A new promise for Mohali

Emaar MGF has announced its maiden township in Mohali and its first phase will be completed by 2009. But will it be any different.

One of the ad gurus, while commenting on the prevalent trends in real estate advertising, rightly pointed out that almost all advertising in the real estate industry looks the same.

There is some truth in that statement, especially as one looks at the concept of integrated townships, currently a hot proposition in the real estate industry. Almost all developers in the business of building townships are promising the best amenities possible.

A recent addition in this township mania was that of Emaar MGF, that announced its project in Mohali. The first phase will be completed by 2009. And how exactly will this project be different? Emaar MGF, has for starters, got itself into an international tie-up with Australia-based Leighton Group and is determined to create a totally different township from what the competitors are offering in the market.

Shravan Gupta, vice chairman, Emaar MGF, who calls these not just ordinary townships but "new-age integrated townships" explains, "It is a globally prevalent phenomenon and has been successful the world over in enhancing the lifestyle of the community providing them, in addition, comforts of a multitude of amenities."

He adds, "In India, while the concept has been much talked about, no one has really appreciated and explored the magnitude and scale of this self-sufficient and contained community."

This is exactly how the idea of getting into this segment was hatched. Spread over 3,000 acres, Mohali Hills aims to offer a comprehensive modern city infrastructure, encompassing basic amenities, social infrastructure, educational institutions and health care facilities.

In addition to this, there will be an array of civic amenities that will include landscaped gardens, shopping, entertainment and recreational centres. What's more, there will be an efficient transport network in place. The township will house residential plots, town homes and luxurious villas along with office complexes and IT parks, which according to Gupta, will give a fillip to the business in the state.

Mohali Hills will also house special education and wellness zones with fully-equipped hospitals, schools, and colleges in order to provide institutional facilities of medical care and education to the residents of the township.

And if all this sounds familiar, Gupta makes his point. "At the end of the day, the critical drivers for delivering success in the industry are based on three factors "" sound technology, design expertise and quality of construction," he points out.

And this is where the tie-up with Leighton Group comes in handy. Along with Leighton, the company is looking to bring in international expertise in design, construction, speed, efficiency, safety and on-time project deliveries.

It is precisely this "expertise in design" which, Gupta feels, will set this project apart from the rest. The architectural designs of the project would have a global look and feel to it. For instance, the "Spanish" style is the primary architectural style for the residential neighborhoods, whereas the "Andalusian" style is to be implemented as a secondary style.

"The greatest strength of this architectural style is its ability to gracefully accommodate a seemingly limitless range of building types, whether ancient or modern", says Gupta.

He feels that the newfound global appreciation of this style in recent years is undeniable. "The quality, charm and livability of the original buildings and its new interpretations have made this style a favourite choice among homeowners across the world," he adds.

Along with the Spanish style, there would be "Emirates" and "Mediterranean" styles of architecture, which would be more contemporary in nature, with flat roofs and subtle detailing. Gupta hopes that these architectural styles would merge seamlessly into the entire township, and would complement each other to ensure a more livable environment, and to create a sense of "place".

It is not only about architectural designs, the kind of materials that the development would see would also be pretty different from that of others. The project would see extensive use of materials built from bio-degradable sources like fly ash and other materials, fully compliant with international trends.

With the group having plans of rolling out mega realty projects across residential, commercial and retail, hospitality, healthcare and education spaces, Gupta feels that the business has to be supported by sound fundamentals delivering on the three principles that are critical to real estate reputation "" quality of construction, price management and ontime delivery.

For now, the idea sounds good on paper, but we will have to wait and watch whether the actual implementation is equally good or not?