIAL Dibyendu RoyChowdhury

Also, experts like Architect Hafeez Contractor feel that green building is just a tip of the iceberg! He said, “You don’t have to talk about green building; you have to talk about green cities. When you talk about a green building, it only says how you are going to conserve energy and how you are going to place your building so that it does not heat the building.”

ADVERTISING Kashmira Shah Email: kashmira@i-techmedia.com Call: +91-9322640154

The future of India is in its cities. As the new government plans for 100 smart cities, time has come to rethink on the master planning and making the ‘smart cities’ really green. This will help us reduce carbon footprint in bigger way. Architects, of course, will play a major role too.

SUBSCRIPTION subscribe@aceupdate.com Telephone: +91-22-3268 2214/15 *responsible for selection of news under PRB Act

In this issue, we have featured some of the ‘Top Architects’ and shared their journey in architecture, their perception on the futuristic buildings, their views on best design principles, and their wisdom for gen-next architects.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading the issue as always.

We are keen to hear your comments. Please write to us at editor@aceupdate.com

Printed and published by Subhajit Roy on behalf of I-Tech Media Pvt Ltd. and printed at Print, Process Offset Printers, B-23, Royal Industrial Estate, 5-B, Wadala, Mumbai-400031 and published from I-Tech Media Pvt Ltd. 1, Gayatri, Karumari Amman, Chheda Nagar, Chembur (West), Mumbai - 400089. Editor: Subhajit Roy All rights reserved. While all efforts are made to ensure that the information published is correct, ACE Update holds no responsibility for any unlikely errors that might occur. The information on products and services / technology on offer is being provided for the reference of readers. However, readers are cautioned to make inquiries and take their decisions on purchase or investment after consulting experts on the subject. ACE Update holds no responsibility for any decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Tel.: +91-22-32682214/15, +91-9821667357

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infra GMR signs MoU with Japan Bank for International Cooperation During the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s to Japan, GMR Infrastructure signed a MoU on 2nd September, with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for providing financial assistance to Japanese companies investing in infrastructure projects of GMR Group.

The objective of this MoU is to provide low-cost, long-duration financing for infrastructure development projects that involve Japanese companies in development of industrial parks, power, energy, ports, airports, highways and railway projects.

Through a framework of this MoU

MMRDA to spend `100 cr to strengthen NH-4 and SH-40

GMR Group is known for operating projects in the PPP mode in complex environments, adopting world-class technology, delivering projects well within time with a focus on operational efficiency. Investing in such projects can be very attractive to Japanese companies seeking to expand their manufacturing activities in the vast captive market of India as well as for those looking to create export oriented manufacturing facilities aimed at the growing markets of Africa.

GVK Hancock has commenced a ‘Material Change of Use’ application for about 310 km of its rail corridor in the initial phase, following years of extensive planning and hydrological assessments in development of infrastructure to connect its Galilee Basin coal deposits with export markets.

MMRDA has already constructed a flyover near Panvel ST Depot, which has reduced traffic congestion significantly in this stretch. “The new project which is to be completed in a year’s time will further reduce the traffic snarls and save precious fuel and time for the commuters,” said Dilip Kawathkar, Joint Project Director, MMRDA. The authority has also invited tenders to construct a 4-lane flyover at L&T Junction on Sheel Phata-Mahape Road on the State Highway 40. It will cost about ` 56 crore.

October 2014

Speaking on the occasion, BVN Rao, Business Chairman - Urban ‎Infrastructure & Highways, who signed the MoU on behalf of GMR Infrastructure in Tokyo, said, “It is a landmark event and the first that any bilateral agency has made with

a company in the private sector. It is a manifestation of the belief that an international agency like JBIC has in the delivery capabilities of the GMR Group.”

GVK Hancock advances Galilee Basin rail line development

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has invited tenders to widen and strengthen the National Highway-4 and State Highway-40 at various key spots such as Sheel Phata, Palaspe Phata, Takka Colony, Kalamboli Junction and Khanda Colony.

A 4-lane flyover will also be constructed on SH-40 at L&T Junction under the project. MMRDA will spend ` 54 crore for the 3.6 km long 6-lane road.

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between JBIC and GMR, JBIC intends to promote opportunities for Japanese companies to participate in infrastructure projects. This will serve to improve infrastructure in India and support development of the necessary foundation for Japanese companies’ business activities in India. Over the next 12 months, GMR and JBIC will work on identifying projects to attract Japanese investments.

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The development of the Galilee Basin will give Queensland regional and economic development, and this application will allow meeting all regulatory requirements to support such a significant development.

The ‘Material Change of Use’ (MCU) application is the next step to finalise planning for this significant rail infrastructure development, and it follows on from the grant by state environmental approval which it received in May 2012, federal environmental approval in August 2012 and of Galilee Basin State Development Area in June 2014.

As part of the MCU application, GVK Hancock will continue to work with the landholders to ensure detailed planning, which has been presented to each specific property in the past, and it will give access to homesteads, stock feeding areas and water supply.

GVK Hancock seeks consent from the landholders along with its first stage of rail corridor and contact has been established with the landholders on the issue.

The project team has undertaken an extensive assessment of the landholder engagement process for infrastructure along with approval of rail corridor connecting the southern end of the Galilee Basin with export markets.

Equipment Konecranes launches new overhead crane

Konecranes has introduced a new overhead crane, CXT UNO, in Pune to serve the needs of emerging markets. The new crane is primarily intended for companies operating in manufacturing, construction, and logistics.

Capable of lifting loads up to 10 tonnes up to 9 metres off the ground, the CXT UNO features a 2-speed hoisting and travelling design with a fixed pendant

ZoomlionElectroMech supplies cranes to NCC

controller, tagline festooning, and compact single-girder construction, and can operate over spans of up to 20 metres.

According to the company safety, high-quality, high-productivity, low power consumption and easy maintenance – are some of the key features of CXT UNO. “CXT UNO expands our product offering into a segment where we haven’t been present before,” says Jukka Paasonen, Vice President, Head of Business Line Industrial Crane Products, Konecranes. “The CXT UNO offers customers in this category access to Konecranes’ quality and reliability in what we believe is a very attractive and

competitive overall package.”

Talking about the significance of Indian market for the company’s global business Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO, Konecranes said, “India is key to our growth targets and we are very optimistic about Indian market. We have invested ` 120 crore for our Jejury plant near Pune. The plant has a capacity of manufacturing 1,000 cranes annually.”

Saeesh Nevrekar, Country Manager, India adds, “The current industrial cranes market in India is around EUR 500 million and we have a market share of 10 per cent.”

Ajax Fiori rolls out 5,000th machine

ZoomlionElectroMech India Pvt. Ltd (ZEIPL) has supplied two high-end flattop tower cranes to Hyderabad-based Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) for construction of one of India’s largest cooling towers at a coal-based thermal power project at Nellore. Both cranes have been delivered and commissioned at the project site.

Two TCT7527-20 cranes, the high-capacity flat-top tower cranes from Zoomlion’s product portfolio, have been installed at the center of the project for the construction of two 170-metre tall Natural Draught Cooling Towers (NDCT).These NDCT are being built to provide cooling to the 1,320 MW coal-based thermal power project at Muthukur Mandal, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Zoomlion TCT7527-20 Tower Crane offers heavy capacity lifting of 20-tonne and tip load of 2.7 MT at the 75 metres jib end, or 3.2 MT at the 70 metres jib end, which helps in reducing downtime and improving efficacy.

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S Gopal, Director, Ajax Fiori Engineering (I) Pvt Ltd handing over the machine key of the 5,000th machine to V Gopi.

From right: C Ravichandran, Area Manager, Karnataka; H.S. Shekar, AGM South; Debasis Bhattacharya, Head- Sales and Marketing

Ajax Fiori, one of the concreting majors in the construction equipment industry, rolled out its 5,000th machine from its Doddaballapur facility in Bangalore on 27th June. This milestone was achieved when it delivered the self-loading concrete mixer ARGO 2000 to V. Gopi, a PWD contractor.

S Gopal, Director, Ajax Fiori Engineering (I) Pvt. Ltd. presided over the event and handed over the key to the customer.

During the event, Mr Gopal thanked all the customers who put their faith on the company for all these years and wished many more milestones to come in the future.

The range of products manufactured in Doddaballapur facility includes selfloading concrete mixer, batching plant, concrete pump and dumper.

Building Material Hempel strengthens its presence with new factory in India With a production capacity of about 10 million litres per year, the new green field factory will significantly increase Hempel’s ability to serve the rapidly growing South Asian market. The new plant will mean shorter lead times for customers and will further strengthen Hempel’s presence in the region.

L+R Kim Junge Andersen CFO Hempel Paints, Pierre-Yves Jullien, Hempel Group President & CEO, Umesh Singh, Group Vice President,South Asia

Hempel, one of the world’s leading industrial and marine coatings suppliers, is expanding its footprint in India. After the success of its first manufacturing facility in the country, which opened in Nashik in 2011, the Danish-based company inaugurated a new state-ofthe-art manufacturing facility in Nashik.

Tata Steel gains responsible sourcing certification for construction products Tata Steel has become the largest company to acquire the BRE responsible sourcing standard BES 6001 for its UK construction products.

All the company’s construction products manufactured in the UK are now certified ‘Very Good’ under the British standard, including its advance steel sections, Celsius structural hollow sections, ComFlor and RoofDek structural decking, Trisomet and Trimapanel composite panels systems and Catnic building products. Tata Steel’s Colorcoat branded product is already certified to the standard.

The UK Government will soon require all the construction projects it funds to use BES 6001 certified products.

Designers and developers can specify and use Tata Steel’s UK-made construction products confident in the knowledge they are fully certified to BES 6001.

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The new factory will manufacture paint for the marine and protective coating segments, serving customers in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Nepal.

The facility, spread over 2 acres of land.

Pierre-Yves Jullien, President and CEO, Hempel Group, comments, “We will invest a further €2 million in a second phase capacity expansion at the Nashik site, which will help meet our company’s and our customers’ needs in the entire South Asia region by further strengthening our manufacturing capabilities and boosting our ability to serve existing and new customers.”

Richa Industries completes an iconic PEB structure in Gujarat Richa Industries Ltd.’s iconic PEB structure, one of the tallest buildings in India, has received the Certificate of Completion by the client Madhu Silica Pvt. Ltd. About 36 metres of height, the building is constructed as silica processing plant in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

Spread over an area of about 19,000 sq. metres, the silica processing plant constitutes of 7 buildings. The tallest, 36 meters, among all other buildings, has ground plus six floors and has been developed with the maximum load bearing capacity of 112 tonnes. The project started in September 2013 and has successfully been completed in 10 months.

On the occasion, Sandeep Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Richa Industries, said, “After establishing ourselves as one of the successful players in Northern India, we are now planning to strengthen our presence in pan India. In an effort, this project will indeed set an ideal example to showcase Richa’s art of work in Gujarat.”

Richa Industries’ construction and engineering division provides total turnkey project solutions which entails PEB-Civil combination, providing the need of structure and super structure, including all activities beginning with land mapping and survey up to the complete interiors of office building and landscaping. This enables the customers to off-load the entire responsibility of completing the project to Richa Industries for completion in a time bound manner.

Real Estate Ascott and Puri Constructions launch Somerset serviced residence in Gurgaon CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has secured a contract to manage its first Somerset-branded serviced residence in Gurgaon. Slated to open by 2019, the 174-unit Somerset Diplomatic Greens Gurgaon is Ascott’s second serviced residence in the city, after Ascott Ireo City Gurgaon which is scheduled to open in 2017.

The management contract for Somerset Diplomatic Greens Gurgaon was awarded by Puri Constructions Private Limited, a company focusing on real estate development in northern India.

Mantri Developers introduces India’s first Unified Video Chat Solution

Unified Video Chat Solution will provide the customers an option of directly interacting with a representative through an audiovideo solution. Also, the customer can take a virtual property tour; view pictures of the property and calculate the cost. It allows multiple users to join in at the same time while sharing the same screen. Moreover, one can share documents of any format including MS Office through this solution.

Also, this interactive solution enables the customer to view the construction of their properties purchased.

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Mr Soh added, “To further expand Ascott’s network in India, we will continue to seek opportunities for investments, management contracts, leases or franchise agreements. Besides Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Gurgaon where we have presence, we are also seeking opportunities

in key business cities including Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.”

Arjun Puri, Director of Puri Constructions, said, “Puri Constructions is delighted to have The Ascott Limited manage our first serviced residence at Diplomatic Greens. Ascott’s service excellence is world renowned. Hence, it is undoubtedly the perfect match for Puri Constructions, which has built its reputation on providing uncompromising quality. Located within a 30- minute drive from the international airport at New Delhi, Somerset Diplomatic Greens Gurgaon shall be the closest serviced residence from the airport.”

XRBIA Developers announce prelaunch of Pune residential projects

Mantri Developers has taken a step ahead in enhancing its customer engagement with the introduction of Unified Video Chat Solution. The main objective to introduce this interactive solution is to share knowledge and information in real-time, improve the quality of service and response time, and build better and more personalized relationships with the existing and prospective customers.

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Tony Soh, Ascott’s Chief Corporate Officer who oversees the company’s business in India, said, “Gurgaon is a fast- developing city where a large number of manufacturing, IT and construction companies are based. We are confident that our Somerset brand will do well in Gurgaon.”

ENGINEERING

XRBIA Developers Ltd., a unique residential housing venture, has announced the launch of its Pune residential projects: XRBIA Eiffel City (Phase 2) and XRBIA Abode.

While XRBIA Eiffel City (Phase 2), located in Chakan, is a sprawling 35-acre project, XRBIA Abode is a 10-acre township nestled near Talegaon MIDC, Old Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH4), Jambul near Kanhe Junction. Both these projects have revolutionary convertible apartment designs with courtyards by Architect Hafeez contractor.

Chakan being listed as one of the top investment destinations in India as it’s an automobile hub. It is also surrounded by Pimpri - Chinchwadi, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune and Ambegaon. These aspects serve as an important location USP. There is a huge demand of residential flats in the Chakan and XRBIA’s Eiffel City (Phase 1) has been a big project in the catchment. XRBIA Eiffel City (Phase 1) is completed and possession given to 700 families.

Speaking at the launch, Rahul Nahar, Managing Director, XRBIA Developers Ltd., said, “Chakan emerging as destination for residential projects is a developing place for realty investment. As expansion has shot recently, growth figures will gain momentum with each passing year.”

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Top Architects II COVER STORY

Hafeez Contractor: the starchitect of India GVK Hotel,Mumbai

H

“Every project that I do is close to my heart. When clients themselves don’t take any interest in the project that is when I don’t like it,” remarks Architect Hafeez Contractor 16

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afeez Contractor is India’s starchitect and an inspiration for many. If Bollywood ever fails to find a rags-to-riches story, the film industry can adapt the story of Hafeez Contractor who once lived in a single-room house but went on to design India’s tallest building. Given the opportunity, he believes, he could even design the world’s building — Burj Khalifa — much better. He is helping to create the face of 21st-century India. In a breezy evening at his office, he sat with Dibyendu RoyChowdhury and shared his upbringing, success mantra, journey to the top, and why India needs smart cities.

You had started in 80s with only two people; now you are the face of architecture in India. How do you define your journey in architecture?

It is like you have to keep on moving. Every day I think that the journey has just started, and this is how I define it.

You had stayed in Manhattan while studying at Columbia University. How did this experience influence you?

That was a very crucial time, and I feel that one year at Columbia University taught me numerous things. It has taught me how to analyse things and how to look at the future. I feel I was very lucky

COVER STORY II Top Architects

I think this is our duty to see that people get a shelter and why they don’t have a house.

Why others have a house is only economic reasons and an economic reason is created.

I had gone to Sureshdada Jain who was the former minister for housing and gave an idea of how people in slums could get house free of charge. He took me to Balasaheb Thackeray and I can tell you I have full respect for Balasaheb Thackeray who was the only person who said I wanted to do this.

That’s why we have this policy of slum redevelopment and millions of people have got free houses. I am very proud that I was the person who had instrumental in doing that.

You have also submitted a plan to build the Patna Smart City. What’s the status of that plan?

That plan is not being implemented. I think that will be the right place to build a smart city; unfortunately, all good plans don’t see the light. to be at Columbia and have the right kind of teachers and professors who exposed me to the right things. In order to do anything, you have to understand the tradition which means you have to understand the history.

History teaches you how things have gone right and how things have gone wrong. We need to study the history as well as the present. We need to analyse everything and do what is required.

Minerva, Mumbai

Recently, you have said that you are the real architect of slum-development policies. How do you describe this term?

I intensely feel for people who don’t have houses. I feel this because when I was young I used to live with my mother in a room and a kitchen. I couldn’t get married for so many years because I never had a house. I know the difficulties of people not having a house.

I had only one-room house, and I couldn’t invite any of my friends to my house.

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Top Architects II COVER STORY The new central government is also planning to build 100 smart cities. What is your opinion?

When Narendra Modi is speaking that he wants to build 100 smart cities, I am very happy. What’s the definition of smart cities is a big question. However, I congratulate him and lend full support to him. The future of India is in its cities. I would also say that the future of the world is how we in India develop our cities because that is going to determine the global footprint. If we develop our cities in wrong way, we will occupy our land. If we waste our land, it will affect the environment.

It is a big responsibility for the people of India how we are going to develop our cities.

We cannot just take farm land and develop cities. We have to develop dense cities with concentrated infrastructure and public transportation. We have to get away from the car oriented cities; we have to get away from all that. We should have underground metro service.

The talk of the industry is green building.

What is your view on that?

Green building is just a tip of the iceberg.

You don’t have to talk about green building; you have to talk about green cities. When you talk about a green building, it only says how you are going to conserve energy and how you are going to place your building so that it does not heat the building. Yes, it is doing something, but what it is doing is just the tip of the iceberg. Green building should go a step forward — the way you utilise it and how you utilise it. If we are able to achieve this, it would be really green. Today if I take a 10-acre land, build a 50,000 sq. ft. building, and satisfy all green norms, I will get a green rating. To me, this is not the right thing. If you are not doing it the right way neither utilising the potential of the land, you are not exploiting the potential.

23 Marina, Dubai

Aspiring architects consider you as their hero. How do you feel about that?

I think this is a big responsibility.

Somebody is saying I am a hero will not be something to be really happy about. It is something to be seriously thinking about it. What you do, how you do, and if they are looking at you. It is like when I was a kid, I could do anything. Whatever I say or whatever I do sets a pertinent. It is very important when people are considering me as someone to be looked upon. Everything what I do I have to think hundred times before doing it. A lot of kids feel they will achieve overnight success, but there is nothing like overnight success. To me overnight success is 10 years of hard work.

If you are looking for an overnight success, you are on a wrong track. I would also say that don’t run after money, run after work, and run after creating something and doing something. Money is a by-product and will fall off. If your sole purpose in life is to run after money, you will be missing out everything. To be very frank, money is not everything. Yes, it is very important. If you

ONGC, Dehradun

don’t have it and you have everything else, it is also not a very nice thing. You need to have a balance of both.

What do you think about public-private partnership?

In every project — be it government or private — it is the person who is at the top makes the difference. You will find private partnerships which have failed, and you will see so many which have succeeded. You will find so many government jobs which have failed, also some which have succeeded.

What are the prime aspects that you look at before taking any project?

I just look at the project and see what the person wants to do and how I meet his expectations in the best way. I don’t look at it as whether it suits me or no. Someone has come with the project, and it is my job to deliver what he wants.

