The 10 Outstanding Real Estate Companies To Watch in Bengaluru.

THE RIGHT CHOICE
BUYING V/S RENTING
SPACE
The 10
Outstanding
EAL ESTATE
Companies To Watch in Bengaluru
2020
VOL. 09
ISSUE 06

From the
EDITOR

FIXING THE
GROWTH CURVE
he casualty list due to the Coronavirus
Tpandemic continues to grow. Apart from human
life, it is the economy that is suffering the most.
Lockdowns - complete and partial, put economic
activities to a halt for a while. However, as it is with
human life and their spirit, the bounce back is
inevitable. As the country opens up for activities and
people realize that precaution is the only way forward,
most of the business sectors are looking forward to a
slow recovery. Real Estate is one of them.
As the festive season approaches, hopes are high that
the real estate scenario will improve and the sector has
been pulling itself together to meet the expectations.
The first challenge was getting the workforce back to
the grind. The lockdown saw them leaving for their
hometowns as they had no work and survival without it
was difficult. However, some managed to retain their
human resources, took care of them in these dismal
times so that a quick recovery can be ensured when
the activities resumed. Hence, most construction sites
have managed to either hold back or call back most of
their employees.
The second challenge was to change the way real
estate worked. Technology, once a sidekick, became
the real hero. So, developers had drones taking aerial
surveys of sites. CAD/CAM, BIM and other software
are taking care of designing and drawing.
The third challenge is reaching out to customers. Here
again, technology is leading the way. Drones are
utilized to send live status updates to customers who
wish to see the way the property is shaping up. For
prospective buyers who cannot visit the sites, 3D
models are being rendered to give them a better
understanding of the final look of the property.
Relaxed payment schedules, discounts, facilities like
online registry will also help customers invest.
Overall, the real estate sector is looking forward to
living up to the expectation that was made of it when
the year started. It is early to say if they will achieve the
feat, but the sector is all geared up to make the most
of the time at hand. In this issue of Insights Success, we
bring you “The 10 Outstanding Real Estate
Companies to Watch in Bengaluru”. These wellestablished
companies understand the market trends
and how to adapt to the changes that suddenly seem
to disrupt the growth juggernaut.
This edition features CoEvolve Estates Pvt. Ltd, a real
estate company that embraces environment-friendly
methods for construction;Deccan Group, a company
delivering quality homes with premium facilities while
offering properties free from any legal hassles; Disha
Habitat Ventures, a widely reputed and professionally
managed organization that operates in the business of
mid-range apartments in Bengaluru; DivyaSree
Developers, one of South India’s most reputed urban
infrastructure providers with over three decades of
business excellence and recognition under its belt; and
Embassy Industrial Parks, a company offering
seamless solution to industrials by building industrial
parks.
We would also like to applause the contributions of 42
Estates, Century Real Estate Holdings, Vakil
Housing Development, Axis Concept and Kolte
Patil to the industry.
Do go through the insightful case studies penned by
industry experts and articles by our in-house editors.
Happy Reading!
Sneha Sinha

INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS SUCCESS
CONTENTS
08
DIVYASREE
DEVELOPERS
Changing the Real
Estate Landscape
of South India
DECCAN GROUP
The Amalgamation of
Contemporary Luxury and
Traditional Beauty
DISHA HABITAT
VENTURES
The Trust Diligence
Company
14 22

CASE STUDY
COVID-19
a Kick-start to the
Second Homes Market?
