Goregaon to house the country's first 130,000 sq ft IT mall

Plans are on to set similar malls in Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi

With the country's first technology mall scheduled to open in Mumbai by December 2006, it could be said that India is finally making the grades in the field. The promoters of the mall, Rachana-Astra Constructions, are also planning to set up similar malls in other cities such as Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi.

Tech mall is a concept, under which niche shopping arcades will be set up as a one-stop source for technology products. Even though, this is a relatively new concept in India, it has been a huge success in foreign countries such as Singapore and the US.

"Tech mall is what retail in India will eventually evolve into. While most malls today are family entertainment centres (FECs), there will be a growing demand for specialty malls, as they will provide the best product and prices at one location," Rahul Chhapwale, director, Rachana-Astra Constructions, told Business Standard.

Compared with FECs, specialty malls will boast of significantly higher business due to the specialisation and availability of tech products under one roof.

To be set up in a sprawling 130,000 square feet area, Techmall aims to provide a complete tech-shopping experience, including IT products and consumer electronics, multiplex, food court, café, gaming zone and a bookstore. It would also have a parking space for over 200 cars.

The centrally air-conditioned mall would also have a star category hotel along with banquet halls and conference rooms. As majority of IT majors are slated to have a presence in the mall, it would be an ideal location to hold tech-related events such as roadshows, product launches and conferences among others, Chhapwale said.

IT malls are a huge success abroad. For example, the techmall in Singapore - Sim Lim Square - is drawing crowds in large numbers and doing a brisk business.

Explaining the logic behind the concept, Chhapwale says, although Mumbai has specialty markets for various technology goods such as Lamington Road for computers and accessories, and Manish Market for electronic gadgets, there is not a single-sourcing point for all the technology needs.

Browsing for a particular product through the various markets could be a tiring exercise, hence, the need for a specialised mall.

The builders are of the opinion that Goregaon is accessible from any part of Mumbai, and hence, the decision to set up the mall in this suburb was taken.