Which are the projects that are close to your heart?

Every project that I do is close to my heart.

When clients themselves don’t take an interest in the project that is when I don’t like it.

Is there any project that you wished you could have designed?

I wish I would have done Burj Khalifa. I would have designed Burj Khalifa much better — the shape, the form. That building could have been better, and I can say it with confidence. n

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Top Architects II COVER STORY

Architecture: happy blend of science and art “I believe architects are creators; creation is not magic but magical,” says Architect

Rafiq Azam

A

rchitecture is all about creating place for desire, hopefulness and memories, and an architect should also design with great sensitivity and responsibilities. In an exclusive interview with ACE Update, Rafiq Azam shares his love for Tagore, Rumi, and Rohe and how they helped him develop his sense of architecture.

What drew you to architecture and how do you see your role as an architect?

I often say that I am an architect by chance and a painter by conviction. If I were given the option to choose my career early on in life, I’d certainly have ended up as a painter.

When I was 7, I took up colours painting and brush and learnt to paint. I picked up the skill of mixing colours and making the best use of the transparency of watercolours.

I loved trees and the green of their leaves which came in so many different shades.

I was also fascinated by the play of light on the leaves, especially in the afternoon when the sun began to slant and its rays mellowed. My love for light, water and green

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stayed with me when I abandoned my plan to become a painter and became an architect instead. It is manifest in the way I design buildings – whether residential, commercial or corporate – and try to bring life to them. I was convinced that architecture was a happy blend of science and art. I see myself as an architect is like a dream seller, creator of space which not only contains the desire of people but also flourish the desire beyond.

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Can you describe the evolution in your work from when you began until today?

At the end of high school, I was preparing to enter Institute of Fine Arts and saw my father unhappy with my decision. Like many other fathers, he wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. It was a very difficult time for me and one of my cousin sisters told me that there is a subject called ‘architecture’ where I can continue my painting journey. So I

SP Setia (Photography: H. Lin Ho)

COVER STORY II Top Architects

SP Setia (Photography: H. Lin Ho)

and painting which influenced many great architects and painters for many years. I am also fascinated by Greco-Roman and Mughal architectural developments. However, there are other sources of inspirations too for my architectural developments. Look at Bangladesh, where water is most precious and abundant, and how life is subtly woven with it. This is what makes our country of poetry. Bangladesh is the largest delta on earth with more than 52 major rivers that carry water from the Himalayas in an intricate pattern to the Bay of Bengal.

During monsoon these rivers inundate two thirds of the country’s land making water the major element of our landscape. When the water recedes, it leaves a fine layer of fertile alluvial soil and the entire landscape is transformed into large patches of paddy fields.

The yellow harvest field and dense green bouncing, vast sky and moving clouds; breeze flowing over the water and swampy land; midday sun downing and stretching its last light to twilight; thousands of years old ruins and history, coming back as mystery, sweet memory and melody – all these are my source of inspirations.

When Lalon (a mystic Sufi minstrel and philosopher) says “if there is not one thing inside the body, it is not outside the body either”. When I read Rabindranath, Kazi Nazrul or Jibanananda Das – they all inspire me. When I walk through the architecture of Mazharul Islam, I feel the whispering of the wind. When I see a small hut of a farmer, I sense the humanity and humility.

When I hear the music of Ali Akbar Khan, I lose myself into the nothingness. When I

admitted into the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in the department of architecture, even without knowing what architecture is all about.

In 1984, after the death of my father, our old house with a courtyard in the middle was in need to renovated or demolished. Since we are nine siblings, we decided to renovate and extend the house to accommodate all.

We went to an architect and he designed the house. After seeing the plan, my mother was shocked. She asked “where is my courtyard and garden where I spent time with your father?” What sort of house is this? I have already lost my husband, now I am losing my memories.

It was the first time I realised that architecture is all about creating place for desire, for hopefulness and memories. Being a student of third year architecture, I took the responsibility to design our family house with the desire to retain the memories of my mother. I designed a courtyard and a garden both at level two where she wanted to have her room. So for the first time hanging lawn came into my design. That is the reason I used to say “I learnt architecture from my mother”.

Apart from the learning from my mother’s house, gradually I started learning other things in architecture such as the landscape, climate, human psychology, philosophy and so on. I love to go through many issues to come to a simple solution. I love Mies van der Rohe’s idea of “less is more”. That is why I am interested in Japanese architecture

S.A. Residence (Photography: Daniele Domenicali)

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Top Architects II COVER STORY Meghna Residence (Photography: Hasan Saifuddin Chandan)

look at Kahn’s parliament complex, I hear the silence.

These all helped me develop my sense of architecture.

What role does green building play into your work?

Certification of a green building as per green building standard is important to attain certain physical aspect of the building.

But most important thing is to understand the essence of green, psychologically. In Bangladesh, for example, important thing is to understand the essence of water and its transforming relation with green. Water is the protagonist in our landscape. Human life here exists in a fine balance with water, light and greenery, which is lost when there is separation from these fundamental elements. That separation – not necessarily in urban living – is the cause of our alienation and waning imagination. This is why it is important that our architecture restores this equilibrium.

What is the biggest challenge the profession of architecture is facing?

In the process of modernism, post modernism and globalisation, Bangladesh

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as a new country failed to connect its 2,500-year old civilisation with the contemporary world culture. So the biggest challenge that architecture in Bangladesh is facing the crisis of identity and lack of orientation. We can overcome this through the knowledge and understanding of the land and landscape. Architects are not designing projects, except very few — they should design with great sensitivity and responsibilities. We are lacking the source of inspirations.

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What advice would you give to young architects starting out today?

I believe architects are creators; creation is not magic but magical. To become a creator needs a long journey, a journey with honesty, generosity and perseverance to attain the goal of well-being of the society.

Success is not something to wait for; it is something to work for. As Rumi said, “When light returns to its source, it takes back nothing from what it illuminated.” Before we leave this world, let’s become light. n

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Architecture to have shining future in India “We believe that architecture is a collective responsibility of the society to build the habitat,” says Architect Dikshu C Kukreja 26

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COVER STORY II Top Architects

GBU, Greater Noida

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rchitecture was in-built in Dikshu C Kukreja subconscious from his early years. It was clear that he would be an architect who would not just design buildings but make a difference. In an exclusive interview, Architect Kukreja shares why he took the responsibility of contributing to the ‘city-building’ in his country through good architecture.

Journey in the field of architecture After completing bachelor’s degree in architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, my fleeting dreams to delve deep into the discipline took me to Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in United States, followed by receiving a master’s degree from Harvard University which fuelled my passion for making a difference in the built environment, rather than simply making a building. The working experience in France strengthened my design skills, enriched my taste for architectural and artistic aesthetics. Most of all, it inspired me to take the responsibility of contributing to the ‘city-building’ in my own country through good architecture that may raise the social value of “architectural design” in the Indian context. So I returned to India to join C. P. Kukreja Architects.

Challenges faced As an organisation or rather as a team dedicated to inspire the society through designing buildings, we believe that

architecture is a collective responsibility of the society to build the habitat. Architects, in particular, are in a position to take the initiative in leading the mass in building the future through practice, education and sharing ideas. The most significant of them being putting across the message through their designs in order to create architectural awareness in society. Unfortunately, our cities continue to witness construction of incompatible and poor architecture which would not have been possible had it been done by an ‘architecturally conscious mind’.

The government and local bodies also fail to implement norms which can ensure the

professional administration in construction.

Above all, the immense pressure of development, the rising and falling economic scales, the yearn for matching the ambitious projects of the West, and the demand for real estate in the market impart its significance in any building project. They also dwarf the other crucial factors like liveability, safety norms and environmental consciousness in the realisation of any architectural design.

No matter how well-planned and how synchronised management of development of a project seem is, the realisation of the same faces a huge pressure from the factors that tend to derail the real situation from

GBU, Greater Noida

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Sikka Dream High, Noida

Sikka Dream High, Noida

High-Rise Sky Lounge

the planned one. In a nutshell, a working design in an Indian context often tends to find itself far away from an efficient design.

In such a situation, it is very difficult for an architect to deliver the best design solution.

Moreover, the common Indian’s perception of architecture is not very strong, and such ignorance is owing to the development being confined to urban areas in only a handful of cities. As a result of this, very few understand the science of designing a habitat with respect to environment and culture. Many do not understand even the role of an architect in making a building. Such negligence ends up in any building activity being dictated by a private developer or a chief engineer, who often concentrate on personal benefits, neglecting the holistic approach of design and welfare of the society as a whole.

residences to institutions, from commercial to administrative buildings, each of whose designs has been created with a vision of its performance in future. In doing so, the firm has experimented though years and come up with innovations in building designs, methods of construction, respecting environmental conditions, achieving efficiency in space and energy utilisation and many other horizontal architecture can respond to.

coming days. Being a developing country, India surely has to face a huge number of challenges, and architecture is a significant one among them. In spite of the difficulties in development, there is a lot of hope.

Unlike the West, which is already developed and has very less room for future expansion, architecture in India with rapid urban morphogenesis has an extended arm into the future. Having the opportunity for a lot of future development, architecture in India holds the responsibility of incorporating the innovative ideas (like architecture for over-populated cities, economically and environmentally conscious design, architecture for social capital) in building the future by shaping, de-shaping and reshaping the built and the unbuilt.

Today, architects have energy and exposure to make the necessary changes. It is ‘commitment’ that is most required at present and in building a promising future for which sometimes architects and engineers have to rise above their personal gains for the holistic good of the majority.

Remarkable achievements Our team has been consistent in delivering meaningful architecture through significant projects over the last four decades which has not only made a difference in many Indian cities but in abroad too. Concepts of eco-friendly design, culturally responsive architecture, and futuristic and innovative ideas have been propagated through design and construction of numerous projects. Even practice has achieved many success milestones from delivering the design of one of the largest to the tallest buildings in the country, promising that every project is special in its own way and gives out a significant message about the very idea of ‘architecture’ and its future to the society and beyond. The projects have explored different building typologies, from

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Awards won We do not see awards as a mean of satiating our personal glory. Rather, they are an opportunity to reflect on the right initiatives and be a source of inspiration to strive for higher goals. We have been fortunate to consistently receive national and international awards. From often being selected as best architects in India to the top 100 in the world, from C. P. Kukreja being felicitated by the President of India to receiving the Gold Medal in architecture from Indian Institute of Architects, from Dikshu C. Kukreja being selected as young and most sought-after architect in India

by Union Minister of Urban Development to being chosen as face of 21st century architecture in India.

Future outlook Architecture has a very prosperous future in India and holds a lot of promise for young architects, engineers and all who look forward to contributing to the discipline in

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Worst projects Some projects in this country have proven to be inefficient and been a setback to the profession in the development scenario.

Though flaws, they are actually eye openers for the young architects who look to learn not only from the good examples, but also from the failures of the bad ones.

Some that deserve mention here are the several government mass housing, slum rehabilitation projects, the development of the JJ Colonies and urban villages of Delhi or even some of the commercial district centres and plazas — many of these have not respected the environmental factors at all, while some have not been able to deliver quality open spaces. Many such designs look like extruded blocks in skyline, tearing into each other, with claustrophobic spaces. The liveability of such designs has not been given a thought at all, forcing people to manage in inhuman conditions in day to day life.

These are not to be left aside and neglected, but taken into account in future both in developing new areas and transformation of the archaic old ones which, as a whole, will promise a new genre of development in the country and beyond. n

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Master Plan Amritsar

Adaption is the key for architects “How far the profession of architecture will be able to meet the social, economic, cultural and environmental challenges posed by Indian urbanisation will hold the key to the success of architecture as profession in the Indian context,� says Architect Jit Kumar Gupta

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rofession of architecture is now standing at the crossroad trying to reestablish its identity and recognition.

In an exclusive interview with ACE Update, Architect Jit Kumar Gupta, Former Director, College of Architecture, IET Bhaddal, Punjab shares his journey, achievements and his mantra in architecture.

Journey in architecture Architect Jit Kumar Gupta’s 45 years of journey in architecture and planning, after graduation in 1969, has been both eventful and learning.

The journey witnessed the rapidly changing context and dimensions of architectural vocabulary, building design, architectural education and approach to the profession.

With built form undergoing enormous change in shape, size and footprints, new order of architecture emerged. Globalisation and liberalisation of Indian economy led to the dominance of advance and new range of building materials and construction technologies with glass and steel taking the lead. In the process, vernacular and local architecture lost relevance. The old and established dictums of architectural planning and design were replaced by new order and new forms, largely dictated by pre-fabricated steel structure and advance building technologies. New order of architecture with its origin and genesis in the western architectural practices and philosophy is the outcome of new materials and conditions, which have little relevance in the Indian contexts due to prevailing physical, economic, social, cultural and environmental

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disparities. Climate as the basic principle of design has now been replaced by typology of structure and materials.

working became the necessity to produce large volume of drawings in architectural offices.

In this process, role and importance of architectural design has been diluted and taken over by materials, structure and building technologies. Building bye-laws and definers of built form have undergone drastic modifications to reshape the buildings. With the advent of steel, escalators and supportive bye-laws, buildings have graduated from being horizontal to vertical. With the creation of large built space, accommodating large number of occupants, issue of accommodating large number of personalised vehicles within the buildings posed the greatest challenge in the building design, leading to buildings going below the ground and creating last volume of built space in the shape of basement for parking of vehicles.

Pattern of working of the architectural offices changed drastically, with the changing requirement of manpower and their expertise leading to computers replacing the drawing boards and human knowledge and skill in designing. Proficiency in the use of computer knowledge became the culture for the architectural practice.

Design capabilities started commanding lower premium with large scale copying and pasting western building designs emerging as the order of the day, due to enormous wealth of information and building designs becoming available through Internet.

Challenges faced The challenges are numerous and varied with architectural practice and profession being leveraged for promoting commercial interests. Information technology has been the major driver of new architectural idiom, scope, shape and size of buildings.

With services, vertical mobility and demand for huge volume of column free space defining the architectural design, search for new solutions emerged as the priority.

Existing pattern of working on drawing boards manually gave way to the computer based drawings due to complexity of design dictated by services and structure.

Technology based mechanical system of

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In addition, individual architectural practices were replaced over a period of time by the group practices, leading to the emergence of corporate culture. With architectural requirements changing and clients opting for single window services, the structure and manpower requirements underwent a drastic change. Increasing footprints and complexity of buildings changed the structure and functioning of the architects offices and architectural practices. New era of globalisation and liberalisation of economies has brought new opportunities to architectural practices in India. With shopping malls, multiplexes, large industrial and commercial complexes, hospitals, institutions and cultural buildings dictating the built environment, architectural practice has

COVER STORY II Top Architects entered into a new era of building design and construction.

Remarkable achievements With larger part of career devoted to the urban planning and architectural education, the work opportunities centred around looking critically at the operation of the urban context in terms of planning and designing of the communities at the local and city level; mapping the future growth pattern of development of cities in the shape of master plans and development plans involving capital cities of Chandigarh, metropolitan cities of Amritsar and Srinagar, heritage city of Kapurthala besides cities of Pathankot, Batala, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran Sahib. In addition, working on the panel set up by the Planning Commission, under the chairmanship of Arcot Ramachandran, former Deputy Secretary General of UNO, to suggest planning framework for the Ninth Five-Year Plan, was informative, educative and made great learning. Sitting, planning and designing wholesale fruit, vegetables and food grains markets in Punjab, provided insight into the market operations and their design implications.

Planning and designing of Mohali new township near Chandigarh, made it possible to learn the planning and design principles of new towns. Evolving City Assessment and Design Strategy (CADS) for four towns of Gujarat, including Vadnagar, Anand, Bharuch and Patan, under the World Bank aided project, was a professional learning and understanding of planning and designing of the cities within the framework of the World Bank. Building bye-laws, preparing planning norms for the mega projects and Punjab Urban Development Mission Report to develop all 157 cities in respect of seven identified services on behalf of state government, proved to be a great opportunity.

Future outlook Profession of architecture is now standing at the crossroad trying to re‑establish its identity and recognition. It is now passing through an era of crisis with large dilution of professional practices and ethics. Profession has become more elitist, catering largely to the needs of rich and prosperous. In the process, large majority of Indians have been ignored leading to profession not receiving mass recognition.

With government liberalising the higher education and permitting the entry of private sector, architectural institutions, without adequate faculty and infrastructure, have mushroomed in the county during the last decade. Architectural education has been highly commercialised and made subservient to the engineering institutions. With majority of low quality and leftover students joining the architectural courses, the quality of professionals has been considerably lowered. Non-availability of competent, appropriately qualified and experienced teachers and fresh graduates appointed to the faculty to complete the specified norms of teachers, coupled with large increase in students intake, on yearto-year basis, has resulted in considerably lowering the standard of architectural education. Architectural education thus remains one of the most critical areas of concern which would need thorough review, analysis and overhaul in order to make it supportive of required level of professional competency and improve quality of services.

Role and importance of technology in the architectural profession also needs serious debate, considering its implication for the quality of professional services to ensure that architects don’t lose their design competency, capacity and capability.

The dilution of vernacular architecture needs to be reviewed in order to restore the sanctity and identity of local architecture. Advance building materials and advanced building technologies need to be synthesised with local materials and technologies to revive and redefine the vernacular architecture.

Building designs that are now being prepared without any concern for energy implications must be looked critically and objectively to promote global sustainability.

Considering the fact that buildings consume more that 50 per cent of the total energy, architectural education and practice must focus on promoting sustainability in order to minimise use of energy, water and other resources besides generation of waste. Focus of the profession should be to create buildings which are energy positive, green and intelligent in order to minimise dependence on non-renewable resources.

Dependence on natural elements of air, light, ventilation, heating and cooling needs to be

Master plan Gurdaspur

encouraged in order to eliminate the ‘Sick Building Syndrome’. Commercialisation of the profession needs to eliminate with architects not permitted to become builders as part of the professional practice. Commitment to community welfare should be made integral part of the profession. Scope of architectural practice should be enlarged from being building specific to include large area and become city specific to promote quality of urban spaces and make city better place to live and work. Building bye-laws at the local level must be objectively and critically reviewed in order to eliminate non- professionals from the architectural practice and also to promote state-of-artthe design of buildings with best available materials and improved local technologies.

The bye-laws should become promoters of best practices in architectural designs.

Worst architectural designs In the parlance of architectural vocabulary and practice, worst architectural designs would include the designs based on ignoring the basic principles of building design, ignoring local climatic conditions, designing without caring for sustainability and ignoring the site conditions. Then there are using energy intensive materials, destroying existing flora and fauna, working without with the exclusion of natural elements of air, light and ventilation for lighting, heating and cooling of spaces, using active mechanisms of artificial lighting, heating and cooling, designing without caring for the energy implications, and waste generation leading to creating conditions adversely impacting the welfare of the community and the people. n

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Becoming a great architect “A great architect means who reaches bottom of the society with humanity to the top,” says Architect S. P. Anchuri

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oes architecture have to look strange to be considered best?

Does it have to show us something we never seen before?

Should it do what we distinguish well? What makes someone a great architect?

According to the architect Er. S. P. Anchuri, a great architect means who reaches bottom of the society with humanity to the top. Architecture caters one of the three basic needs of the human being: roti, kapda and makan.

What architects generally project is something different. This is the reason only 5 per cent buildings are architect designed. Ar. Anchuri’s aim right from beginning is to reach common man or reach those who are in need.