SAAS
Technology to Boost
Real Estate Uptake
INTEGRATED TOWNSHIPS
Weathering the
COVID-19 Siege
18 32 36
ARTICLE
Buying v/s Renting
THE RIGHT CHOICE
Space 26
EMBASSY INDUSTRIAL
PARKS
Constructors of Highly
Functional Industrial Parks
COEVOLVE ESTATES
Building Premium
Sustainable Homes and
Properties
28 34

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Managing Editor Sneha Sinha
Quality Assurance Team Abhishaj Sajeev
Darshan Parmar
Art & Design Head Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Asha Bange
Art & Picture Editor Karan Gaikwad
Co-designer Priyanka Rajage
Sr. Business Development Manager Megha Mishra
Business Development Manager Nandan Deshpande
Business Development Lead Tejaswini Whaval
Sr. Business Development Executive Kajol Karale
Technical Head Pratiksha Patil
Technical Specialist Amar Sawant
Digital Marketing Manager Amol Wadekar
SME-SMO Executive Atul Dhoran
Circulation Manager Tanaji
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SEPTEMBER, 2020
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Bhaskar N. Raju
Managing Director
08 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS SUCCESS
DivyaSree
Developers
Changing the Real Estate Landscape of South India
With over three decades of
business excellence and
recognition under its belt,
DivyaSree Developers is counted
among South India’s most reputed
urban infrastructure providers. Since
its inception in 1975, DivyaSree has
played a pivotal role in evolving real
estate landscapes across Bengaluru,
Hyderabad and Chennai, creating
infrastructure that has set industry
benchmarks. It is a 600-strong, multifaceted,
multi-cultural workforce,
currently expanding its footprint in the
new key markets of Mumbai, Pune and
the National Capital Region.
DivyaSree’s core strengths are
formidable planning skills, strategic
thinking, market insights, continuous
innovation, technical expertise, global
exposure, asset management skills, and
focus on achieving the highest level of
client satisfaction. These have resulted
in an exceptionally steep growth curve
over recent years, with 99% occupancy
across a commercial portfolio that
encompasses over 150,000
workstations. This includes five “Grade
A” operational business parks, eight
Fortune500 companies and over 70
Blue Chip clients. Completed projects
measure over 27 million square feet,
and more than 13 million square feet of
memorable spaces are in the making.
An elite team of DivyaSree is
spearheaded by its Chairman and
Managing Director, Dr. P. Shyama
Raju, and its MD, Bhaskar N. Raju.
In an interview with Insights Success,
Mr Bhaskar N. Raju shares his
valuable insights on how the company
is constantly innovating and delivering
superior services.
Below are the highlights of the
Interview:
What are the different products and
services provided by the company?
DivyaSree delivers world-class spaces
which, being relevant to customers,
become memorable.
• Office Spaces: Information
Technology Parks, built-to-suit
campuses and other commercial
developments
• Residential Spaces: Uber-luxury
residential villas and condominiums,
high-end and mid-range apartments,
gated communities and specialised
residential offerings like senior
living spaces
• Mixed-use developments
• Asset management services
We are also diversifying into student
housing, coworking and warehousing
space development.
What makes you a unique player in
this field? Kindly explain to us your
advantages/ distinctive features over
your peers.
Our corporate persona is:
• Innovative: Our reputation and the
awards we have received tell the
story
• Trustworthy, Ethical, Loyal and
Client-centric: A high percentage of
repeat business and multi-location
clients speaks volumes
• Confident: We are willing to take
risks to deliver on our promises
• Passionate: We get seemingly
impossible things done for our
clients
• Flexible: We are able to change with
evolving markets
• Agile: Quick turnaround times are
our forte
• Quality and Sustainability driven:
Our eye is always on the future
• Responsible: We are a corporate with
a conscience
What kind of future advancements
do you expect in the real estate
industry, and how well equipped are
you to face those changes?
The real estate industry is dynamic and
innovative, with the players
continuously evolving. The easy
accessibility of information has
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 09

increased customer awareness of
global design quality and state-of-theart
construction technology. The
industry today is witnessing an
explosive growth of new trends
focused at reducing time, conservation
of natural resources and long-term cost
efficiencies. This revolution, in part
driven by informed end users, also
enthuses and motivates us to innovate
as well as to incorporate new initiatives
all along the project development
cycle. Technologies such as Internet of
Things (IoT), Building Information
Modelling (BIM), robotics and 3D
printing, drones, and immersive
VR/AR technology would also play an
important part.
At DivyaSree, such early adoption and
innovation has helped us in pushing
back the limits, making it a truly
exciting time in which to innovate,
adapt and evolve to connect with
tomorrow’s customer.
What is the most important project
the company is working on right
now, and how are you making it
happen?
We consider all of our projects to be
equally important, whether large or
small, whether past, current or future.
A look at some of our multiple-awardwinning
properties:
The 770 Town Centre comprises an
intelligent mix of world-class
commercial space and luxury
residential property, inviting occupants
to work and live in a seamlessly
integrated, technologically superior,
aesthetically pleasing environment
created for them on its 60-acre
expanse. This is the largest mixed-use
development close to Bengaluru’s
Central Business District.
DivyaSree Orion is a harmonious
blend of SEZ and non-SEZ space with
residential villas on its 40-acre
expanse. All the commercial property
has been LEED GOLD-certified.
DivyaSree TechRidge is a 55-acre
commercial property with a
development potential of 14 million
square feet, located in Manikonda, one
of Hyderabad’s most sought-after
Peripheral Business Districts.
The Republic of Whitefield in
Bengaluru is a glorious celebration of
work, home and life, and yet another
testament to DivyaSree’s decades of
experience, design excellence,
technical prowess and maturity in the
real estate arena.
What are the key attributes that
helped to overcome the challenges
which were faced by the company
during its establishment?
Some examples of the pioneering spirit
that sets us apart:
• We were one of the first developers
to foray into the Government-
Corporate Developer Partnership,
building campuses for FORTUNE
500 companies in collaboration with
the Government of India.
• We have the unique distinction of
being the first developer of major
SEZs in two prominent South Indian
cities.
• We were first to deliver a captive
power generation plant for an IT
Park.
• Though we only recently forayed
into residential development, our
innovations like Twin Apartments
have already made us a forerunner in
introducing new residential
concepts.
The relationships we have built with
corporate and residential customers
have stood the test of time, with an
encouraging percentage of customers
buying into Brand DivyaSree multiple
times. Some reasons for this:
• We have stayed aware and ahead of
changing industry trends and
customer needs
• We have evolved by incorporating
customers’ feedback, suggestions
and even their vision
• We have explored and adopted
exciting technological advancements
to create systems that ensure
comfort, quality and sustainability
Some Brand DivyaSree attributes, in
the kind words of our associates and
customers:
“Your professionalism and customercentric
obsession has truly
10 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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distinguished DivyaSree Group.” - Juggy Marwaha, Jones
Lang LaSalle
“Your team has helped create immense value for clients and
establish lasting partnerships.” - Ram Chandnani, CBRE
India
“The involvement of the entire management team in ensuring
end-to-end support is truly commendable.” -
N. Krishnaswamy, EYGBS (India)
“DivyaSree became the obvious choice for us with their
willingness to support our unique needs, and a never-say-no
attitude.” - Venkatramana B, Landmark Group
How do you see yourself and the company in the future?
Our vision is to establish ourselves as the leader in our
“
OUR VISION IS TO DELIVER
SPACES THAT ARE NOT JUST
FUNCTIONAL BUT INTELLIGENT,
DISRUPTIVE AND EXPERIENTIAL
“
existing markets, and to explore new geographies to extend
our footprint and success story. We are well on our way to
becoming a Preferred Place to Work.
We wish to build thriving and healthy communities across
our verticals – residential, corporate, mixed development and
specialised spaces – and to spearhead technological
advancements in the industry, so as to make our spaces more
relevant and focused on user experience.
Having delivered nearly 27 million square feet of residential
and commercial spaces, we aim to double the size of our
portfolio within the next few years, leveraging our extensive
land banks across the cities in which we operate. The journey
ahead will be exciting, and the spaces we create along the
way will certainly be memorable.