When Ar. Anchuri completed his first graduation in civil engineering, he thought engineering works well if concept is good which is a dream of an architect. He took up architecture and did his second graduation which is in architecture and was registered with COA. In order to create more sustainable and eco-conscious designs, he thought integration of structure and architecture is essential. Then he completed M.Tech in structural engineering. To manage the application, he did MBA. To create and innovate, he is pursuing Ph.D in structural engineering, keeping architectural background in mind.

He has also been part of almost all the professional bodies. About 30 per cent of my time and money he spends on the same. He Ar. Anchuri’s own green home

has received appreciations from Indian Institute of Architects, IAStructE, ACCE, ICI and others.

That does not mean that architecture has to be a question of formal innovation or even the invention of new forms, shapes, or images. He also believes that the surprise of the strangely familiar can be more effective than startling us, especially in a form of art that we usually experience through use and inhabitation. In his designs, he emphasises on natural resources, including maximum day light.

Reflection is his identity in design. Reflection with sky lighting is always a highlight of his concept. n

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Manchanda Associates taking healthcare facilities to a new height “Manchanda Associates has taken a conscious decision to concentrate on health-care facility planning,” says Architect Shamit Manchanda

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anchanda Associates was established in 1993 after R. C. Manchanda left the Government of India service as chief architect, after working for more than 30 years, and Shamit Manchanda left a well-known consultancy in order to start their own firm. In a conversation with ACE Update, Architect Shamit Manchanda shares

how Manchanda Associates has been growing from strength to strength.

The journey Manchanda Associates is a professional consultancy firm, offering expertise in architecture, interiors, health-care buildings as well as urban and environmental design.

Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences

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The team comprises of principle architect R. C. Manchanda, a graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (1955) and post graduate in community planning from McGill University, Canada (1970) and Shamit Manchanda, a graduate from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (1989).

COVER STORY II Top Architects The firm today specialises in health-care architecture, having prestigious projects.

Remarkable achievements Even with the long professional experience of Architect R. C. Manchanda in the government, establishing own practice is a totally different challenge. Clients wanted to see what we were capable of achieving.

The practice started initially with handling residential buildings, small factories, interiors and so forth. The first big project was a 176-bedded expansion of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in New Delhi.

The turning part in our practice came in 2007 after winning a national level design competition to design the expansion of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science in Hyderabad. It was an opportunity to move into bigger projects. The whole office really put in all its efforts for this competition from understanding the requirements to coming out with a solution that was not only functionally acceptable to the client, aesthetically pleasing and also environmentally sustainable.

Metro Blood Bank, Delhi

The methodologies adopted for functional planning laid a basis for all our future health-care projects.

This led to win another national level design completion to design the “Centre for Excellence in Transfusion Medicine & Metro Blood Bank” project in New Delhi.

Days ahead Manchanda Associates has taken a conscious decision to concentrate on health-care facility planning. The Indian health-care industry is expected to reach $230 billion by 2020. Such exciting growth responds to various demographic and economic trends, including an increasing population, rise in disposable income, increasing consumerism and demand for high-quality health care as well as increased government spending on public health care. A substantial portion of this value is expected to be devoted to develop health-care infrastructure.

There is a serious push to develop health-care facilities in Tier-2 and Tier-3 Indian cities that were lacking earlier in health-care infrastructure. The key driver for public health-care projects is to increase capacity and provide more beds to meet the high demand for health-care services now and in future. This will ensure a lot of work for those involved in health-care infrastructure development.

We have recently started work on a super specialty hospital in Sri Ganganagar, Rajastahn and another in Greater Noida.

While the future holds a lot of opportunities for development, the architects must always keep in mind their roles in making it a sustainable environment.

Architects create the platform, the stage on which our lives unfold.

This gives them a great responsibility towards society.

Completed projects Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, New Delhi A 176-bedded maternity and child block, emergency block and additional

Guru Gobind Singh Govt Hospital

facilities at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Mangolpuri, New Delhi, for Ministry of Health, Govt. of Delhi. (Cost ` 25 crore).

Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad.

A 500-bedded expansion to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, under the Pradhan Mantri Swastha Suraksha Yojna (Cost ` 125 crore).

Medical College and Hospital, Tezpur A 500-bedded teaching hospital in Bihogur, Tezpur, Assam, for Society of Medical Education, Govt. of Assam (Cost ` 50 crore).

Ongoing projects Centre for Excellence in Transfusion Medicine, New Delhi Centre for Excellence in Transfusion Medicine and Metro Blood Bank in New Delhi for NACO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India (Cost ` 50 crore).

Guru Gobind Singh Govt. Hospital, New Delhi 150-bedded Maternity and Paediatric Wards and Doctors Hostel at Guru Gobind Singh Govt. Hospital, Raghubir Nagar, New Delhi, for Ministry of Health, Govt. of Delhi. (Cost ` 62 crore).

S. N. Super Specialty Hospital, Sri Ganganagar A 126-bedded super speciality hospital in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. n

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Architecture: a great form of art “Anything that is related to aesthetic beauty is an art,” says Architect Rajeev K Saini

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ver the years, architect has become a great piece of artistry.

As an art, architecture is as important as painting, the basic form of art. In an interview with ACE Update, Architect Rajeev K Saini shares his journey as an architect.

Journey to architecture As a child I was very fond of creating structures of sand in my village.

All that used to be so fascinating for me that I used to spend hours doing so. Buildings used to attract me immensely. As a young man, I visited various places, including big cities and historical towns.

During these visits, I developed a habit of looking at the buildings more intensely and that finally drew me to the field of architecture.

Architecture as art It is not just a belief but reality that the architecture is an art. In fact, it is a great form of art. Anything that is related to aesthetic beauty is an art. Architect is a medium to create aesthetic beauties in form of buildings and structures. Over the years, architect has become a great piece of artistry. Beautifully architected buildings remain registered in the mind for years. In fact, great buildings have more lasting effect on one’s mind than that of paintings, which is considered a basic form of art.

Evolution as an architect Over the years, I have learnt a lot while practicing the architecture.

For me as a student, it was just a drawing line on the piece of paper. However, when I actually saw the buildings coming up on the basis of the drawings prepared by me, it initiated the process of my evolvement as an architect. From single storey structure to multistorey structure and from small groups to big housing groups were the further steps in my evolvement.

Current projects Currently, I am working on housing “Multistories Apartment” project with affordable, sustainable and green architecture in India and abroad.

Importance of green buildings Green building plays very important role in architecture as there are some mandatory features which need to be followed while designing a building. However, green features in building led them breath,

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speak and adapt the atmosphere with nature which is very important.

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment.

Challenge to the architects There are so many challenges before the new-age architects. First, all the capital cost of the land had gone up and availability of land is becoming scarce. Challenge before the architect is to create must purposeful structures even in on small pieces of land available. Other challenge is to make the structures eco-friendly.

Third challenge is to design the structure in such a manner that it should be economical.

Words of wisdom My first advice to architects is that they should practice their art in such a manner that it should avoid the wastage of material. They should focus on promoting the nature friendly architect. Minimal use of resources maximum benefit should be the goal of an architect. n

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Everyday is a new lesson for a architect “Since 1971 when I passed out into the open world, I am still a student,” remarks Architect Anand Upalekar, Owner, Anand Upalekar & Associates

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nand Upalekar & Associates, established since 1973 in New Delhi and later shifted to Pune in 1977, specializes in corporate, industrial, IT architecture, and institutional buildings with special accent on single window service. In a conversation with ACE Update, Anand Upalekar shares his architecture vision and what he learned from the great Fathy Hassan.

Challenges in architecture One of the biggest challenges is lack of population threshold on cities. This results in expeditious construction techniques and vertical architectural products, such as multi-storeyed housings. This cuts off our relationship with the ground reality which is to be enjoyed. In earlier times, lime construction, bricks and maximum twostoried structures resulted in a development relative to human scale.

Memorable achievements My achievements have been my working experience with Architect Fathy Hassan in Cairo in 1985. His talks and work practice has been my inspiration throughout my carrier. I firmly believe that his style, a resurrection of Nubian Architecture of 3,000 years (being practiced even today), is the true architecture. It is practiced and executed by community as a whole, and one does not depend on any architect to achieve this. It has reflected in my style whenever possible in the form of mulquaf (wind scoop)

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and courtyard plans. His conviction that buildings breathe and adequate air changes are the perennial spirit of planning is imbibed in me. For this, he created knowledge of air currents with the help of courtyards and vertical tunnels as well as convection of air vis-a-vis the natural breeze currents.

Awards in architecture Most of my works are institutional architecture such as schools, colleges, public buildings and so forth. My efforts to create proper ventilation systems and open plazas have been a result of this belief.

Future outlook The No 1 enemy of our architecture is glass and synthetic surfaces like ACP cladding.

These are not of oriental origin and hence

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should be treated as invasion to our ethnic style of environmental design.

Worst architectural design I would lay the principles as well as features to identify bad design so that we go out and look for these symptoms — buildings which create a problem and then run around to resolve it, such as glass box architecture.

These create suffocating spaces and admit huge amount of sunlight. Also all buildings that depend on enormous power which comes from outside source are bad buildings. All surfaces of yards, plazas and open spaces — especially covered by hard surfaces lead to emission of heat waves in surrounding areas — are bad spaces. Repercussions of these features affect other population which does not draw any benefit from such structures. n

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Architecture is more than designing for incredibly wealthy “The idea that architecture should reach forgotten programs and addiction recovery centres is somewhat new,” says Architect Vibhor Mukul Singh

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rchitects see the world different than most. They are trained to heighten their awareness and raise their sensual aptitudes. They see the world through a lens of optimism and opportunity, ambition and aesthetics. Architects aspire to eradicate problems, enhance culture and expedite change through the built environment. In an exclusive interview with ACE Update, Architect Vibhor Mukul Singh, Principal Architect, Designers’ Alcove for Art and Architecture, shares why architects are hopeless visionaries – often selfobsessed and self-driven to extract the marrow out of themselves, their relationships and their families – all for the work.

to work for a leading design firm arose and my trajectory towards becoming the next great architect seemed inevitable. I was privileged to work on three high-profile and highly designed homes on fantastic sites in India and Europe.

Journey in the field of architecture After graduation, a tremendous opportunity

Architecture must be more than designing for the incredibly wealthy and building

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Imagine working for two and a half years without time constraints, budgetary restrictions or aesthetic limits. Every project presented another opportunity to be published in a number of international publications. However, after angry client phone calls, devastating design changes and countless iteration, I realized that there must be more to this great profession.

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houses that may only ever be experienced by two people.

Challenges faced The 7 and half years I spent in practice taught me many things that apply to my life and architecture.

First, the goal of this life is not to serve you but to serve others. We may do this by volunteering, blogging or building architecture. In any case, when we align our talents with serving others, our lives become meaningful.

Second, the noble task of undertaking work for churches, non-profits or other cultural institutions is not easy. In fact, it is far more

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challenging to meet the incredibly tight budgets, schedules and client demands with very little resources. I have found that these constraints yield unforeseen solutions and unpredicted creativity.

Third, the exasperating process of contributing to public work is exhausting, often demoralising. The notion of doing architecture for the other 98 per cent is not always as romantic as one might imagine. One must keep in mind that the unique reward for buildings that serve and engage communities: the tremendous sense of purpose and profound meaning one experience.

Design philosophy While a rigorous theoretical argument was developed over a period of years, theory is rarely the starting point of a project. It is rather the general framework. We, at Designers’ Alcove, believe that practice can recede theory, much as theory can precede practice.

We engage in creating planning strategies and design solutions for the urban and architectural challenges posed at the interface of the 21st century, while also carrying out extensive research and inventing sustainable methodologies to build a positive living environment. From innovation in contextual design to the use of symbolism and iconography, we work to expand the concepts of what urban architecture and infrastructural planning can be, locally and globally.

Our functional philosophies are based on ethics deeply rooted in social planning, contextual design, and environmental responsibility to offer design solutions that are not only specific but also sensitive, thoughtful, and humane. Healthy ecosystems and environment provide vital goods and services to humans and other organisms, and we constantly look out for its integration in our designs by all means.

We design what the occupants engage with as they travel through space. As each person absorbs the information that is put out, we believe we are having an effect upon them stirring

Ms. Jyoti Das A 102, Unique World, Sector 44A, Seawoods, Navi Mumbai Call:+91 80 800 22 100 +91 98 202 24 007 E-mail: jyoti@BuyAndSellArts.com Website: www.MithiArt.com www.BuyAndSellArts.com

Top Architects II COVER STORY the living standards of the occupants by using extensive design and planning tools.

We all know that in most cases, low-cost housings turn out to be just a readjustment of what has already been a part of these people’s lives. So we have tried to create spaces with different qualities which were usually not considered a part of such schemes for whatever reasons. We believe that the quality of a space is not a function of economic parameters but socio-political parameters. Several aspects of passive design strategies were investigated that played a major role in the overall form of the clusters and it’s staggering. It is a highly sustainable housing with several active and passive means of energy harvesting solutions implemented. We have tried to create spaces that not only strengthen the social networking of the occupants, but also uplift their domestic lifestyle, their health and hygiene conditions, and their source of livelihood.

them to move, feel, behave and think. The composition that our designs take on have both, individual and cumulative effects, and we try to use timing as a variable to further fine tune the communication. Our works express human values, feelings and dynamic states. We derive meaning from these works based upon our perceptions of the sensory, formal and technical properties of our work and from our own experiences. We search for the mood or metaphor expressed by design. We try to use our expressive elements to give a structure the appearance of having a mood, emotional state, character, or dynamic qualities.

Remarkable achievements Ever since our firm came into existence, there are several architecture, master planning and interior design projects that have been accomplished. But two of them

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that really stand out, to the extent that I would call them our hallmark, are Abu Dhabi Ladies Club (ADLC) in Abu Dhabi and the Al Qasim Green University in Baghdad.

In ADLC, the free-flowing forms of the building, the curved walls, the indented entrances and the flamboyantly styled canopy are all unique features of the building and add tremendously to the value of the project. The building merges effortlessly with the surrounding landscape in a natural fashion and takes the visitors by breathe as they become a part of it.

The Low Cost Social Housing Scheme for Karuna Pragya Foundation is an attempt to create a quality living environment for that section of our society which has limited purchasing power, and its concept is primarily driven by the intention of uplifting

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Future outlook Architects are some of the world’s most gifted, creative individuals. Unfortunately, they are also marred with reputations of arrogance and self-entitlement. Recent trends set in place by public oriented practices such as the Rural Studio, Design Corps and Architecture for Humanity are overt attempts for architecture to contribute to society. However, the simple notion that architecture must serve the citizens, communities and neighbourhoods in which it resides must permeate our entire design culture.

The idea that architecture should reach forgotten programs such as homeless shelters, mental institutions, supportive housing and addiction recovery centres is somewhat new. Related efforts are nascent in their development. We must ask each professional, each practice and each building how it contributes to the existing built environment and creates an enhanced sense of place.

If our profession can seek to serve the communities in which we build instead of subscribing to an antiquated self-serving profession, we will see a monumental shift in our collective value system and our work will shape the built environment like never before. n

EVENT

bC India 2014: reaching out bC India 2014 provides a platform for the construction and infrastructure sector to converge, network and do business, through partnerships and joint ventures. The four-day exhibition is expected to host more than 700 exhibitors with most key-industry players on board and to welcome over 30,000 visitors from India and abroad.

To gauge the market sentiments, Igor Palka, Chief Executive Officer of bC Expo India has been meeting various bodies, forums and government departments.

Sharing his experience, Mr Palka said, “The market sentiments seem positive after the elections. Yes, the market is still inching ahead cautiously but there is definitely an optimistic mood. I am more than happy that we have already numerous stakeholders on board and many new companies will be present this year, too. Of course there are still a lot of things to be organised but we

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he 3rd edition of bC India 2014, a BAUMA CONEXPO show, the international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles in India is scheduled to be held from 15-18 December in Greater Noida, Delhi NCR.

are totally on track and count the days until we open the gates.�

Besides keeping up with the technology to reach out to its audience, the organisers are also addressing stakeholders little differently. During the past few months they have engaged with the industry bodies such as Indian Merchants, Indian Roadway Foundation, Karnataka Road Development Corporation (KRDCL) officials, Punjab government officials and senior members of the Punjab Roads & Bridges Development Board. They also plan to meet various key stakeholders across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattishgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Telengana, Seema Andhra, West Bengal and Rajasthan before the expo kick-starts.

For online registration process, visit the link www.bCindia.com/register

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Top Architects II COVER STORY

Archohm: one-stop shop for everything design I

ndia is in a fantastic state of flux as far as design is concerned. The nation has been evolving and developing at a fast pace. The exposure level of clients is extremely high, courtesy globalisation via Internet and the tourism. This has lead to a phenomenal increase in hunger and demand for ‘out of the box’ solutions. The same holds true for Archohm. In an interview with ACE Update, Architect Sourabh Gupta, Founder and Managing Director, Archohm Consults shares his ideology on how to become a great architect.

Architecture and present day We, at Archohm, thrive on innovation. We question every rule and ensure breaking each one. Clients have done the same in their own right and space and hence synergised. They exuberate an energy that is well reciprocated at Archohm. A comprehensive design and engineering solution matches the mad timelines of projects today. The large growth in the construction sector provides enough room for everyone. It is not the survival of the fittest but ensured unparalleled growth if you are fit for the job.

“Archohm is proud to be working on projects that add great value to the society at large,” says Architect Sourabh Gupta

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Challenges faced We, at Archohm, have our design sensibilities and broad design directions. To a certain level, the clients need to align themselves to our school of thought, our way of work, and our ideas of innovation. We’ve wanted to work with likeminded audience, who are there in plenty. From young entrepreneurs, evolving developers to foreign firms, all demand a certain degree of fresh professionalism that interests Archohm. They demand more and demand different. One no longer needs to

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educate them to cross the line and think beyond.

Our challenge is to bring our clients on board while creating the design. This brings the next level of satisfaction for the client and the necessary bonding with the design team.

It also gives the comfort and confidence that we will move beyond our professional domain to assist them in their initiative at all levels.

Our weakness, at times, is the speed with which we are growing and the engineering experience we have. Sometimes, this risks our solutions to border the fine line between reality and feasibility — a risk that clients so far have acknowledged and accepted well as part of their journey to think beyond.

The other challenge is execution. In order to execute projects with the right detail and finish is a task that consumes a lot of energy.

In India inherently, we are accustomed to taking shortcuts and using make-shift solution; therefore, it is a gruelling task to get the quality up there.

Remarkable achievements There are around 200 toll plazas in the country and Archohm has designed at least 100. We are privileged to have been given a chance to work on projects of varied scales and disciplines like products, interiors, architectural buildings, cityscape and cities. Our recent development has seen our ideology, which is channelised in more social projects from farmer markets to infrastructure projects to cultural projects like the New Dilli Haat at Janakpuri.

Archohm is proud to be working on projects that add great value to the society at large.

COVER STORY II Top Architects

Future outlook We hope to remain a one-stop shop for everything “design”. We want to ensure that we remain a versatile firm, working on projects of all scales from a light fitting to a city. With a great interest in cross cultural dialogue, Archohm’s future aims to take up more international projects as well.

Worst architectural designs in India The unappealing metro stations of the Delhi Metro are a lost opportunity. The jungle of glass buildings in Gurgaon doesn’t work climatically and contextually. The innumerable housing towers that try to look “traditional” by imitating buildings, building material and forms of yesteryears that are not relevant in today’s times. n

Nerolac introduces top 10 HD shades for Diwali

Nirali introduces anti-scratch finish in its silent square sink range

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High-definition colours are an extension to the smart lifestyle that we aspire for. Be it in the personal technology or home-automation space, the terms ‘high definition’ and ‘smart living’ have been synonymous with our lifestyle today. Kansai Nerolac’s ‘Impressions’ is the first range of premium interior emulsions in India that now comes with a HD technology which gives one’s walls a sharper look and a vibrant finish.