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 11

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DECCAN GROUP
The Amalgamation of Contemporary Luxury and Traditional Beauty
‘Customer is the BOSS’
- By Earl Nightingale
ustomer demands of the housing
Csegment are tilting towards affordable
yet luxury and traditional housing
segment. In-pocket luxury as well as
convenience, has emerged as a new
perception. Finding a middle ground between
affordable housing with modern setting, it is
meeting the modern expectations of
consumers. The qualities that match the
comfort standards, has thus made it potential
to be owned by consumers.
Infrastructure, amenities, nearby places,
available conveyance have tagged along with
the traditional attributes such as size and
location in the affordable luxury housing
segment. Finding the right balance between
nature, modernity, fitness, and well-being is
what Deccan Group is all about. Delivering
quality homes with premium facilities while
offering properties free from any legal
hassles, and a lot more is offered by the
Deccan Group.
Laying the Ground
Right from project planning to project
delivery, an organization has to have a
determined and robust workforce. The Deccan
Group is equipped with a team of profound
professionals who strive for an impeccable
project delivery. The project team has
developed rigorous practices and double
checks all the important aspects related to the
project.
Notably, to customize according to the
customer expectations and avoid issues after
delivering the property, the team executes its
tasks with a unique approach. It encourages
its customers to share their specific
requirements which it tries to integrate and
create a home as per their requirements and
lifestyle.
For smooth operations, the construction
progress and day-to-day activities on the site
are closely monitored by the eminent members
of the board Mr. Ranganath, the Founder &
Managing Director along with the CTO, Mr.
Shankarappa. They incorporate latest
construction techniques to achieve highest
quality standards. Their innovative ideas and
constant guidance has made Deccan Group a
customer-centric firm.
There is a huge gap between values and
cultural tastes among different people. But,
Mrs. Saritha Reddy, the Joint Director of
Deccan Group believes, its very important to
bring-in a sense of like-minded neighbors.
She believes it can promote emotional wellbeing
and imbibing a sense of harmonious
dwelling. Thus, suiting their lifestyle and
specific requirements, she has ensured that
projects are designed with independent towers
and with limited homes on each floor. This
approach facilitates its residents to live with
like-minded neighbors and brings together a
community of residents who are leading
industrialists, doctors, senior corporates etc.
Interestingly, some customers for instance,
demand larger BHK or an open kitchen or even
an extra space for prayer. Mrs. Saritha ensures
that the customers interests are not hampered
thereby following the norms setup by the
organization.
14 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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10 Outstanding
T
h
Real
e
Estate
Companies To Watch in Bengaluru
“
Deccan Group has
carved a name that
inspires confidence
built on trust and
professional
commitment
“
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 15

Serving the Purpose
Mr. Ranganath, founded Deccan Group with a vision to
deliver quality homes at the best value for money that
would have clear legal titles to the buyers. Under his
supervision, his team constructed many small projects
during the 90’s. The projects gradually attained recognition
for their approach and unique facilities, and made the
company a prominent name in the real estate industry that it
is today.
Mr. Ranganath and Mrs. Reddy have witnessed the constant
change in the industry and the buyers needs which enabled
them to alter their properties as per the buyers preferences.
Mr. Ranganath’s polices and his business practices have
given Deccan Group an edge over competition. His wellplanned
strategies that enabled effective constructing costs,
avoiding construction finance, lower overhead cost, and
customer loyalty have empowered the group with better
returns.
Mr.Ranganath and his team is active in the fraternity and
CREDAI. He has remained instrumental in projecting the
industry problems to government agencies and benefiting
the fraternity at large.
Mr. Ranganath and Mrs. Saritha Reddy feel, “This industry
is among the few industries that would enhance buyers’
money by increasing the value of their assets”. They feel,
“most of the buyers would be happy and they tend to
continuously invest in real estate that would improve the
real estate market and also their individual wealth on a long
term.”