The ORUS kitchen sink has two deep bowls, one in 16” x16” for large vessels, and another deep bowl in 11” x 11” ideally suited for fragile items like cups, saucers and glasses. Besides this unique feature, ORUS also incorporates a special silent sound reducing coating that reduces vibrations from dishes and running water.

his Diwali, Nerolac brings a perfect chance to spruce up one’s abode with high-definition colours that bring alive the festivities and create an eclectic effect.

Kansai Nerolac introduces Top 1o HD shades to give home an added touch of elegance and grandeur. To further glam up the luxury quotient, a perfect blend of contrasts and accents can be achieved by the 60-3010 principle in the order of main colour, secondary and accent colour respectively. n

irali, one of the leading stainless steel kitchen sink companies in India, has innovated yet again with the ORUS kitchen sink. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing expertise, this ‘evergreen’ anti-scratch feature is specially suited for today’s rough and tough cleaning of Indian cookware.

The ORUS sink is also available in futuristically designed glossy and satin finishes. n For more information, contact: +91-22-24315500/11/22.

Sales: sales@nirali.com Email: nirali@nirali.com website: www.niralisinks.com

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Top Architects II COVER STORY

DSP: designing to become trusted advisors and agents for change “As a community, we need to realize the significance of sustainability in design and everyday life,” says Architect Mehul Shah

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ehul Shah, an alumnus of Manipal University, is such an architect who always puts importance in imagination, art and sustainability in his designs. In an exclusive interview with ACE Update, Ar. Shah, Director and Founding Partner, DSP Design Associates Pvt. Ltd., shares his architectural journey, passion and commitment to make a better world.

Journey in architecture After graduation, I started working with my father, who was also a leading architect. In a couple of years, I partnered with Yatin and Bimal, who were also my fellow alumni from Manipal, to form DSP Design Associates Pvt. Ltd. which is currently in its 25th year.

We have come a long way and established ourselves in five cities across Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Gurgaon and Hyderabad.

In all these years, we have graduated from being architects and designers to becoming our clients’ trusted advisors and agents for change.

Memorable achievements Along with pursuing design, I indulge the adventure junkie in me — be it via extreme travelling, flying, scuba diving, or adventure sports.

Awards won • Presented with the Economic Times Acetech Award (2009) as leader of Indian infrastructure and construction.

• Recognised by International “Who’s Who of Professional” (2004) for outstanding contribution.

Future outlook Having fairly established ourselves within India, we look forward to expanding externally and are working actively towards it. Very recently, we have been commissioned

by Tata Housing to design their multi-use development in Colombo. This is our first step in the ASPAC zone, and we hope there will be no turning back.

The business sentiment in India is also changing positively, and we plan to take

Challenges faced We help our clients work better through their offices and achieve their strategic goals. The biggest challenge is to exceed their expectations and deliver perfection each time. Another challenge is to hire and mentor the right expertise for our multidisciplinary services and help them become the driving force of our business. At the end of the day, our work is about people — be it clients or our own team.

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advantage of a lot of growth in our home turf as well. The clients are realising the significance of a sustainably designed facility, and we are doing many LEED certified and LEED compliant projects. We are entering new service verticals, engaging new clients and building up on our knowledge bank along the way.

Worst architectural designs • Lack of much needed attention to sustainability • Lack of urban planning — problems like infiltration, lack of basic infrastructure etc.

• Non functional designs — be it buildings, interiors, or public places.

A conscious effort has to be taken by the government, policy makers, professionals and citizens alike to overcome these problems. As a community, we need to realize the significance of sustainability in design and everyday life. Nothing can be viewed in isolation but has to be dealt with on a macro level holistically. n Igate Hingewadi, Global Training & Development Center

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Top Architects II COVER STORY

Time for fast-track architecture to match our fast-track life style “The role of an architect has become important to enhance the public, sustainable, and green building to take permissions from the various authorities,” comments Architect Prem Nath

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rchitecture was For Architect Prem Nath’s destiny. None of my family members were in this field. In an exclusive conversation with ACE Update, Architect Prem Nath of Prem Nath And Associates shares why he is proudest for the transformation of his dream to become a scientist to an architect.

Journey started I started my journey with completing diploma in architecture from Sir J. J. School of Architecture in 1965, with highest ranking in design. When my practice started in architecture, the scenario was so different from now. Architecture was limited, scale was very diminutive, and

Golden Palms Resort, Bangalore

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resources were inadequate. In the evolution of last decade, there has been a glut of designers, manufacturers, vendors, suppliers and international clients, causing the shift towards commercialisation. There is an ocean of changes in availability of resources from overseas countries, from materials to finishes. Designing is no more detailing

COVER STORY II Top Architects all the parts. It is setting up of resources available and assembling them.

Now architecture is getting smarter day by day. Using state-of-the-art technology and automation, we advanced ourselves. It is a time of fast-track architecture to match our rapid and fast-track life style.

Challenges faced Every profession has difficulties. The only difference is that architecture is arranged.

We react very fast to current issues with our ideas. Nowadays challenges are simpler; we have technologies, resources everything just one click away, but when I begin practice these things were not available. Still we were the first to put high-rise building, Usha Kiran, in 70s in Mumbai. But the biggest challenges to face being an architect was to portray the image of an architect to our society where majority of people doesn’t consider or hire architect to design and plan their buildings, whereas most of such work done by the engineers, draftsmen and junior architects. Reason is that it was difficult for an architect to look into the small projects and simultaneously it was hard to hire an

architect for the normal people.

However, society has been enlighten and become educated from the past 50 years, people started recognising architect and terms like planning, shape, ventilation, and orientation. Green architecture is new vogue and then engineers stepped back as they were not aware with the green architecture, sustainable, planning, orientation, shape, form, space, technologies, efficient equipment, colour, material, insulation, services, and so forth.

The role of an architect has become important to enhance the public, sustainable, and green building to take permissions from the various authorities. An architect is a supreme person; it comes under the duty of an architect that he/she have to come over from all the difficulties. We architects always discover opportunities from the difficulties we face, by keeping an attitude to sustain it with patience through which we can get ourselves beyond the expectations.

Remarkable achievements If you ask me about milestone, we are creating landmark from the very beginning.

We have created country’s first revolving restaurant (Ambassador Hotel) in 1970s and first health spa and body rejuvenating centre at Golden Palms Resort, Bangalore. The spa was the first of its kind in India. We have also designed India’s first mall/multiplex at City Mall (Fame Adlabs) in Andheri, first fast track IT project at Mind Space Malad, First school with – No homework Concept, Vasant Valley School in New Delhi, my client said only few words to me; and those words were; “ I wanted a very high class, modern, and international standard school” rest he left on me, and then I designed 1st ever school with No Home Work system, for India Today Group – Vasant Valley School even today is known for its high educational standards and for its distinctive Architecture; it is the clients trust which speaks and helps the designer to think beyond the sky, first ISKCON temple, first IT-SEZ park, an Iconic Tower Building in Kolkata and many such Smart Buildings & Green Buildings under development.

Our performance leading us to create milestone, we are leaders and milestone created by us, which gives inspiration to others and followed by them. In fact, I was

The more we care . . . . . . the more BEAUTIFUL living becomes.

Structural Repair & Retrofitting

Top Architects II COVER STORY same sketch and then we sit further to detail it. I have my architecture in my pocket.

Future outlook India has always been a land of opportunities. A hardworking individual is sure to have a very bright future; there is so much in store for the new generation with immense opportunities. India is on the verge of becoming the most influential markets in the world with entire world looking towards India. There are already so many infrastructure happening in India, including evolution in sustainable architecture. In fact, India is having more sustainable buildings than the other part of world. About 30-40 million household, and 10 million high end and billions of sq. m constructions are going on in India.

The young architects starting out today are very fortunate to begin their career at this stage, where technology is on their side. World is at their finger tips, communicating is a lot easier, and expressing themselves and their designs have got much easier than what we had during our times.

Architecture has a great future, not only in urban cities but also in Tier-2 cities, which are growing multifold.

I feel with the start of new millennium, India has just begun building and more will be built.

ICONIC Tower, Kolkata

One has so much of knowledge, technology, resources, materials and quality architecture products; all one needs to do is to understand it, brings into play all the facilities accessible, and create good architecture, while contributing to fast growing India. While I heartily convey my best wishes to each youngster of my fraternity, I once again reiterate that I foresee a bright future for these young architects. The future developments should speak of large scale.

Vasant Valley School, Delhi

one of the first architects in the country to invest in a computer, way back in 1980s when a computer was a bulky machine which needed an expert to run it.

Personally I admire technology a lot; technology is a tool for me. I keep traveling to various sites, meetings, and seminars but that doesn’t stop me from designing.

Each project is designed by me, and my mobile is my sketchpad and use it to make sketches furthermore. I email them to my office for further detailing. By the time I reach office, my expert staff presents me with the accurate version of the

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India’s worst architectural designs I would talk about Mumbai in this context. It’s not about worst architectural design; it’s about redevelopment going on in Mumbai and suburbs. In Mumbai, the cost of land is close to unfeasible for residents to move out of aging and often sadly dilapidated housing societies.

However, while many developers sell the dream of redevelopment to housing societies, there have been several cases where the dream has turned into a nightmare for the families. A redevelopment project going wrong can have disastrous consequences for the people who are living there. They hardly have a space in between the two building to breath. They almost have a handshaking balcony. Most of the residents acknowledged that sooner or later, there would be maintenance and privacy issues which would ultimately result in the demolition of the building or changing the building. We have seen so many examples for such buildings; these buildings are the real examples of worst architecture. n

Top Architects II COVER STORY

Architecture needs cultural evolution not revolutions A

“We must evolve.

Enough pride heritage, enough languish crafts movement. We have to transform,� comments Kumar Ravindra, Principal Architect, PRAGRUP

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rchitect Kumar Ravindra is the principal and one of the founders for the research charette architecture studio at PRAGRUP. His innovation to urban design directions for academia, technology campus, mixed use and residential enclaves are recognised. In a conversation with ACE Update, Architect Ravindra discusses why it is important that we have to be opinionated in architecture.

principles, this paradigm shift brought about a huge change in what I was trying to do for a timeless way to build. There was an opportunity to manage and design very large projects. Purging and participating more on competition requests, I was very excited to win many. We won five projects consecutively at the national level. We benchmarked the radical shift for a software campus. We made new icons for Bangalore.

Journey in the field of Architecture Initially the interest was to be an artist. I wanted to prioritise the field of fine arts and look at potentials for engineering designs.

This happened mostly in 1987. This was not so natural for students at ninth grade. But as destiny concluded I worked with students of architecture who asked me help them with their portfolio. That gave me a huge introduction to the field of architecture. In fact when I was in 10th and 11th grade, I started drawing floor plans, elevations and building visuals. I was educated to architecture. This initiated me to become an architect. After my post graduation, I lived in Bangalore, also for a very short stint in Ahmadabad. I have also worked in Australia for a project specific training diploma in building skin engineering. We started off on the mantle of wanting to be the Gaga (as architecture record defines) of architecture and change the practice, very early. We were hyped by other larger offices in Bangalore and other cities to support them as design heads and be design concept consultant.

Few years later, I associated with VA Group became the director. Thanks to my peers and

We won two international competitions on academic interventions. It became a whole new unitisation of a body of work, versatile and investigative entourage. The impetus took the surge forward and what we were doing encouraged more confidence. This was more accurate for our abilities and more qualified further on the kind of work we could produce.

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Challenges faced I think in India the biggest challenge is to deal with the educated people. I feel non-descript education in this country has done awkward harm. Not that I read education as demeaning but the quality and kind is very important. Somehow the Indian personification has never been able to bridge the accuracy level between new urbanism and the old vernacular.

We are still a mammoth village. We are lost between aspiration and expectations. Every time when we do a project we are literally reinventing everything. We have to reinvent the same structures, wall structures, skin making, and the experience of light. I

COVER STORY II Top Architects understand in architectural design. There will be innovation in terms of new idea.

But we struggle making inventions at the fundamental. That has been my biggest apathy. Struggle to educate the team which executes and also educate the team which supports me as an architect. To educate my own office I need to rise and awaken the level of expectation. To draft, draw and deliver is just the language, not ability. There is a huge struggle in our human occupation as a country. We need a cultural evolution not revolutions. We need to evolve drastically.

This has been my biggest struggle.

Infosys Konark Recretional Block-photo credit-Harshan Thomson

We must evolve. Enough pride heritage, enough languish crafts movement. We have to transform.

Remarkable achievements Activism in architecture, the green passive revolution, and my work with non profits on education and rural India gave me a huge satisfaction. My passion to host concerts and my affection to encourage and sponsor research gave me the foundations. The building emerged out of this life as some large campus design investigations that we have built for many a corporate like Infosys, iGATE, GE, Astra, ABB and so forth in many locations was a huge ordeal. I think this has been a benchmark in terms of experience in building — the same project at the same site for almost 9 years in parts.

Infosys Konark Recretional Block-photo credit-Harshan Thomson

It is not only an evolution of the clients’ aspiration of what they want in a campus, but also as a parallel to their industry as it grows within their own infrastructure. Their team aspirations are an advantage for us to evolve our design and understanding.

These long stretched projects have been a benchmark for me.

The other award that I am proud of is the Nirlon Campus which we built in Mumbai, built over a period of 6 years. It won awards for 4 consecutive years for space design.

This campus gave us immense satisfaction.

The client extremely articulate and capable to understand his aspirations, and the need was immense to deliver quality. He was qualified to exercise discretion. I think projects like John Welch Centre for GE gave me great satisfaction. I was an example of technology plus architecture.

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Top Architects II COVER STORY Stone House, Bangalore- photo credits- shalini sehga

Jagriti theatre, Bangalorephoto credit-shalini sehga

Awards in architecture We won the award for the best residential building over two consecutive years for a very large homes one in Bangalore and the other in Hyderabad. We also won an award for the best residence in an international web space for an 800-sq.-ft. home. The Times Property Award for commercial building in Bengaluru and for the business development space in Mumbai. We have also won green building accreditation for many projects in Pune, Delhi and Trivandrum. The resort which we did in Mysore and Bandipur won appreciation.

Nirlon Knowledge Park, Mumbaiphoto credit-shalini sehgal

Even the smallest houses I built for a school which we run in the outskirts of Bengaluru gave me immense satisfaction. The school houses was for 350 kids from 8th grade to 12th grade and made of reused stone slabs, and that also framed using steel elements from scrap. It’s not the cost of the project that matters or the scale, but the ideation matters. When you want light to appear in a certain way, you want the space to give you certain joy, or when you achieve that bridge between reality and imagination, regardless of skill lacuna, you see the ecstasy and satisfaction for the work that we can do.

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Future outlook We Indians are strange. There are two parts of Asia. You find people coming from a completely different energy as India and the other as China. It is very difficult to predict what will bring about change in terms of our own internal infrastructure.

We can influence change for the rest of the planet in our sustainability quest in passive abilities. But these are big questions, and it is very difficult to predict. We need consciousness of not just energy and environment but consciousness of the act of consumerism. The necessity is to have clean cities. We do not want our cities and homes to decay and dilapidate. There has to be civic order. We, as architects, are able to transform and feel the need to renationalise our own existence. We need

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to find answers to our own methods of globalisation. My prediction to the future would be to introspect and investigate the idea of renationalisation not decay.

Worst architectural designs in India The state assembly building in Bengaluru is an awkward oxymoron. People might spend the best money, best material and best artisans on a project, but if you don’t exhibit it accurately you can completely signal a wrong communication to a community. We might have the best craftsman and material, but if we build the wrong idea of architecture, we will communicate blunder. In India you have to fear the educated than the uneducated.

The guy who knows to speak the best language and who can communicate the best may not be an angel. You have to fear him more.

Some buildings in Bandra-Kurla (Mumbai) Complex are complete monsters. They could be anywhere on the planet but not in Mumbai. The works built by some overseas practices are completely ridiculous.

Post colonization, architecture is on a depressing genre. Post 200 years of British rule, we still live as people who love ornate expression. We need to have our politics accurate. It is important that we have to be opinionated. We cannot live ignorance.

Austere is the word to relearn. n

Top Architects II COVER STORY

Infrastructure needs to be great for a great nation “Need is for the right training and processes to be put in place so that vast pool of our technical force is benefitted,” says Architect Satyakam Garg

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arge-scale infrastructure projects in world are achieved by collaborative design efforts of many agencies.

Multimodal transport hubs, metro and mass rapid transport systems, airports, railways, seaports, and container terminals are essential projects for a developing country, and successful projects are indicative of a nation’s progress. These projects require implementation of new technologies and expertise in international design.

Experience of working on international project, exposure to such projects through case studies and travel, and understanding of applicable norms which are not generally found in local building by-laws are some of the prerequisites for the design teams working on such projects. Many a time various parts of large-scale projects are broken into smaller components which may be designed by different teams. Mostly such projects are time bound and affect public; existing infrastructure design and construction happens side by side. For perfect delivery of the project, a team of designers who coordinate and produce working designs for construction of such projects is normally stationed on-site. This challenging job profile is needed for detailed coordination of designs and production of accurate working drawings for the projects. For infrastructure projects, such teams are vital and success of these teams is directly proportional to the quality of implemented project.

Sir J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai, started his career in 1990 with IAG Consultants Pvt. Ltd. where he was exposed to use of latest technologies and supported in his experiments with CAD which had just entered in India. One of the remarkable projects was “sub regional development plan” of Vasai and Virar, where for the first time aerial digital photogrammetric data was used for urban planning.

In 2001 Mr Garg started working as Architectural Design Manager on first underground metro of New Delhi with a Japanese Consortium (KumagaiSkanska-HCC-Itochu Joint Venture). The

Architect Satyakam Garg, a graduate from

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project was completed 7 months ahead of schedule.

In 2006 Mr Garg joined Dubai Metro Project as Architecture Manager with a JapaneseTurkish Consortium (Obayashi-MitsubishiKajima-Yapi Merkeji) to handle the design coordination and implementation of one of the best metro system projects. This project is a case study to the world as to how a public transport system should be.

Mr Garg has worked on Delhi’s Airport Express Line and Mumbai Metro Line 1 as Head Architect for Reliance Infrastructure.

Currently as the Head – Metros and Railways, Dubai Metro Entrance

COVER STORY II Top Architects Mr Garg is handling designs of Delhi Metro Phase III underground stations and Kolkata Metro underground stations with Stup Consultants Pvt. Ltd. Architect Garg is also handling design of metro park and ride structures for Riyadh Metro as the Lead Architect to BACS consortium.

For Indian infrastructure projects, Mr Garg feels that a lot has to be done on making our architects and engineers along with formal college education to effectively work.

Training to architects for international level of working processes is needed at college level, especially in design management and coordination techniques, drawing production standards, method statements, and quality management during the production of designs.

Currently, architects get to learn these only if they land up with a job in a company which has good systems built in. Professional architect colleges need to understand that we have to produce architects who are trained and geared to take up such job challenges in international market.