Resident Amenities
For a buyer, when it comes to searching for a home, its
location is the most decisive factor. Thus, every project
undertaken by the Deccan Group is located at ideal
locations within the city limits. Most of the projects are
developed on the company owned land that assure of
fraudulent free operations during the construction which
allows a hassle free as well as timely delivery.
Deccan Group always focuses on creating and delivering
homes with advanced features be it security, convenience or
modern day needs of clients. Considering the facilities
provided through one of its project, ‘Deccan Habitat’, the
residents are provided advanced security features and
provisions for smart homes. Due to the provisions of smart
home, the residents can handle their visitors on their mobile
phones and provide access to their guests from any part of
the globe.
Approaches Underpinning Growth
The organization ensures that the residents live a healthy
lifestyle. Everyone is aware of the fact that, exposure to
sunlight is an important health essential, but is hampered in
today’s modern-day home settings. Keeping in mind the
importance, architects who are assigned the projects, plan
the projects ensuring all homes get maximum sun light.
A lot more aspects like privacy, no common walls theme is
worked upon. Homes are designed as per the principles of
VAASTU and directions. Many important elements like
Master BHK in Kubera moolam, Kitchen in Agni moola
and no washrooms in any corners which are the basic
science of Vaastu are strictly followed. These settings are
highly admired and appreciated by the clients.
Quality Standards Ensuring Transparency
The procurement team ensures that all the materials and
products that are utilized during the construction are of
standard quality. The materials are tested by third party
labs. The organization, to maintain the quality standards,
has partnered with leading brands like Schindler, Anchor,
RAK, Aashirwad pipes, Kajaria and Jaquar to deliver
quality homes to residents.
Deccan Group strives to deliver qualitative services
complying to the standards authenticated by top quality
certifications. It is ratified by ISO 9001: 2015 standards in
all its operations and safety standards. All the projects
strictly follow the norms of state Pollution Control Board,
Environment and Forest standards, and Fire norms.
Prospects for Improvement
To date, Deccan has facilitated residential developments,
but in future it has planned a series of hospitality
developments that would fuel up its residential progress.
There are few commercial developments that the group has
planned to undertake.
Millennials earning high income are the new targets of
Deccan Group for their affordable Luxury homes. The new
segment is affordable luxury homes, on important locations
near to metros, SEZ, major ring roads and shall have all the
lifestyle amenities required for the family.
From budget homes and functional apartments to luxury
houses, there is something for everyone, Click Here
http://www.deccan-group.com/
16 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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COVID-19
a Kick-start to the Second Homes Market?
Santhosh Kumar
Vice Chairman
18 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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Case Study
• WFH option, ‘cabin fever’ and increasing safety concerns
re-igniting urban India's interest for homes away from
home
• Rental income no longer the middle-class’ prime
motivator for second homes, CXOs and businesspeople
scanning the market for condos and farmhouses
• Alibaug & Karjat near Mumbai, Lonavala & Lavasa near
Pune, Nandi Hills near Bengaluru among the prominent
second home destinations with multiple options across
budgets
The COVID-19 pandemic may be giving a new lease of life
to the previously lacklustre second homes market. Urgent
travel to motorable holiday destinations brought on by
prolonged travel abstinence and outright claustrophobia is
only one aspect. ‘Revenge tourism’ has helped the
hospitality sector in motorable holiday destinations around
the large cities.
However, the pandemic has also left a deeper impression on
urban homeowners who are reconsidering their housing
options.
The hope of owning a second home within salubrious,
green surroundings is very much part of the overall Indian
ethos. However, while short breaks from city life, rental
income and/or eventual retirement there were the previous
aspirations, the COVID-19 outbreak has given rise to a
more urgent motivation - the relative safety from infection
of homes away from the urban hot zones.
For those with the financial means, it is certainly an optimal
time for such an acquisition.