Furthermore, for nation building and pride of progressive outlook, infrastructure projects in India must provide a clean, fully functional and aesthetic appearance to users. It is a shame when we see that recently opened airports are flooded with water or manholes covers missing. Similarly, we come out of a shining airport and are forced to drive on broken roads with illdesigned pavements. Although these

Delhi Airport Express Metro

are maintenance- and systems-related issues, many of these are results of noncoordinated designs when multiple agencies are involved.

Fee structure for consultants in India is going down day by day. Even the global consultants are in race quoting low fees just to enter the market. This has resulted in another kind of scenario where there are not enough designers to work on a project.

This is leading to lesser design drawings than required and affected quality. The corner cutting results in lesser time and poorer designs which are not going to help in infrastructure projects implementation.

This has also health and safety concerns for Dubai Metro Overground Station

working architects who have to often work long hours in absence of requisite staff.

Corruption, which prevails in implementing government departments, is mostly responsible for shoddy works being done on such infrastructure projects. Most of the time aesthetic requirements are not implemented on site in name of funds, complexity or favourism to a particular vendor. Architects are often told to revise their designs and the resultant project remains an eye sore.

Also local site context with infrastructure projects need to be developed. This requires a team effort and coordination of departments. Architects who are associated with a particular agency are often constrained to work within their work limits.

But for a larger picture and things to work perfectly, the need for coordination between various agencies is needed. In future for a good urban experience departments need to develop this understanding for coordination and sharing of information.

India’s population is massive and Architect Satyakam Garg is confident that in coming times need for better infrastructure even at far off areas is not ruled out. To make a great nation, the infrastructure must be great nationwide. This opens up doors of opportunities for architects and engineers.

Need is for the right training and processes to be put in place so that vast pool of our technical force is benefitted. Better infrastructure will also open up other avenues for architecture. n

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Event

BAU 2015: Three key themes set the tone BAU, the world’s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems, is the biggest and most important event in the sector, will take place from January 19 to 24, 2015 at the Messe München exhibition centre

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hree key themes will be exercising minds at and in the run-up to BAU 2015. Many exhibitors will be shaping their presentations to match and showcasing corresponding solutions. In the forums at the show, architects, construction engineers and project developers will be exploring and debating the key themes from a range of perspectives. And, at BAU, the themes will be illustrated through examples of products and projects.

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Intelligent urbanisation Expanding and ever-changing urban areas will have a decisive impact on development in the 21st century. Because the struggle to ensure a future that is ecologically sustainable is being fought mainly in the cities. Around two-thirds of the world´s population will be concentrated in urban areas by the year 2025. At the same time the latest extrapolations predict a rise in primary energy demand of around 50 percent and, as a result, a further rise in carbon emissions.

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What does all this mean for the cities of tomorrow? It means that a whole host of different aspects have to be taken into account, at the planning, construction and operation stages. These include demographic change, greater pressure on resources, a shift in traditional ideas on value-creation, increasing climate fluctuation and the effects this has, clean energy and the resulting changes to mobility. Added to this are the new opportunities resulting from advancing digitalisation and the increasing

desire of citizens to be involved in the planning and development processes affecting their environment. All these demands can only be met through an integrated approach between urban planning, architecture and building technology and systems. The vision of a “carbon-neutral, energy-efficient and climate-adapted city” can be achieved if there is also a concerted drive to increase the energy-efficiency of existing buildings and production facilities, to restructure transport and mobility in such a way that is future-capable and sustainable, and to expand intelligent energy networks. The biggest challenge will be to lay down strategic and long-term policies that take into account the developments that are already evident, and are capable of anticipating future change in a flexible way. For this our cities have to be viewed holistically, as an integrated system.

Connecting Global Competence

The future of building

Buildings and users People in Central Europe spend over 80 per cent of their time in offices or other interior spaces. It has been proven that the conditions in these spaces – thermal, hygienic, lighting, acoustic and even olfactory – can significantly affect the way we think and feel, our motivation and how we interact. It follows that poor conditions impair our performance on all these counts, and for a company, that spells a weaker business performance. Considering, for example, that around 80 to 90 percent of the information a person takes in, is via the eye, then it is only logical that great attention should be paid to the design and planning of our visual environment. Practical solutions for improving buildings and interiors for their human users are therefore gaining ground. Innovative ventilation systems with integrated, automated controls to optimise indoor comfort have a considerable advantage over manual systems, and they are seen as the way forward. And in heating and cooling, there are already intelligent systems that exploit passive energy for natural cooling and ventilation, and use waste heat from one system to drive another. Another important factor in the indoor environment is noise and the need to reduce it. Sound-absorbing building materials, for example, are now a standard feature in many offices.

Energy- and resource-efficiency Demographic change, dwindling resources, clean energy and globalisation will all present significant challenges to the economy and society in the coming years. For companies as well as for private households what´s needed are innovative solutions in the way we use resources and energy. Given that raw-material and energy costs will rise, the only companies that will be able to survive in the market are those that use materials and energy efficiently and sustainably. In architecture and construction, too, attention will have to focus on new technologies and building materials: Low-energy and passive buildings are already state of the art, and the trend towards the “Efficiency House Plus”, or house that produces more energy than it consumes, is continuing apace. When assessing the overall ecological and sustainability credentials of buildings, then other factors also come into play: for example, the insulation materials used in their construction, technologies for the recycling of building materials and minimally invasive methods for modernising existing buildings. The development of new, integrated facade concepts and efficient energy- supply models for individual buildings, even entire urban areas, are logical and necessary steps on the road to the future of building. New tools for analysis and calculation, and intelligent software, are already supporting architects and developers in the design stages, to ensure cost- and energy-efficient buildings. n

IND

MMI India Pvt. Ltd. millie.contractor@mmi-india.in Tel. +91 22 4255 4700 Fax +91 22 4255 4719

BAU15-jg-90x270-AceUpdate_IND.indd 1

20.08.14 11:18

Home Decor II Expert Column

Innovative water solutions to decorate your home “Planning your pool begins with your vision of outdoor space,” explains Vivek Mishra, MD, Premium Pools

H

omes are being designed in more innovative ways than one.

the vibrations of the life force to enter us and nourish our aura.

People are looking to bring in the five elements into balance and make it a blissful experience that is not only beautiful to look at and wonderful to spend time in, but actually has a positive effect on the health and well-being of the inhabitants.

One can represent the water element in the northeast by adding a fountain or a pool so this beneficial energy is reflected throughout. This is an ideal stress buster and it enhances the aesthetics too.

Water body near the house or business premises is a good placement because it keeps the energy flowing and prevents it from being “locked”. Its real essence speaks of movement and the flow of life. It invites everyone to move and bend and not to stay rigid or to struggle. Moving and flowing water can encourage those who come into contact with it to accept continual change and not to struggle unnecessarily in the life.

Flowing water can ease tensions and allow

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If you have space and want to strike the right balance, then building a pool is a good option, from the point of vastu. A pool with latest features is a great choice to bring in freshness to the outdoor living space. If done right, it can be the highlight of the entire home.

Vivek Mishra, MD, Premium Pools, a leading design and construction company says, “Planning your pool begins with your vision of outdoor space. We believe that the possibilities are

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endless provided the right pool builder is involved at the onset. Gone are the days, when people desire for simple water bodies, now even in pools people are looking for hydrotherapy system along with spa lounges, other than the good-old Jacuzzis that have already been there.”

The demand for feature-rich swimming pools has increased. The swimming pools accommodates a state-of-the-art 4-bed hydrotherapy lounge, where high pressure air nozzles have been anthropometrically placed to give proper massage to calf, thigh, upper and lower back of the human body. Meticulous selection of lighting has transformed this section of the pool into a therapeutic environment.

If you don’t have a space to build the pool, don’t get disheartened, one can opt for

Expert Column II Home Decor

exquisitely crafted glass or non-corrosive link chains.

water curtains.There has been an increase in demand for water curtains. In order to decorate the room as well as to hear the soothing sound of water, water curtains are added. They feature as spectacular elements in a living space, not only serving as the focal point of the room but also as a demarcating element for two distinctive sections of the living space.

Water curtains essentially feature as thin strips of water in a designated space, lending the opaqueness of glass and hence lend privacy to the space they are shielding. They can be created by using strings that lend the visual effect of rain. Alternatively they can also flow on

Water curtains need not feature only as demarcating elements between twin sections of a space but can also manifest as a decorative element in an interior as well as at the entrance to the lobby or in a courtyard. Such a feature offers immense options with creative representation alone being the limit.

For instance, an interior incorporating a courtyard or a sky-lit space can have a water curtain acting as the demarcating wall with attractive wooden seating around it.

The water curtain can also flow into a small water body in the courtyard. This combined with appropriate lighting, stone elements and greenery would not only serve to be rejuvenating but also appear spectacular at night.

They can likewise also be featured on a wall in the living area and its beauty can be further enhanced by stone cladding this wall. If featured on pillars, glass windows or incorporated with different effects and patterns to lend novelty.

In the outdoor space, water curtains can feature in a large porch at the entrance, lending a dramatic effect. They could also be teamed up with a shallow pool and pergolas with creepers and stone art to lend a very Victorian feel to a grand entrance.

They also serve as spectacular decorative elements in a large patio or a terrace garden. Here again instead of incorporating a conventional water body involving a cascade or a fountain, a spectacular water curtain complete with exotic lighting can be installed to completely alter the ambience of the space. n

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Construction chemicals II Industry Analysis

Construction chemicals market gaining strength day by day Construction chemicals market was expected to grow by around 20 per cent during 2012-16. The industry, however, seems in the right path. And the recent construction and manufacturing boom only strengthen its importance Current construction chemicals scenario As the bulk of construction sites use traditional methods, the construction chemical market in India is at a very premature state. If we inculcate the right material usage, right dosage and the correct application to ensure, we can experience a huge growth.

“As far as development in the construction chemicals industry goes, there has been a strong growth rate of 17 per cent per annum,” says Sanjay Bahadur, Global CEO, Construction Chemicals, Pidilite Industries.

“The construction chemicals market is having huge growth potential due to the construction and manufacturing boom in India. Many newly developed products are giving better performance; hence, there will be a shift in demand towards products

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offering better performance.”

However, Dow Corning feels that there is still a lot of time to take off. “A lot of things are happening in the construction industry, and the initiatives are being taken by the government now,” emphasises Nitin Kamat, National Sales Manager, Dow Corning India Pvt. Ltd. “It is more about rolling the policies, and the key for it is implementation.

You may have the best policies but without implementing them rightly you may not get anywhere. Infrastructure is the key to the country’s economic growth. We particularly see a good phase will come. The government tends to emphasise on infrastructure.”

Key competitive factors The primary challenge is the lack of skilled manpower, and the industry is trying hard to

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Sanjay Bahadhur, Global CEO,Construction Chemicals, Pidilite Industries

Green construction is the current trend in construction chemicals and waterproofing solutions market in the country

Industry Analysis II Construction chemicals

Nitin Kamat, National Sales Manager, Dow Corning India Pvt. Ltd.

You may have the best policies but without implementing them rightly you may not get anywhere

keep their workforce educated with the new skills and technologies.

According to Mr Bahadur, “The industry’s biggest challenges are low awareness regarding the benefits of construction chemicals, inadequate knowledge on proper usage of these chemicals and lack of enforcement of quality standards on construction activities. About 85 per cent of contractors and builders are not aware of the key advantages of using construction chemicals and have limited knowledge on their proper applications.”

Going green

Deepak Kanitkar, General Manager – Technology & Business Development, Chembond Chemicals Ltd.

We are discussing with our customers particularly the cement manufactures to reduce the use of cement.

There is a need to shift towards green virtues in the construction chemical sector.

“Green construction is the current trend in construction chemicals and waterproofing solutions market in the country,” says Mr Bahadur. “Our consistent efforts are to generate green solutions for various areas of application catering to the needs of complex high rise-structures. We have launched LEC (low energy consumption) which is a waterproofing cum insulation system.”

Even Deepak Kanitkar, General Manager – Technology and Business Development, Chembond Chemicals Ltd., thinks so. “We are very much committed to this,” Mr Kanitkar says. “We believe that we have to protect our nature and give something sustainable to the future generations. Wherever it is possible, we are trying to avoid the use of solvents. So the volatile organic content from our side is always less. We are discussing with our customers particularly the cement manufactures to reduce the use of cement.

We optimise our solution in whatever way we can help sustain the nature.”

Expected growth It is expected that the systems approach will drive the construction chemicals market.

Then there is sustainable construction which is going to be the next big thing.

According to Mr Kamat, “It is all reflection of how the economy takes up as the industry picks up the demand for construction chemicals will rise. So the good thing is that

we are able to keep with the pace of the demand. Once the industry starts shaping up and the demand increases we will come up with new products.”

Mr Bahadur believes that waterproofing is going to be the biggest driver because it is a systems approach and not product approach.

However, he thinks that the waterproofing industry needs proper knowledge and training. “The waterproofing industry only can succeed if we use right material with right application. Untrained applicators are another concern which we are slowly addressing through our Dr. Fixit Service which involves site trials, site demos and training applicators.”

Challenges from low-cost segments Dow Corning doesn’t think that the company is really affected by the cheap imports. Mr Kamat says, “We are also part of the same business environment, so nobody is faired in that context. Our way of differentiation is that we are talking more about quality but not about price. The low-cost imports will make a noise, but it is not a really big thing to be scared about.”

Even Mr Kanitkar shares the same thoughts.

He opines, “To certain extent, we don’t believe that is a threat to construction chemical manufacturers. If you talk about any concrete products like certain admixtures, I don’t think it is possible for anybody to import it from China. We are not having any issue in this segment.”

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Flooring II case study

PrimeComposite: joint-less, nonshrink concrete floor laid in India Primekss, through its licensed contractor Advanced Construction Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Chennai), has delivered the first PrimeComposite floor in India. This case study provides a step-by-step process of execution and the final results

P

rimekss Group, headquartered in Riga (Latvia), is one of the pioneers in concrete technologies, and more specifically in industrial and warehouse flooring methods. The Primekss team comprises some of Europe’s most skilled and successful engineers, and today Primekss is the largest flooring construction company across the Nordic countries.

machine (SomeroInc, USA) • Floating with state-of-the-art heavy duty ride-on-trowels, bull float, etc.

• Dosing steel fibres using high speed imported fibre blower machine • Dosing admixtures using specialised dispensers and pumps.

Developed by Primekss and protected by global patents, PrimeComposite system is proven to consist of the strongest, leanest and most jointless floors in the world.

Preparationstage Like any typical PrimeComposite floor, this project was preceded by the following engineering practices.

Primekss Germany GmbH, the licensing arm of Primekss Group, has recently introduced the PrimeComposite system to the Indian industry. PrimeComposite floors are delivered in India through licensed contractors. Advanced Construction Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (ACT), Chennai, is the first licensed contractor for Primekss Germany in India.

Design solution The Primekss engineers in Europe arrived at the following specifications after analysing the design loads, sub-grade modulus and other local factors: • Slab thickness: 100 mm • Steel fibre dosage: 35 KG/CuM • Steel fibre specs: HE 75/50 Hooked End; Tensile Strength > 1,200 N/mm3 • Concrete grade: M30 • Distance between day-joints: 60M X 60M (maximum) • Includes: PrimeTEH shrinkage reducing technology • Modulus of sub-grade reaction of sub base achieved K= 0.1 N/ MM3

ACT, under supervision by Primekss Team from Europe and India, delivered the first PrimeComposite floor in India recently with tremendous success. This case study provides a step-by-step process of execution and the final results.

Overview The floor was delivered for Ocean Health Care Pvt. Ltd. – a pharmaceutical manufacturing company. The total area of the floor executed was 19,600 sq feet. The floor was laid on 7th and 8th of August 2014.The specifications of the PrimeComposite floor are provided below: • Jointless (no saw-cut joints) concrete floor • Non-shrink concrete, achieved through proprietary Primekss admixtures and highly sophisticated concrete mix design • Execution process managed through electronic PrimeQuality management system.

• Proprietary Primekss admixtures for anti-shrinkage and plasticiser • Proprietary Primekss HE75/50 Grade Steel fibre reinforcement (locally procured) • Dry shake hardeners for abrasion resistance • Pre-engineered HCJ Cosinus Slide or Permaben or equivalent imported joints as day-joints • Floor finishing with state-of-the-art S15R laser boom screed

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Concrete mix design The local aggregates and cements were sent to Primekss Labs in Riga, Latvia for testing and to arrive at a highly sophisticated and optimised concrete mix design with specified w/c ratio, cement (grade, brand and content), aggregates (types and proportioning), Primekss admixtures content, etc. The cement content was kept to minimum to optimise costs and shrinkage without compromising strength.

The mix design was pre-tested at thechosen RMC plant to ensure that the slump, strength, setting times and other properties were in line with PrimeComposite requirements.

Pour plan The floor was delivered in two day pours, with the first day pour of 9,700 sq. ft. and the second day pour of 9,900 sq. ft.

case study II Flooring 60

40 30.89 25.08 20.82 14.61

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Age (Days)

Chart 1: Compressive strength results (N/mm2)

Sub-base preparation and plate load test PrimeComposite design eliminates PCC under the slab-on grade.

This floor was laid directly on compacted granular sub-base. Two plateload tests were conducted on the sub-base to verify the K value assumed in the design.

Figure 4: Heavy Ride-on-Trowels by Atlas Copco (USA)

to the transit mixers that arrived on the site. The addition was done using imported dispensers and dosing pumps as shown in Figure 2.

The concrete production and delivery was controlled through stringent quality checks both at the plant and at the site. Slump measurements were conducted for each truck as soon as it arrived on site. Measurements of Air temperature, relative humidity, concrete temperature and cross wind were made to control the evaporation rate of the laid concrete floor. The evaporation rate achieved was only 0.2kg/sq.m./hr. This was less than the bleed rate of concrete.

State-of-the-art machinery A S15R laser screed machine (boom type) manufactured by Somero Inc. (USA) was deployed for the first time in India for the purpose of laying the floor, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 2: Admixture Dosing Pump and Dispenser

Non-shrink concrete production The next and the most unique step was to produce and deliver concrete that would not shrink. For this purpose, proprietary and advanced Primekss admixtures – PrimeDC and PrimeFlow, were added

Heavy Ride On Trowels manufactured by Atlas Copco (USA) were deployed for the purpose of finishing the floor and achieving high degree of flatness, as shown in Figure 4.

High density of steel fibres 35 kg/cum of loose steel fibres (hooked end, HE 75/50, tensile strength > 1,200 N/mm3) was dosed into the transit mixers that arrived at the site using highly advanced and sophisticated steel fibre blower machine . The machine, shown in Figure 5, is a high capacity blower and ensures that fibres: • Are homogenously distributed • Have uniform orientation • Do not pop out of the floor during finishing operations.

Best-in-class pre-engineered day joints The day pours were separated using pre-engineered CosinusSlide joints, from HCJ, Belgium. The joints ensure that the fork lift movement is seamless across the floor.

Figure 3: S15R Laser Screed (Boom Type) by SomeroInc (USA)

PrimeQuality: electronic quality management system The entire floor preparation, laying and finishing process was monitored through PrimeQuality electronic quality management system. PrimeQuality system is installed on iPads equipped with protective military case for safe use at the construction site. Trained

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Flooring II case study

Figure 7: No Visible Cracks

the laser screed machine, the dry shake hardener, concrete mix design and the heavy ride on trowels, all combined to ensure a smooth surface with high abrasion resistance.

Super-flat floor The flatness and levelness measurements taken within 48 hours of the floor finishing prove the achievement of super-flat floor.