• The work-from-home option, now extensively available
across many industries
• Rock-bottom and often further negotiable property prices
• The lowest home loan interest rates in two decades
• In states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (and
possibly also Karnataka) significantly reduced stamp duty
and registration rates
• These pandemic-motivated fiscal benefits come with
built-in expiry dates, and this lends a level of immediacy
For families who previously budgeted for and splurged on
annual holidays, the options for such travel have narrowed
down considerably. The future is uncertain, and the
paranoia is real. As a result, second home aspirations are
now being dusted off and considered seriously.
Second Homes - The Middle-class Viewpoint
For the second homes market, which had been in the
doldrums for years on the back of a slowing economy, this
may turn out to be a windfall. Second-home buyers are no
longer
considering rental income and future appreciation, for
which the outlook continues to be dim over the next few
years.
Their focus is on leveraging the lower property prices in
such locations to get bigger homes in greener, safer
surroundings.
The option of moving to such a property permanently is not
being ruled out. In previous times, renting the property out
would have been a second homeowner’s primary plan.
However, technology-driven trends have now given rise to
another option - that of converting the property into a
homestay while not in use by the owner.
Even before COVID-19, a huge number of travellers
preferred homestays over formal hotels. The new
compulsions of the coronavirus pandemic have added a new
level. Online homestay aggregators make the process
simple, pain-free and - depending on the second home
location - potentially lucrative.
Second Homes - The HNI Perspective
For all the COVID-19-induced reasons above, HNIs like
the corporate C suite and start-up entrepreneurs are also
back on the second homes market. However, unlike the
middle-class, their sights are trained on sprawling luxury
properties and farmhouses near cities as alternate living
destinations. Real estate has always been an important
diversifier in HNI investment portfolios - now, amid a
pandemic that has shaken up the financial and stock
markets, it remains a reliably stable asset.
In terms of their preference, luxury second homes at a
commutable distance from their primary residences top the
wish list. Most HNIs have inescapable business obligations
in the main city. While motorable distances would be
important for many, the ultra-rich can also settle for a
convenient helipad or private landing strip. Needless to say,
this opens up their options considerably.
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However, the spread of desirable second homes options is
obviously smaller for such buyers as many of them focus
on rare beachside or mountain-top trophy assets.
Preferences and Price Points
Several locations outside top cities have been viable
second-home destinations, with their audience niches. The
outright luxury havens serve the affluent, while the middleclass
mostly sought properties close to or even within urban
areas which can potentially earn a steady rental income.
While HNIs’ outlook has not changed much, the latest
trends for the middle-class are markedly different. The
coronavirus pandemic has thrown up the WFH angle,
wherein separate home offices play an integral part even as
all other second home requisites of greener, cleaner
surroundings, less cluttered remain the same.
Average prices in major middle-class-favoured second
home destinations around the top cities range anywhere
between INR 3,000 - 12,000 per sq. ft. Depending on the
buyers’ ability, the average area of these homes usually
begins at 2,500 sq. ft. and can extend to INR 10,000 sq. ft.
• In Bengaluru, emerging hotspots for second homes
include Nandi Hills and Jigani area near Bannerghatta
National Park. in projects offering expansive green spaces,
the average property value in Nandi Hills ranges from INR
6,000 - 11,000 per sq. ft. while in Jigani area it is between
INR 4,000 - 8,000 per sq. ft.
• Near Chennai, major second home hotspots include
Mahabalipuram and Kovalam Main Road on ECR with
beach-front properties. Avg. prices in the former location
are INR 4,000 - 7,000 per sq. ft. while in the latter they
range between INR 5,000 - 7,500 per sq. ft.
• In Hyderabad, Srisailam Highway and Kadthal are
favourite second home destinations. Avg. property prices
here range between INR 4,000 -6,500 per sq. ft. and INR
3,000 - 5,000 per sq. ft. respectively.
• In Mumbai, Alibaug and Karjat draw a major chunk of
second homes demand. Avg. prices in Alibaug range
between INR 6,000 - 12,000 per sq. ft. In Karjat, they are
fairly lower at INR 4,000 - 7,000 per sq. ft.
• Pune shares with Mumbai some of the demand for second
homes in Lonavala, where prices range between INR 6,000
- 11,000 per sq. ft. In the man-made hill station of Lavasa,
the avg. prices range between INR 5,000 - 9,000 per sq. ft.
City Major Hotspots Avg. Price Range (In INR /sq. ft.)
Bengaluru
Chennai
Hyderabad
Mumbai
Pune
Goa
Delhi
Nandi Hills
Jigani
Mahabalipuram
6,000-11,000
4,000-8,000
4,000-7,000
Kovalam Main
road on ECR
5,000-7,500
Srisailam Highway 4,000-6,500
Kadthal 3,000-5,000
Alibaug
Amby Valley
Karjat
Lavasa
Lonavala
6,000-12,000
4,500-8,000
4,000-7,000
5,000-9,000
6,000-11,000
Mapusa 4,000-6,300
Porvorim 4,500-6,500
Vasco Da Gama 4,300-7,000
Farmhouses at
Chhattarpur,
Mehrauli-Gurgaon
Rd (Sultanpur)
INR 10 Crore to
INR 100 Crore
For the ultra-rich eyeing opulence in
prime holiday locations, the sky is
obviously the limit. Deals have been
closed over INR 200 Cr in some
locations, most notably on Goa’s
fabled beachfront and in the elite
second home reserve of Amby Valley.
For both the affluent and middle-class
denizens whose jobs have not been
affected beyond a pay cut, second
homes are now a tantalizing vision of
shelter in the time of storm – and a
rebooted lifestyle which would have
been considered neither feasible not
possible in pre-COVID-19 times.
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DISHA HABITAT
VENTURES
The Trust Diligence Company
impression. Delivering quality homes, with premium
facilities while offering properties free from any legal
hassle, a lot more is offered by the Disha Habitat
Ventures Pvt Ltd. Trust and transparency are the
cornerstones of the company, which the customers
vouch for.
The Professional and Thoughtful Company
Home is the basic need and a dream everyone aspires
for, those who have accomplished certain goals and
even those who haven't. For an individual, choosing
the right home is often a lifetime decision, primarily based on
factors such as budget, infrastructure, amenities, location, and
available conveyance.
However, the most important factor that the buyers look for is
transparency and trust, as the transactions are often complex
and involve legal formalities that buyers may not understand
until its too late. Thus, equally important is promoting fair play
in real estate transactions, and ensuring timely execution of
projects.
This ensures a long-term association amongst the customer and
developer, as he not only buys a product but a service as a
package. Sharing all the information of the project with the
customer in a transparent manner assures the customers of them
taking an informed decision and awareness about the underconstruction
project.
There are several real estate companies mushroomed in every
part of the country, but only few have created an everlasting
Disha Habitat Ventures is among the leading reality and
infrastructure companies in India. A widely reputed and
professionally managed organization, the company
currently operates in the business of mid-range
apartments in Bangalore.
With its motto of improving the lifestyle standards of
people through creating state-of-art facilities and
projects, Disha Habitat is committed to undertake
challenging tasks with increased focus and dedication.
Alongside working with leading architects who fulfill
the customer’s dreams, technology plays a central role
in each of its undertakings. Disha, uses project
management software for real time monitoring of the
construction progress, as well as works with a top-ofline
Structural Design & MEP Firm called Cratis
Designers.
The Dream Project
Disha Habitat Venture has to-date delivered three
landmark projects in East Bangalore with highly
spacious and impeccable quality standards. Having
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10 Outstanding
T
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Real
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Companies To Watch in Bengaluru
“
When it comes to living life in
all its glory, nothing paints an image
as stunning as Disha Courtyard
“
delivered excellence in its previous ventures and lessons
learnt from the past, it has continued its progress working
on the existing project- ‘Disha Courtyard’.