Figure 5: Steel Fibre Blower Machine (imported from Belgium)

supervisors use these to input the information at various stages to ensure consistent quality.

Savings in total lifecycle cost of ownership of ` 2,500 per sq.m. for the end-user Opportunity cost savings • Quicker turnaround of the floor will allow early delivery of the floor leading to savings on notional rental as well as allow early commencement of production • Savings due to notional rental: ` 167 per sq.m. Lifecycle savings • Savings due to lower hard wheel replacements of loaders: ` 400 per sq.m.

• Savings due to reduction in # of forklifts in operation: ` 1,900 per sq.m.

• Savings in joint and crack repairs: ` 90 per sq.m.

Intangible benefits • Reduction in down-time due to lower curling • High residual value of the floor • Improved aesthetics and better work environment • Improved fork-lift movements will ensure reduced incidents of health hazards for employees.

Figure 6: No Openings of Joints

Final product: an outright success!

Concrete that just won’t shrink!

There is no opening around the joints even after more than a month, as illustrated in Figure 6 indication zero shrinkage.

Even after more than a month, there are no signs of any type of cracks on the floor, as illustrated in Figure 7.

Smooth surface Even with a very high density of steel fibres (Over 35 million steel fibres) dosed into just 19,600 sq feet area, not even a single steel fibre has popped out of the surface. The steel fibre blowing machine,

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Ecologically friendly: significant reduction in CO2 emissions PrimeComposite floor for Ocean Health Care was delivered with 4050 per cent reduction in slab thickness as compared to a traditional floor with similar load bearing capacity. This in turn meant lower concrete consumption, lower cement consumption and hence lower CO2 emissions. n Author __ Anant Pokharna Primekss - Head of India Operations Mobile: +91-9899299905 Email: anant.pokharna@primekss.com www.primekss.com Co-author__ Mohan Ramanathan, Managing Director, Advanced Construction Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

Flexible membrane forming waterproofing and protection slurry

Balancing Construction Chemistry....

Eco friendly Construction Chemical Products

Z

entrifix-elastic is a two-component mineral based; polymer modified waterproofing and concrete protection system. It is best suited for specialised structures like dams, bridges, culverts, tunnels and hydraulic structures where the water pressures are high, as also for normal waterproofing requirement of terraces, parking structures, basements, swimming pools, sanitary areas etc.

When two components are mixed and applied, the film formed is a thick elastic membrane with excellent waterproofing properties and chemical resistance. It is most suitable for protection from chloride attacks. The component Zentrifix-elastic is cement bound mineral modified mortar of proper grading. The second component Emceflex 15 is an acrylic polymer based emulsion. The crack-bridging is about 0.7 mm in normal application thickness.

Additional coats increase the crack bridging characteristics.

For Application, the liquid component should be emptied into a clean mixing vessel and the powder slowly added to it, while mixing with a slow speed-mixing paddle (approx. 400 rpm) until a consistent, lump free homogeneous mass is produced. The mixing ratio is approximately 100 parts by weight of powder to 50 parts by weight of liquid. Zentrifix-elastic can be applied by trowel or brush. Before application the surface should be slightly moist but not wet. The first coat should be carefully worked into the surface by brush in order to close the pores. Allow three to four hours before the next coat. The final coat should be finished with a steel trowel. Consumption is 1.7 kg /m2 / mm thickness.

MC-Bauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd. manufactures this product alongwith a host of other Construction Chemicals in technical and financial collaboration with MC-Bauchemie, Germany. MCBauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified company.

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Ÿ Waterbase Epoxy Products Ÿ Admixtures

Ÿ Integral Waterproofing

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Ÿ Surface Protective Coating For

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Ÿ Water Repellentclear Coating

Mfd. By: Sara Corporation 12/118, Shri Pragati Society,Mahavir Nagar,Link Road, Kandivali (W), Mumbai -400 067 Customer Care:0091-9870554457 | Email:saracorporationindia@gmail.com

DRIPPING LEAKAGES FROM UPPER FLOOR BATHROOMS, TOILETS AND KITCHENS Leakages from upper floor bathroom and toilets ruining your paint, dripping all over your house or holding-up your refurbishing jobs?

Upper floor resident not cooperating to get it repaired?

Leakage source cannot be traced?

No matter what the reason is. We can fix it within 7 hours by our Polyurethane Resin Injection Grouting technique. We specialise in repairing dripping and seeping (active) leakages from upper floor flats by working from the lower floor tenement ceilings itself.

Contact

No breaking or demolition of any Tiles, Flooring and Ceramic ware on the upper floor-No disturbance and no mess job - Long guarantee.

MC-Bauchemie (I) Pvt. Ltd. 411, Arenja Corner, Sector 17, Vashi, Navi Mumbai 400703 Tele: +91-22-27880803 / 27892856 Fax: +91-22-27893870 Email: info.india@mc-bauchemie.com, mcbindia@yahoo.co.in www.mc-bauchemie.com

We also fix leaking terrace slabs, podium-built swimming pools and gardens having basement car parking and commercial establishments at ground level, terrace and sump RCC water tanks with the same technique.

Hallmark Waterproofing Solutions

Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Email: hallmarkaquatech@yahoo.com Visit us at www.hallmarkwaterproofingsolutions.com Mobile: 9867849597 / 9702186132

Building Material II Interview

Building material industry comes back with new business “We intend to position HIL as a leading building products company, offering a comprehensive and diverse range of products with a strong emphasis on innovation and sustainability” says Madhusudan Mokashi, Vice President-Marketing, HIL Ltd.

H

IL has been a trusted name when it comes to building materials industry with a number of brands which offer complete solutions for all types of building purposes. In an interview with ACE Update, Madhusudan Mokashi speaks how the building materials industry is set to transform.

What is the current status of the building materials market?

With the new government having taken over at the centre, the industry is looking forward to consistent high growth and success.

Building products have recorded a growth of 34 per cent over the corresponding quarter of FY14; other businesses have grown by 10 per cent over the corresponding quarter of FY14. We hope to grow at a similar pace.

It is difficult to predict a figure as of now.

The industry is doing well and has made a comeback with the new business, reforms acting as a catalyst of growth. The overall industry growth rate is expected to pick up and the overall scenario looks bright and conducive to business growth.

How does the market cope with competition from low-cost regions?

One of the most frequent objections sales people in any industry hear is, “The price is too high for the market,” However, most consumers do not make purchasing decisions based on price alone. We need to show customers how our product or service has an edge and thus convince them to pay a reasonably higher price. Market segmentation within the ‘low cost’ zone

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and targeting them with the ‘value add’ is the key to success. Thereafter, the product promotes itself and starts creating a market, thus breaking the traditional myth that ‘high cost’ products do not find a place.

What are the growth drivers for growth of the building materials market? How would the architectural products segment drive growth?

Central or state government policies pertaining to infrastructure development, demand-supply gap for residential housing, favourable demographics, rising affordability levels, availability of financing options as well as fiscal benefits available on availing of loans are the key drivers, supporting the growth of construction and therefore the demand for building materials.

Architectural products generate an economic value by virtue of clever design.

Just like the work of an architect adds value to a building; architectural products create a similar value. Architectural products moderate the way a place is perceived by people and thereby builds the image of the business and is one of the main sources of customer attraction. Architectural products also add value to the construction and aids as the ‘key differentiator’ among similar constructions.

What are the major challenges affecting the market?

Currently, there are two major challenges faced by the market. The first would be the conservative mindset. Generally, in the

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construction industry people like to adhere to products and processes they are comfortable with. They are wary of change and using newly launched products.

Secondly, in the current age of information overload, a lot of information is being circulated without adequate verification. The authenticity of any information or notion needs to be reviewed and substantiated by facts. Unverified information can create havoc and colour public perception, leading to false conclusions. One such example is from the sheeting industry where there is an incorrect perception that the government has banned production of asbestos roofing because it is carcinogenic. This is not true, and yet this perception continues to be the largest hurdle that the industry is battling today.

Just like the work of an architect adds value to a building; architectural products create a similar value.

Where should you position your company in the current market scenario?

We intend to position HIL as a leading building products company, offering a comprehensive and diverse range of products with a strong emphasis on innovation and sustainability. Our strong focus on green products and our stand as a pioneer in having anticipated and adapting to the paradigm shift to green products is a sure edge and a clear differentiator. n

Interview II Paints

Berger Paints set to double its market potential “The stock market has also taken cognisance of Berger’s potential with our market capitalisation doubling in the past 3 years,” says Abhijit Roy, MD and CEO, Berger Paints India Ltd.

How is the paints and coatings market moving?

The paint industry is expected to grow at around 13-15 per cent in the next 4-5 years. Decorative and the industrial segment are both slated to perform well in the near future. The government’s endeavour to have housing for all by 2022 would result in a renewed focus on the housing sector. The manufacturing sector is also set to witness revival with the help of government initiatives. The auto sector has already shown signs of improvement.

50 most valuable brands in India, ahead of many global brands. The stock market has also taken cognisance of Berger’s potential with our market capitalisation doubling in the past 3 years.

We have bolstered our production capacity considerably with a new state-of-the-art plant in Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh. The organisation is prepared to service the increased demand in the future. We will continue as a strong player with a focus to drive growth through introduction of consumer-based solutions. n

Latest Generation Thin Bed High Performance Tile Adhesives

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erger Paints has been one of the leading paint companies in India having a range of products in all segments. In an interview with ACE Update, Abhijit Roy discusses how Berger Paints have been the preferred name in the paint industry in India.

What are the significant technological developments expected from the market?

With evolving consumers’ need, it is crucial that the paint industry works continuously to bring newer technology and processes. Berger Paints through its green horizon initiative has taken many steps to make safe, eco-friendly products.

What are the key growing segments in this industry, and where does the decorative paint segment stand?

Decorative paint segment accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the paint market in India. With income levels in urban as well as rural India rising, the segment has been growing well for the past few years. With new urban centres springing up and the new government’s plan to build 100 new smart cities in this decade, the overall architectural segment stands to gain handsomely. As the Indian consumers evolve, segmentation of the market is imperative as consumers’ need would have to be serviced with niche products and services.

Zentrival Range of Tile Adhesives and Tile Grout One Component, Easy-to-use, Thin Bed Waterproof Tile Adhesives and Tile Grouts

Indian Green Building Council

MEMBER

Where should you position your company in current market scenario?

Berger Paints, through its innovative and consumer centric approach, has delivered products to meet real consumers’ need. In a recent Millward Brown study, Berger Paints has been ranked among the top

Member - CCMA

Innovation in Building Chemicals MY Communications

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Sanitary & Ceramic II Industry Analysis

Demand for sanitaryware blooming in India Sanitaryware and ceramicware have become a part of people’s lives and are now more related to as lifestyle products

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anitary and ceramic products are gaining popularity in India. Rather than being basic necessity, sanitary and ceramic products are becoming a part of the lifestyle of people in India, throwing the sanitary market wide open for companies to explore.

Asutosh Shah, Managing Director, Duravit, says “India is a very important future market.

It has a growing lifestyle consumer base due to its healthy economic development and demographic trend of a growing young, working population. There is a desire for lifestyle brands.”

Indian market The sanitaryware market in India has grown rapidly during the last few years. India has emerged as a major bath and sanitaryware market in the Asia Pacific. The organised sector comprises more than half of the total market by value. The major threat for the industry is from the unorganised sector, which provides products at low prices. In terms of market value, organised players lead the market, but in terms of volume, unorganised players hold the major share.

According to Sushil Luniya, President Marketing and Sales, Building Products Division, HSIL Ltd., “Ceramic encapsulates a wide range of products from crockery, artware, stoneware and even sanitaryware.

The organised sanitaryware market size in India is about ` 2,000-2,500 crore and HSIL garners 40 per cent of that market with its brand Hindware.”

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Upcoming trends Today, much more is expected from bathroom

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Asutosh Shah, Managing Director, Duravit

Duravit stands for living bathrooms and has made a name for itself internationally with highquality materials, careful manufacture and timeless designs

Industry Analysis II Sanitary & Ceramic than simply a place to take a shower. The upcoming comprehensive bathroom concepts are based on individual needs.

Mr Shah opines, “Sustainability will be more and more important for the sanitary industry.

As the population continues to grow, the need for sustainable concepts to protect our ecosystem also increases. Thinking and acting sustainably means actively taking responsibility.”

He further adds, “We have been investing consistently in research and development.

It focuses not only on water and energyefficient solutions but also on ecological manufacturing. We offer WCs that flush hygienically with only 4.5 litres of water instead of 6 litres. The McDry urinal and the new Architec even operate without any water.”

There are two key trends that are gradually taking shape in the sanitaryware space: first, the perception of bathrooms which has come a long way from its functional status to being a room which connotes status, taste and appreciation of design of bathroom products; and second, growing economy and rising disposable income of India’s consumer base which is driving urbanisation.

Mr Luniya states, “Our brand Hindware has a strong footing in the market that can adopt and create value in a dynamic economy and society. There is a rising demand for concept

washrooms and coordinated sanitaryware.”

Water conservation and convenience are the other key factors that will be driving the industry forward. Another important trend that is emerging in the Indian market is the rise of replacement market.

a promise of convenience, genuine pleasure and more quality of life. For Duravit, India is such a market that offers a sustainable growth, based on a real demand. Therefore, we will keep our focus and extent our activities in this region.”

Focus areas Buyers expect their bathrooms to be living spaces that offer a refuge from the complex world that we live in. This can be achieved only with a holistic concept that includes and brings together all the conceivable aspects of the bathroom.

Mr Luniya believes “HSIL is the country’s largest player in the sanitaryware industry and has been consistently transforming its product line, offering pleasing styles, and modern inventive design concepts. With a balanced revenue mix, our sales network of more than 2,900 dealers and 18,000 retailers caters to a large retail customer base across the country.”

“The growing demand for high-end sanitaryware and bathroom fittings among people, making a lifestyle shift is an opportunity to optimise. Customers are relatively getting more focused on branded, aesthetically looking products and aftersale services,” states Mr Luniya. There is a gradual shift from the unorganised market offerings. Also market opportunities rising from urbanisation, infrastructural growth and sanitation are great prospects to capitalise on.

Mr Shah adds, “We are tending to pull out of the competition in places where price is the sole decisive factor. Instead we aim to create a genuine need by using a range of attractive, high-quality and varied products to furnish complete bathrooms.”

Sushil Luniya, President - Marketing and Sales, Building Products Division, HSIL Ltd.

The organised sanitaryware market size in India is about ` 2,000-2,500 crore and HSIL garners 40 per cent of that market with its brand Hindware

Future outlook The future outlook for the sanitary and ceramics industry looks for innovative products on design and technological aspects at the same time products which are eco-friendly. There is a shift towards successful designs that captures the spirit of the coming ages.

The focuses of new developments are always people. The products must bring their users real advantages and not just pretend added value. Commenting on this, Mr Shah says, “We, at Duravit, understand our products as

Current status Currently the Indian market is boosting with a number of sanitary and ceramics companies coming up to take a share in the market. With the demand for new designs and awareness about the environment and sanitaryware becoming part of people’s lifestyle, sanitary and ceramic industry in India is currently blooming.

Mr Shah emphasises, “Duravit stands for living bathrooms and has made a name for itself internationally with high-quality materials, careful manufacture and timeless designs. We firmly believe that a big part of our success is based on the cooperation with international designers’ different ideas and views meet each other for a successful cooperation. Duravit brand in India has propelled itself to the position of one of the most loved designer brands in this market.”

Mr Luniya states, “As a brand, we will continue to innovate to delight customers.

Sustainability has great importance as we move forward, and brand Hindware has already taken the lead offering WEP-1 (water efficient), star-rated products in the Indian market. HSIL and brand Hindware is a front runner in the organised market and aims to continue to be in that position.” n Image courtesy: Hindware

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Ceramics II Interview

RAK strives to be No 1 in India “With the economy expected to grow 8-9 per cent per annum, we expect our growth to be in the range of 25-30 per cent which will be double the growth to Indian tile market,” says Santosh Nema, Chief Executive Officer, RAK Ceramics India

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he Indian ceramic industry ranks at 8th position in the world and produces around 2.5 per cent of global output.

RAK Ceramics, one of the leading global companies, is striving to be best in India within the next 4 years. In an exclusive interview with ACE Update, Santosh Nema shares why India is important in RAK’s global strategy.

What are the trends and opportunities in Indian ceramic industry?

The ceramics industry in India came into existence about a century ago and has matured over time to form an industrial base. From traditional pottery making, the industry has evolved to find its place in the market for sophisticated insulators, electronic and electrical items. Over the years, the industry has been modernising through new innovations in product profile, quality and design to emerge as a modern, world-class industry, ready to take on global competition.

The Indian ceramic industry ranks at 8th position in the world and produces around

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2.5 per cent of global output. The industry provides employment to 550,000 people, of whom 50,000 are directly employed. Gujarat accounts for around 70 per cent of total ceramic production.

The ceramic products are produced both in organised as well as in unorganised sector. The share of organised sector in total production is around 55 per cent. The organised sector is characterised by the existence of a few large players. While, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for more than 50 per cent of the total market in India, offering a wide range of articles including crockery, art ware, sanitary ware, ceramic tiles, refractory and stoneware pipes, among others. Most of the players are grouped together in clusters.

Over the last two decades, the technical ceramics segment has recorded an impressive growth propelled by the demand for high-alumina ceramics, cuttings tools and structural ceramics from the industry.

Overall, the Indian ceramics industry has emerged as a major manufacturer and

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supplier in the global market.

Indian ceramics industry is poised for major growth. As the new government is pushing housing for all as well as there is definite shift from cement floor and natural stone to tiles, the domestic tile market is likely to grow at 15 per cent or more. The export market depends on export policy and rupee dollar rate. We will have to wait and watch for the kind of thrust the new government gives to this industry, especially incentives for exports. In terms of quality and designs capability, Indian manufacturers are at par with the best in the world.

RAK has achieved a milestone of having sold 1 billion sq. m. of tiles worldwide.

How do you define your success?

We, at RAK Ceramics, believe very strong in the power of display. Tiles business is like a fashion. Colour, design and texture mean a lot. Unless you see, you cannot appreciate them. In India too, we are committed to expand our display significantly by opening orientation centre and upgrading our dealers’ showrooms. We are planning to have 10,000

Interview II Ceramics We hope to have 1,000 such stores in the country over next 2 years.

good displays across the country within a year. This is in addition to our normal display operation. Our dealer and retail network to be over 5,000 number order.

RAK Ceramics is globally No 1 company; hence, there is no reason why it should not be No 1 company in India too. We will strive to be No 1 company within next 4 years here in India.

How does the market cope with competition from low-cost regions?

India is strategically important market for our company. With the economy expected to

grow 8-9 per cent per annum, we expect our growth to be in the range of 25-30 per cent which will be double the growth to Indian tile market. In order to grow at this pace, we have drawn an elaborate marketing plan.

Our 60-70 per cent of business is coming from projects where key decision makers are architect and builders. We are also going to enhance our footprint in Tier- II and Tier-III towns. We would like to be leader in experiential marketing which mean our customer will be able to touch and feel our products at large number of locations. For this we are creating as well as upgrading dealers’ showrooms across the country.

What are the key restraints prevailing currently?

The industry is facing lot of challenges. With the new government, we would expect them to reduce the taxation like excise and VAT should go down. Secondly, the intra state of housing should give a boost once this comes down. Then we have a bigger housing demand. If all the legislations are made rationally, they will give a bigger boost to the housing sector.

What makes RAK Ceramics to stay ahead of the competition?

RAK is the only company having their base in India. There is no other multinational manufactures vitrified tiles in its own plant.

That is what we are going to exploit. We are the only multinational; we are present in 160 countries. None of the Indian companies can boast of being in 160 countries. We have plants in 6 countries. In fact, India has the largest plant after UAE. I believe that is significantly important for the growth of the company.

Lighting II Interview

Surya Roshni shifts focus to LED

The next generation LED technology is the latest addition to Surya’s cosmic range of lighting series. This energy efficient luminaire is available in many mounting options to offer a flexible LED lighting solution to customers embarked upon a new journey by entering into the realm of fans. Surya launched colourful range of ceiling, table, pedestal and wall mounting fans along with the range of domestic exhaust fans.

Surya now plans to launch home appliances for the Indian market like water heaters, dry irons, steam irons and mixer-grinders.

These products will be available in the market from October, before Diwali.

An overview Surya Roshni, an Indian multinational, is one of the major lighting companies in India. It is also one of the leading manufacturers of G.I. and hollow section pipes. The next generation LED technology is the latest addition to Surya’s cosmic range of lighting series. This energy efficient luminaire is available in many mounting options to offer a flexible LED lighting solution to customers.

Surya has proved its mettle in every realm of excellence. Recently, Surya Roshni has

In-house manufacturing Surya has state-of-the-art in-house manufacturing facilities for production of indoor and outdoor LED luminaries which include LED bulbs, downlighters and streetlights. Surya would like to educate and promote only sustainable energy efficiency and drive LED products.

Raju Bista, Managing Director Surya Roshni Ltd.

Cost effective LED products need to be seen from sustainability, value creation to consumer or channel partner and total product life cycle point of view.

Although LEDs seem to be more expensive than other type of lighting, they are very cost effective in the long run. First of all they save

Surya’s LED products are completely mercury free and save up to 85 per cent energy

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Technology and innovation Keeping pace with the changing times, Surya has come up with LED lamps which are fast replacing the conventional GLS bulbs. LED lamps are not only energy efficient but also environment friendly.

According to Raju Bista, Managing Director of Surya Roshni Ltd., “Surya’s LED products are completely mercury free and save up to 85 per cent energy. LED market in India is expected to grow at a rate of 40-45 per cent which will remain technology driven for at least for next 5 years.” Surya Roshni has made significant investment for design, development and manufacturing of LED products.

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energy. Secondly they operate for a much longer duration than ordinary lamps. Their design flexibility, powerful nature, small size and availability in almost all kinds of colours make them an attractive choice for household and other use.

R&D centre Surya’s R&D centre at Noida is jewel in the crown of Surya group. This is one of the most advanced state-of-the-art lighting laboratory and research centre with specific focus on LED. This set up is already DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology) and NABL accredited. “Our R&D centre is equipped with the most advanced photometric laboratory which houses high speed automatic mirror photo Goniometer from LMT Germany. It is undoubtedly the best equipment available for light measurement and optical evaluation for conventional lighting system as well as precise LED measurement,” says Mr Bista.

Surya’s network Surya has an excellent network from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and North-East to Gujarat with 2 lac retailers and 1,500 dealers and are also exporting to 44 countries across the globe, including Europe and America.

“Surya enjoys about 25 per cent market share in India,” Mr Bista informs.

Quality of Surya products Quality has always been the driving force in every process from the raw material stage to the finished products at Surya. By being cost effective without compromising on quality, the company has become a leader in lighting and steel pipe industry.

“With a nationally and internationally accepted “Surya” brand and eminent position in the lighting and steel industry, it is poised to capitalise on the immense opportunities unfolding in the global market giving it an edge over its peers,” Mr Bista asserts. n

Fenestration II Industry Analysis

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oors and windows no longer have the same old role to play in filling up the spaces in building structures. Today doors and windows perform multiple functions like letting in the light, keeping out heat and cold, noise attenuation, and so forth. With technical advancement, manufacturers in India are coming up with different technologies for every purpose, making the doors and window segment a huge market in India.

Current status Globally the door and windows market has achieved higher penetration with innovation, technological and design aspects. In India, the doors and windows market is still growing and expected to grow at faster rate with a boost in the real estate projects in the country.

Currently, the Indian doors and windows market generates about ` 45 billion annually and of that about 78 per cent are from wood based doors. “The market is large and growing. This is fuelled by a real estate growth of about 10 per cent CAGR and in the top seven cities closer to CAGR 17 per cent,� says Brian Leslie, Technical Adviser, Canadian Wood from British Columbia.

Doors and windows market opening up The doors and windows market in India is blooming and coming up with uPVC technologies which offer more than aesthetics

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Industry Analysis II Fenestration The furniture market in India is the second largest wood processing segment after logs, making India a fast emerging market for high-end, value-added products. According to Harish Babu P., CEO - Sobha Interiors Division, Sobha Ltd. “The total annual market for prefabricated wooden furniture products in India is estimated to be $1.25 billion of which 15-20 per cent is estimated for prefabricated wooden doors and windows.

The branded (higher quality) wooden furniture industry is growing at about 15 per cent annually.”

However, the manufacturing of prefabricated doors and windows is relatively new, and the current market is growing at about 10 per cent a year uPVC market in India is still at its nascent stage. “We see great potential in India for Inoutic uPVC windows. At this initial stage, we see a limited number of uPVC products being introduced in the market. This will change as more acceptability of uPVC is there. When consumers see the benefits of uPVC against normal wood and aluminium windows,” says a spokesperson from WinRoyal Windows & Doors Pvt. Ltd. Challenges faced With some recent slowdown in the housing and real estate sector, the doors and window market suffered some setbacks. With some positive signs of growth in the real estate sector, the doors and windows market is

Brian Leslie, Technical Advisor, Canadian Wood from British Columbia

The market is large and growing. This is fuelled by a real estate growth of about 10 per cent CAGR and in the top seven cities closer to CAGR 17 per cent

expected to grow. However, competing with the cheap imports is still a cause of concern.

“Due to sluggish trends in housing sector across regions, the tight cash flow situation has been challenging. However, we believe that is in the past. The economy is looking up, and the demand for real estate properties is also picking up,” comments Mr Babu.

According to the Winroyal spokesperson, “Pricing is an important factor in the Indian market. Heavy import duties and competition from cheap Chinese products will always be a major challenge in the market. Market acceptance is also necessary as uPVC is relatively a new concept in Indian Market.”

As 80 per cent of the door sector is still unorganised, manufacturing practices are inefficient and sometimes product quality is poor. It is difficult for such producers to compete against imports or manufacturers in the organised sector. One of the biggest handicaps is the inability to offer a line of standardised range.

Hardwood plywood has been the mainstay for the flush door market which is about 60 per cent of the market. The log ban in Myanmar has a major and immediate negative impact of the supply of good quality face veneers.

The supply of teak has dropped dramatically with the loss of 400,000 CBM of teak round wood from Myanmar, impacting the solid door industry which has about 10-15 per cent of the doors market. “The overall quality of wood supplies is declining with smaller logs, younger trees, and smaller diameters,” observes Mr Leslie.

Focus areas An expanding Indian economy and increased residential construction will drive demand for windows and doors over the next coming years. With technological advancement doors and windows market in India is gearing up with companies concentrating more on uPVC products as they are low on maintenance yet effective.

Mr Leslie opines, “There are huge opportunities to use substitutes in both the solid door and flush door industries.” Many of these woods are easy to work with, take

stains off and finishing well, and are cheaper than traditional woods.

“Our penchant for high-quality products, an eye for details, and the right product mix have helped us stay ahead of the competition.

This is visible in all our product portfolios, right from the residential buildings to the home interiors solutions,” says Mr Babu.

Expected growth The doors and windows market is expecting an increase in growth with the popularity of pre-fabricated use of materials in the market. Manufacturers say that uPVC doors and window products are gradually gaining popularity as they are not only sound proof and eco-friendly but also corrosion and water resistant.

According to Winroyal spokesperson, “We hope more and more builders accept uPVC windows in their projects. We also intend to start fabrication in smaller cities as well to cater local market. There should be also some exemptions from the government as uPVC is a green product.”

“We believe that prefabricated wooden doors and windows as well as factory finished fixed home furniture systems will be the next big thing in the industry,” says Mr Babu.

Commenting on the growth expectation of the doors and windows market, Mr Leslie says, “We need to use more softwoods for both flush and solid wooden doors and use more MDF. Laminated and finger-joined door frames will start taking a share of the market.”

Future outlook With the demand for doors and window market in India set to rise with number of housing and real estate projects taking up.

Doors and windows manufacturing companies are geared up to increase their market share by bringing in prefabricated uPVC materials which are gaining popularity.

Companies want to introduce new range of products and concrete their position in the market. “We are among the top uPVC companies with excellent customer satisfaction. In coming years, we will mark our presence differently,” says the Winroyal spokesperson. n

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Green Buildings II Expert column

Innovative techniques & materials for construction

This article talks about the need for finding and implementing new methods of cost‑effective, eco-friendly, high-grade construction

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he paradigm for Indian real estate has changed drastically over the last decade.

What was before a fairly straightforward - if lacklustre - equation has now transformed into a dynamic and self-sustaining landscape that brings its own unique opportunities and challenges with it. The questions being asked today by end-users, investors and even conscientious developers are very different from those of a decade ago.

Some of these questions are - what drives the Indian real estate market? Who are its primary influencers? Who are the real beneficiaries? It all boils down to a simple question - is the Indian real estate market growing rationally and holistically?

Inclusive growth in context with the Indian real estate market must necessarily mean that the benefits of growth in the sector must be spread over a wider palette. It is already happening, in the sense that the Indian government’s heavy investments into

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infrastructure have created a much larger job market, which includes a wider variety of skilled and unskilled individuals. Today, a whole swath of industries are directly or indirectly involved in the India real estate story, with business being generated insurance, finance, transportation, construction and information technology.

unheard. Some of the leading developers in India are now engaged on a quest for innovative methods of delivering quality homes while reducing the environmental impact of the construction process. This involves finding and implementing new methods of cost-effective, eco-friendly, highgrade construction.

However, even today, there are many hurdles to the real estate sector’s growth. Archaic and counterproductive land laws prevent our cities from growing logically, and lack of awareness about the benefits of creative and environmentally friendly real estate development is still rampant. In a country reeling under an acute shortage of affordable housing, it makes sense to adopt methods that allow the supply pipeline to be augmented while simultaneously reduce the amount of waste created in the construction process by reducing, recycling and reusing materials.

Alu-form construction process This focus has logically led to an increasing adoption of technologies such as the Aluform construction process. This extremely progressive technology is a revolutionary innovation that allows for the speedy, accurate and highly consistent casting of all internal and external walls, columns, beams, floor slabs, stairs and other parts of a concrete building. It is an integrated system which merges the wall and slab panels into a seamless unit. With a drastic reduction of form-jointed sections, the end products have superior resilience to wear, tear and degradation.

The clarion call for change has not gone

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Expert column II Green Buildings Using the building’s architectural blueprint as a guideline, highly resilient aluminium panels are pre-designed for all concrete elements of the building’s superstructure. Alu-form technology allows internal electrical fittings and plumbing to be incorporated with a highdegree of design efficiency, and as part of the overall building plan. This factor reduces the probability of electrical and plumbing failures.

On the rare occasions when they do occur, such problems can be quickly isolated and fixed.

This contributes to the overall costeffectiveness of owning a home constructed with Alu-form technology. Moreover, the use of this construction technology vastly reduces the chance of on-site mishaps, making it one of the safest systems for building construction currently available.

Alu-form construction technology involves extremely efficient, light-weight and flexible materials and cuts down on the need for messy brickwork, concrete leakage and the use of conventional, polluting construction equipment. It is therefore one of the most environment friendly construction techniques on the market Significantly, Alu-form technology puts an end to the problems of construction irregularities and asymmetrical aesthetics which plague even the best of projects. The finished units are flawlessly balanced and streamlined, providing a finished and sophisticated look and feel.

The basic equipment used in Alu-form construction technology can be reused over up to 300 times, which means that there is significantly reduced wastage. The implied savings during the construction process can then be passed on to buyers into the finished product, making Alu-form construction technology one of the most viable means of delivering budget housing in big cities.

Since it involves less skilled labour and conventional construction materials, it is ideally suited for the speedy completion of affordably priced homes. The adoption of this revolutionary construction technology is a vital step forward in making budget housing available within market-viable timelines.

It will play an extremely important role in bringing India a step closer towards meeting its massive shortfall of affordable housing.

It must be noted that the use of such innovative construction technologies requires a consummate upgrading of the skills of construction artisans at the grassroots level so that they can understand the entire concept.

Using alternate construction techniques without proper knowledge and instruction can result in compromised construction integrity, safety and project life-span.

Alternate construction materials Other ways of meeting the demand for costeffective, yet environmentally friendly homes is through the use of alternate construction materials such as recycled fly ash (a waste byproduct of coal combustion). This medium can be utilised to build budget housing of fairly high quality. Other alternate construction media are interlocking bricks, hollow concrete blocks, rubble filler blocks, stabilised mudbased blocks and funicular (or rope-like) shells.

By using alternate construction materials and methods, construction costs can be reduced by a minimum of 10-15 per cent in terms of materials and up to 20 per cent in terms of skilled manpower expenses and construction time.

Modular housing Modular housing is yet another method that can be adopted by progressive Indian developers. When supported by the correct design, factory-build modular housing conforms to most standards of structural

integrity, safety and environmental impact.

This kind of construction involves the use of pre-manufactured components like roof and floor trusses that can be assembled quickly and with major savings on construction time and labour costs.

Challenges There is still a fair degree of resistance, both from developers and buyers, to projects built with alternate construction materials. While innovative construction techniques like Aluform construction in housing projects have become widely accepted and indeed popular, the Indian market’s acceptance of housing built with alternate construction materials is still quite low.

In India, unlike in the more developed countries, there is still an erroneous assumption that the use of cost-effective alternate construction materials results in inferior structures.

Knowing that a building has been built with anything but conventional materials and technologies cause potential buyers to have concerns about its safety, durability and resale value.

This lack of awareness can result in a loss for developers who use them, since it would impact the marketability of their product.

Alternate construction materials have therefore not yet become a very popular route among developers in India. The primary challenge lies in convincing buyers of the inherent value of such projects, and also to educate developers on the long-term business potential. There needs to be a greater level of awareness. n Authored by__

Kishor Pate, CMD, Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd.

Toll free No

1800 120 4060

EPS Blocks are intended to be used as thermal insulating blocks for the Construction of

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Promotional Feature

Taking the road not taken

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going. We have it in us to take up the toughest challenge in our business and win. With a partner like Volvo, everything’s possible,” says Paleri Rameshan, Chairman, Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Ltd

A

t first glance, you are likely to mistake them for labourers and contract workers. There’s more to them than meets the eye. A vast majority of workers at Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd (ULCCS) are in fact company owners holding shares and reaping profits in their own right. ULCCS is India’s first labour co-operative and one of the most successful worker-owned businesses in Asia.

Established way back in the mid 1920s at Vadakara in Kozhikode District of Kerala, ULCCS is an inspiring saga of excellence, endurance and enterprise in the labourintensive construction industry. “We are unique – in more ways than one,” says Paleri Rameshan, Chairman of ULCCS. “Ours is a company of the labour, by the labour, for the labour. You know, they say the total worth of co-operatives worldwide equals the size of the world’s ninth largest economy.”

Over the decades, ULCCS has developed several landmark projects – the Beach Road, Arayadathupaalam flyover and the iconic UL Cyber Park, to name a few. The Company’s

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forte lies in building roads and bridges. “A majority of our 3,000-odd projects we have executed so far are in road construction,” says Rameshan.

“We have hands-on experience in road building.” ULCCS has close to 1,000 shareholding members who double up as workers at construction sites.

All members of the worker-management team have a common goal - to deliver the best on time. They are backed by Volvo Construction Equipment.

Making the difference in road building There are a total of 5 Volvo machines working at ULCCS. They include Pavers and Compactors – DD 100 and SD 110. They have been with the Company for years now leaving a distinct imprint at every road project. “Volvo is a class apart,” says Rameshan, “both on and off the road.” ULCCS credits its success to consistent quality work and the reputation it has acquired over the years by completing projects well ahead of schedule. Rameshan concedes the Volvos have played a significant role. “No matter how good we are, at the end of the day, it’s the equipment that makes the difference in our business,” he says “I

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can tell you from experience it’s not easy to match a Volvo in performance – phenomenal output.” According to him, Volvo Machines provide a distinct advantage in road constructions simply because they deliver on two counts - high productivity and fuel efficiency. Along with lower maintenance and operating costs over the long haul, it gives the Company that competitive edge in the business. Rameshan has a word of praise for VolvoCE Channel Partner – PACT Machines Pvt Ltd. “They have that uncanny knack of providing critical service support at just the right time.”

ULCCS currently has plenty of work at hand. They include roads and bridges on challenging terrain. But challenge is something ULCCS has always taken in its stride since inception. Rameshan sums it up with a smile. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going. We have it in us to take up the toughest challenge in our business and win. With a partner like Volvo, everything’s possible.” n (Advertorial)

Promotional Feature

Simplifying life with Tiscon Readybuild: spreading re-bar downstream services across India W

ith a rich history of over 100 years, Tata Steel has been always proud of being a pioneer and innovator. Having worked continuously to strengthen products and processes alike, Tata Steel is the first steel company outside Japan to have won the coveted Deming Prize for quality.

The long products division that produces Tata Tiscon re-bars has been proactive in bringing innovation to the market and giving much needed solutions to customers.

Long Products has always been the first to tap into the needs of customers — be it the establishment of retail channels to reach the individual home builders in every nook and corner of the country to developing new products like the 7-mm re-bar and the Fe 600 re-bar for reputed institutional players such as L&T and Gammon. Tata Tiscon is also the first super brand in its category.

Tiscon Readybuild: downstream re-bar brand from Tata Tiscon Tiscon Readybuild is the latest innovation in Long Products from Tata Tiscon.

Readybuild aims at reaching closer to the consumption pattern of re-bars. More than 90 per cent of re-bars consumed are for cutting and/or bending purposes (at the usually supplied length of 12 metres). This activity of cutting and bending the rebar in the desired shape has traditionally happened in an inefficient manner through manual labour on-site. Readybuild provides the cutting and bending solution to the customers and facilitates the ready-to-use material supply. India has been growing rapidly with infrastructure, and construction sectors are growing at a very healthy rate.

The sustenance of this growth poses issues of skilled labour availability which further effects the timely completion of projects.

Also, the cut and bend structures required in construction often use re-bars of

different size and shapes. For the same, the construction companies have to maintain inventories of all the required SKUs. Readybuild aims at reducing the extra inventory cost borne by the construction companies. Also, unavailability of even a single SKU may result in a delay of the project. With Readybuild, the construction companies have no need to worry about the availability of SKUs needed in the cut and bend structure. Furthermore, Tiscon Readybuild provides the reliability of quality steel and better site productivity due to reduced involvement of labour and reduced wastage. Overall, the use of Readybuild facilitates timely completion of projects, leading to a better working capital management and revenue realisation for the construction companies. All in all, Tiscon Readybuild aims at simplifying the lives of all concerned stakeholders.

Availability: primary need of any service Tiscon Readybuild started its production with bar fabrication centres in Bangalore and Faridabad. However, to support the large construction growth and reach the customers across the country, it was imperative to open up centres in other major consumption zones. Tata Steel has, hence, started new Readybuild centres in Ahmedabad, Secunderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Kanpur with further plans of expansion in other major cities.

Each of these centres is equipped with shearing and bending machines that can produce a varied range of re-bar shape requirements for construction purposes.

These centres can produce a simple re-bar of a specific length to complicated 3D rebar designs like spiral shapes and can cater to a demand of up to 3,000 tonnes per month.

Mumbai and Delhi, owing to being higher demand points, have two Readybuild centres. These centres give an OTIF (OnTime-In-Full) delivery service that works like clockwork to meet cut and bend needs in compliance with the clients’ working schedule.

The bar fabrication shop is designed and supported by the technology used in the cut and bend service offered by NatSteel, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel.

After-sales team: delivering beyond sales Readybuild aims to simplify the process and remove the hassles from the re-bar usage in construction. This is a service which aspires to replace a substandard existing practice, marred with multiple problems, with a superior and new-age technological solution. However, establishing a new service entails the responsibility of guiding the customers through the entire process.

To attain this, each of the Readybuild centres have an after-sales team, which along with the production team; take the customers and their site team through every step of the process in complete detail. the Readybuild team takes the onus of seeing the job end-to-end, right from the bar-bending schedule to providing identification tags for each shape, and guiding the site team on the delivered stacks.

Tiscon Readybuild has already been successfully adopted by countless customers in transmission and distribution, MRTS, windmills, housing and commercial segments. Other segments in construction are also warming up to the cut and bend solutions offered by Readybuild. n For more details, visit www.readybuild.tatatiscon. co.in or call at 1800-345-8282 (toll free).

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Promotional Feature

“The FaMe system allows fast and efficient preparation of moulds as well as their shifting into different dimensions.

It can actually save nearly 70 per cent of the total shuttering time,” describes Tero Mäki, Sales Engineer at Elematic New addition to Elematic FaMe product family, the Flex-Pro side form for wall elements, sandwich panels and beams/ columns up to 500 mm in sideform height. With the Flex-Pro, the element is always straight with 90 degree corners.

Flex-Pro is light in weight, 7 kg/m.

Elematic offers outstanding productivity with lightweight shuttering system

O

ver the years, Elematic, a worldleading manufacturer of precast concrete plants and production lines, has put a special focus on the development of practical shuttering systems for precast concrete production. As a result, a product family now known as Elematic FaMe was created. The FaMe family consists of a number of patented solutions, with jawtype magnets of various types, lightweight aluminium side profiles and a design software tool forming the core of the unique system. New innovations based on customer feedback are constantly introduced to the FaMe family.

The FaMe system allows fast and efficient preparation of moulds as well as their shifting into different dimensions. It can actually save nearly 70 per cent of the total shuttering time,” describes Tero Mäki, Sales Engineer at Elematic. “A lot of this has to do with light, durable materials and simple structure of the system.”

As all precasters know, a modern precast concrete factory cannot function efficiently without an advanced shuttering system. It is essential not only from the point of view of a safe and fast process but also from the point of view of capability to supply products according to customer needs.

Together with aluminium side profiles, the push-button magnets make a very fast and accurate accouplement that guarantees dimensional accuracy and rectangularity of the end products. “Quality is definitely one of the key benefits of the FaMe system. When you do not need to weld nor bolt anything, the bed will stay in shape and the surface will remain smooth, meaning that the end product will also be even and smooth, and of correct dimensions.”

“We have developed this system for more than 20 years based on customer feedback.

It is thus easy to be proud of the result.

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Elematic uses aluminium in their side profile solution so they weigh only about 3 to 6 kilos per metre. Thus the side profiles in the Elematic system are easy to handle and carry without any crane or other special arrangements, and time is saved.

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Elematic FaMe push-button magnets consist of the magnet itself, a releasing tool and a storage system. They feature a patented jaw-type connection mechanism that fits to all mold systems, and any steel table and bed surface. “The push-button magnets are universal; they fit to any possible system and with an adapter, to any existing side profiles that the factory may have. But that is basically the only thing that fits anywhere – in general there are no universal solutions in the FaMe world but each and every factory

Elematic FaMe LITE system for window and door moulds on tilting tables, carousel line and battery moulds. New cast aluminium corner piece guarantees straightness and 90 degree corners of window and door moulds.

Light in weight – a window mould for H=150 mm wall panel thickness and size 1 x 1m weighs less than 30 kg.

has their own culture, their own ways of working. This is why Elematic specialists always visit the factory sites before giving their recommendations for the shuttering system and it is also the reason why we have had such a good opportunity to develop this product line together with precasters from all over the world. Since 1995, when the first parts of the system were launched, deliveries have taken place to more than 50 countries, and nowadays we have trained FaMe specialists in most market areas. Thus we can provide professional local support in local language,” Mäki states.

A good example of an innovation that was introduced because of the global scale of the deliveries is the FaMe Hot magnet series that can withstand high temperatures – even 70 – 80 degrees of Celsius - without losing its grip strength. “We developed FaMe Hot for the needs of the factories located in the world’s hottest places and also for production methods where curing is speeded up by using high temperatures in curing chambers.”

In addition to high quality and ease of use, the FaMe method is a cost-efficient solution in the long run. “Even if the initial investment is higher than with the traditional method, the aluminium side profiles quickly pay for themselves. The lifetime of such a system will be around 10 years whereas, if you use wood for example, you need to replace the profiles often and a lot of expensive material will also go directly to waste,” Tero Mäki says.

The FaMe product line does not include only traditional hardware products but also a unique software solution - a tool for creating shuttering plans - the Fame Designer. Even if the benefits are obvious, there is no other similar tool available on the market.

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Cell : 9391089898 Email : weatherstone@rediffmail.com

“We developed the Fame Designer with the user in mind. It is a simple-to-use tool: precast product measures just need to be fed in and the tool provides a shuttering plan with side forms and a recommendation for the number of magnets for each table,” describes Jarkko Salmensivu, Automation and Software Product Manager at Elematic. “The number of magnets and the distance between them depends on many factors, among them wall panel thickness, table vibration, table cleanliness, ambient temperature, table steel plate thickness, strength of the chosen magnet type, side profile material and so on.”

The shuttering plan can be printed for factory furnishing, or saved to a library for re-use. The Designer tool also helps maintaining the FaMe parts storage. If any parts are missing, it is easy to order replacements and ensure that production continues smoothly. “We have included a possibility for tailoring FaMe part combinations and for shortening available side profiles, and these versions can also be used as part of a shuttering plans,” Salmensivu explains.

“FaMe Designer is a practical tool that saves a lot of time in the precast concrete factory”.

COMPOUND WALL

Elematic FaMe fastening method is usable in both battery molds and tables with steel surface.

For more information, contact: Tele: +91-11-25979311 E-mail: india@elematic.com

Perfect Concrete And Waterproofing Services Pvt. Ltd.

Contacts: 09422306994 / 08806662250

NEW PROJECTS

Commercial Complexes Lodha developers plan to construct a commercial complex at Upper Worli, in Mumbai. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners is the design architect & Leslie E. Robertson Associates Consulting Engineers (India) is the structural engineer.

Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra Status: Under implementation Contact: Dept: sales Head Office: Lodha Excelus, N.M. Joshi Marg, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai - 400011, Maharashtra Tel: 91-22-23024400/ 67737373Fax: 91-22-23000693 Email: sales.support@lodhagroup.com Website: www.lodhagroup.com

Roads & highways Madhya Pradesh road Development Corporation has completed construction on the 12.61 Kms AB road-Magarkhedi-Bamari road in dist. Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. Civil work has been completed and the road will be inaugurated shortly.

Location: dist. Khargone, Madhya Pradesh Status: Completed Head Office: 16-A, arera hills, Bhopal - 462011, Madhya Pradesh Tel: 91-755-2765205, 2765213 Fax: 91-755-2572643 Email: mismprdc@mp.nic.in Website: www.mprdc.nic.in

Airports

Sewage Treatment

Airports authority of India plans to construct an airport at Hollongi, dist. Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh. Construction work on the airport at Hollongi has been approved in principle by the union civil aviation ministry in its 17th Steering Committee meeting.

Status: Planning stage Location: Hollongi, dist. Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh Corporate office: Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Safdarjung Airport, Delhi – 110003 Tel: 91-11-24632950 Email: mulekarclinic@gmail.com Website: www.airportsindia.org.in, www.aai.aero

Nashik Municipal Corporation is constructing a 32 MLD sewage treatment plant at Panchak, dist. Nashik, Maharashtra. Civil work is in progress. The project is scheduled for completion in Q4 2014.

Location: Panchak, Nashik Status: Under implementation Contact: Superintendent engineer Head Office: Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Sharanpur Road, Nashik - 422001, Maharashtra Tel: 253-2575631, 2575632 Website: www.nashikcorporation.in

Hospitals &Clinic Axis dental plans to open 35 dental clinics across India. The estimated cost of the project is ` 210 million. Locations are yet to be finalised.

The project is planned for completion in 1 year from zero date.

Location: Across India Status: Planning stage Contact: Manager, dept: sales Registered office: C-1/7, Safdarjung development area, New Delhi – 110016 Tel: 91-11-26533557, 26852137 Email: info@axissdental.com Website: www.axissdental.co.in

Hotels Concept hospitality is constructing a 3-star hotel in dist. Udupi, Karnataka. The additional facilities include swimming pool, business centre, restaurant, etc. Civil work is in progress. The project is scheduled for completion in H1 2015.

Location: Dist. Udupi, Karnataka Status: Under implementation Contact: Dept: design Registered office: B-706, C-701, 702, 703 & 704, 7th floor, Raylon Arcade, Ramkrishna Mandir Road, Kondivita, Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400059, Maharashtra Tel: 91-22-42637777, 67397777 Email: kpk@concepthospitality.com Website: www.concepthospitality.com, www.fernhotels.com

Ports & harbours Visakhapatnam port trust is strengthening its existing WQ4 berth at Visakhapatnam port, dist. Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Civil work is in progress. The project is scheduled for completion in october 2014.

Location: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh Status: Under implementation Administrative Office: Port area, Visakhapatnam - 530035, Andhra Pradesh Tel: 91-891-2564841, 2873400 Fax: 91-891-2565023 Email: info@vizagport.com Website: www.vizagport.com

Non conventional energy Golden Infracon plans to build a biomass-based co-gen power project in dist. Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. The project will come up along with a 150 KLD molasses-based distillery. Out of the generated power, 3.2 MW will be for captive consumption and 3.3 MW will be sold out to the state government.

Location: dist. Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand Status: Planning stage Contact: General Manager, dept: business development Registered office: SF-16-17, 1st Floor, Madame Bhikaji Cama Bhawan, Delhi - 110066 , Tel: 91-11-40100100 Email: info@chddevelopers.com Website: www.chddevelopers.com

Note: Above information is the sole property of domexinfo.in and can not be published without prior permission.

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tenderS Railways Tracks

Documentation Sale from: 21-August-2014 Documentation Sale to: 06-October-2014 EMD: ` 12, 76, 00,000/Closing Date: 07-October-2014 Address: G-5&6, Sector 10, Dwarka, New Delhi-110 075 Tel: 91-11-25074100-200 Email: jkgoyal@nhai.org Website: www.nhai.org

Company Name: Rail Vikas Nigam Limited Tender Detail: Hospet-Tinaighat doublingdismantling of existing ROB 1x7.89 m RCC and reconstruction as 1 x 24 m steel through truss composite girder excluding approach works at km 469.594 between Hubli and Unkal stations on Hubli division of south western railway in dharwad District, Karnataka.

Location: Dharwad Power Documentation Sale from: 01-September-2014 Documentation Sale to: 08-October-2014 EMD: ` 5, 76, 00,000/- Company Name: Power Grid Corporation of Closing Date: 09-October-2014 India Limited Address: No.15, 1st floor, Vectra House, 1St Main, Tender Detail: Procurement of 10 sets 6th Cross, Gandhinagar, Bangalore-560009, Karnataka of hot line crossing system for crossing of Tel: 91-80-22342281 distribution lines under charged condition during Fax: 91-80-22342282 stringing Email: cpmrvnlsbc@gmail.com Documentation Sale from: Website: www.rvnl.org 22-August-2014

Documentation Sale to: 07-October-2014 Company Name: Rail Vikas Nigam Limited EMD: EMD (INR) 1188000 Tender Detail: Rail vikas nigam limited (RVNL), has EMD (US$) 19200 undertaken the work of execution of 26 nos of major EMD (Euro) 14300 bridges including 3 nos of bridges with steel girders,12 Closing Date: 14-October-2014 nos of bridges with PSC girders and 11 nos of bridges Address: Saudamini, 3rd floor, Plot no-2, with RCT-beam girders between Budhapank to Sector-29, Gurgaon -122001 Haryana Baghuapal .

Tel: 91-124 2571700- 719 Location: Odisha Fax: 91-124 2571831 Documentation Sale to: 29-August-2014 Website: www.powergridindia.com Closing Date: 21-October-2014 Address: ‘B’ block (west wing), ground floor, Rail Company Name: Nuclear Power Corporation of Vihar, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar-751023, India limited khordha, Odisha Tender Detail: E-tender for manufacturing and Tel: 91-674-2300048 safe delivery of PHT reactor header assemblies –for Email: cpm3rvnlbbs@rvnl.org GHAVP-1&2 site.

Website: www.rvnl.org Documentation Sale from: 26-August-2014

Documentation Sale to: 09-October-2014 Closing Date: 09-October-2014 Roads & Highways Address: C&MM, NPCIL, Nabhikiya Urja Bhavan, A-0 Block, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai - 400094, Company Name: National Highways Authority of Maharashtra India Fax: 91-22-25580741 Tender Detail: Four laning of ramban to banihal Email: edcmm_tender@npcil.co.in section of NH-1A (now NH-44), from km 151.000 to Website: www.npcil.nic.in km 187.00 on EPC mode in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under NHDP phase II. Location: Jammu and Kashmir Company Name: Government of Karnataka Documentation Sale from: 21-July-2014

Tender Detail: Tender for the work of Documentation Sale to: 16-October-2014 design, construction, erection, testing and EMD: ` 1238, 68, 00,000/- commissioning of 20 MLD capacities MBBR based Closing Date: 17-October-2014 sewage treatment plant with 5 years operation Address: G-5& G-6, sector 10, Dwarka, New Delhi and maintenance under UGD scheme to – 110 075 Chikamagalur city.

Tel: 91-11-25074100 Extn: 1478 Location: Chikamagalur Email: ajaybishnoi@nhai.org Documentation Sale from: 22-August-2014 Website: www.nhai.org Documentation Sale to: 06-October-2014 EMD: ` 1,500,000/- Company Name: National Highways Authority of Closing Date: 06-October-2014 India Address: Jalbhavan, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore Tender Detail: RFP for 4-laning of Lucknow– 560029 Karnataka Sultanpur section of NH-56 from km 11.500 to km Tel: 91-80-41106510 134.700 in the state of Uttar Pradesh under NHDP Fax: 91-80-41106504 Phase-IV on BOT (toll) mode on DBFOT pattern.

Email: waterboard75@gmail.com Location: Uttar Pradesh Website: www.karnataka.gov.in

Sewage Treatment Company Name: Cochin Port Trust Tender Detail: Expression of interest for establishing port based business ventures in the proposed outer harbour of Cochin port Location: Kochi Documentation Sale from: 26-August-2014 Documentation Sale to: 06-October-2014 Closing Date: 07-October-2014 Address: Chief engineer’s office, Cochin Port Trust, Kochi, Ernakulam -682009 Kerala Tel: 91-484-2582418 Email: philo@cochinport.gov.in Website: www.cochinport.com Documentation Sale to: 15-September-2014 Closing Date: 15-September-2014 Address: Project Implementation Unit, Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project, 1st Floor, P.W.D. Annexe Building, K.R. Circle, Dist. Bangalore -560001, Karnataka Tel: 91-80-22126758/59/61 Website: www.karnataka.gov.in

Ports Company Name: Cochin port trust Tender Detail: Expression of interest for establishing port based business ventures in the proposed outer harbour of Cochin port Location: Kochi Documentation Sale from: 26-August-2014 Documentation Sale to: 06-October-2014 Closing Date: 07-October-2014 Address: Chief engineer’s office, Cochin Port Trust, Kochi, Ernakulam -682009 Kerala Tel: 91-484-2582418 Email: philo@cochinport.gov.in Website: www.cochinport.com Documentation Sale to: 15-September-2014 Closing Date: 15-September-2014 Address: Project Implementation Unit, Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project, 1st Floor, P.W.D. Annexe Building, K.R.Circle, Dist. Bangalore -560001, Karnataka Tel: 91-80-22126758/59/61 Website: www.karnataka.gov.in Company Name: Jaipur Development Authority

Roads & Highways Tender Detail: Renewal and improvement of approach road from Kalwar road to Murtikala vihar scheme Rojada via nari ka bas, JDA, Jaipur Location: Jaipur Documentation Sale from: 05-Sep-2014

Documentation Sale to: 14-October-2014 EMD: ` 750,000/- Closing Date: 14-October-2014 Address: Ram kishor vyas bhawan, indra circle, Jawaharlal Nehru marg, Jaipur-302004 Rajasthan.

Mobile: 91-7878007972, +91-7878007973 E-Mail: eproc@rajasthan.gov.in Website: www.rajasthan.gov.in

Note: Above information is the sole property of domexinfo.in and can not be published without prior permission.

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Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, INDIA

Glass and Glazing technology have become an integral part of the booming Indian Construction Industry today. Make the most of this latest trend at the 12th Zak Glass Technology Expo, 2014. 400 brands from more than 22 countries can be found under one roof. Meet the thought leaders, take your knowledge to the next level, explore new opportunities and be a part of this extraordinary phenomenon.

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For enquiries contact Sulaiman Khan +91 98999 52189 | skhan@zakgroup.com

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ALM Engineering & Instrumentation Pvt. Ltd...................... IBC

Perfect Concrete & Waterproofing Services Pvt. Ltd................. 85

Airier Natura Pvt. Ltd.............................................................89

Premier Bars Pvt. Ltd................................................................ 81

BASF India Limited..................................................................9

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Sara Corporation....................................................................... 69

Elematic India Pvt. Ltd.............................................................7

Siadow Systems Pvt. Ltd........................................................... 29

Hallmark Waterproofing Solution...........................................69

Super Cement Articles............................................................... 15

Infinity Building Products Pvt. Ltd..........................................45

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Advertorial II

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Newly Launched

ADPI-LED Aerosense Duct Mount Aerosense Wall Mount Humidity Transmitter Humidity Transmitter

HUM-R

T9002 Air Quality Sensor Telaire Dewpoint Transmitter

Psyclone Protimeter Thermo-Hygrometer

HumiTrac Humidity Telaire Temperature Transmitter

Series 477 Handheld Digital Manometer

AS-500 Differential Pressure indicator Switch Transmitter

T5100 Telaire CO2 Transmitter

TTD1 Wall Mount Digital Temperature Transmitter Controller

T8700 Telaire Humidity Temperature Transmitter (Wall mount)

T8100

Telaire CO2 Humidity Temperature Transmitter

304, Damji Shamji Industrial Complex, L.B.S. Marg, Kurla (W), Mumbai-400070, INDIA Tel : +91-22-25126500 Email : info@almontazar.com

Fax : +91-22-25126700 Web : www.almontazar.com

Regd. No. MH/MR/North East/275/2014-16. Posted at Tilak Nagar PO, Mumbai - 400089 on 1st and 2nd of every month.

English • Monthly • Date of Publication: 1st of Every Month.

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