Disha Courtyard is located in Whitefield- the most soughtafter
suburb in about 4 acres of land. Delivering a mind
boggling 53% undivided share of land, it provides
maximum engagement space for families living here.
Disha Courtyard offers a unique combination of
contemporary living in a lush park like setting in the
Garden City. The apartments are designed to provide utmost
convenience with the right touch of style. As a
professionally managed community, Disha Courtyard is
everything one expects from sophisticated apartment living.
The site has about 1000 native trees, shrubs and wildflower
plantings, creating a natural and lively environment.
Interestingly, it has 30 different exciting amenities including
work-spaces and guest rooms to cater to all age groups
residing at Disha Courtyard.
While growing water scarcity is now one of the leading
challenges in Bangalore, Disha Habitat’s progressive water
management approach ensures effective water management
at the site.
The Erudite Leaders
Disha Habitat is at the stage where the company has
acquired immense experience while at the same time
retaining youthful energy and zeal.
Disha Habitat Ventures is an entrepreneurial venture by the
Founders, Mr. Gunaranjan J & Mr. Rajasekhar K. They
abide by the fundamental principles including trust in
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 23

relationships, transparent transactions, quality in
construction, environmental focus and adherence to
timelines. Their previous projects cover about five million
square feet, 10+ acres of development, with over 750 happy
families residing in them.
Their imagination and application have led Disha Habitat’s
business blooming into almost all spheres of the reality
development. Mr. Gunaranjan J & Mr. Rajasekhar K, have
taken upon the mantle of furthering the company’s business
to new horizons, embracing new strategies and expanding
to new areas and geographies. Due to their innovative
offerings, they are the most trusted and respected names in
the real estate sector today.
Disha Habitat envisions continuing its journey by offering
newer and innovative products both in the budget and midrange
apartment space, while providing few luxury villa
options in the coming years. The team is geared to surpass
the shortcomings and outshine the sector this year,
delivering more for the company, for itself and most
certainly for its customers.
The Real Estate Scenario and Opportunities
As both the leaders state, ‘the real estate industry has been
one of the best performing in its asset class for decades now
and has continued to flourish in India, where for people
home is more than an investment’.
24 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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Buying
v s Renting Space
The Ever-growing Battle for Businesses
s the times are changing, the real estate industry
Ain India is developing at a rapid pace. With
growth rate of 30% per year since the past few
years, the industry’s graph is scaling upwards. Keeping
the same in mind, we cannot ignore the fact that the
commercial segment in the real estate sector is also
booming. Even with the advent of the Covid-19
pandemic, the demand for properties used for
commercial purposes have not gone down.
The only flaming question that had gained more air
during these pandemic times is whether to buy or rent a
commercial space, what is better? Well, the question
itself is very hefty and the answer to it is more complex.
It is true that the nature of business plays a vital role in
deciding the venue of operations but there are some
other quintessential factors also that have their share
of participation. Finance is one of the prominent factors
taken under consideration while choosing a working
space. Environment and accessibility are close second.
But, to balance these all is quite difficult and once you
obtain it at just one particular spot, what you get is an
ideal workplace. The one you actually desire!
It all sounds great, but the question still remains; what
would be more beneficial, renting or buying? Let’s go
through a quick scan of the pros and cons of renting a
commercial space for a better picture.
Merits of Renting:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Flexibility – Renting a space facilitates utmost
flexibility in payment options, location, and property
maintenance. It becomes easy for the entrepreneur
to manage things and focus more on the
development side of the business rather than
operations.
Enables Co-working – Even though co-working is a
new concept in the market altogether, it is
nonetheless, a trending one! To mitigate costs and
share interim knowledge amongst various
professionals along with a workspace even though
people are involved with different business verticals
can be very helpful in the future endeavours. It can
also lead to joint ventures.
Demerits of Renting:
Ÿ
Ÿ
No sense of Ownership - When you are renting a
space, you can forget about planting a money plant
in the corridor, or any plant for that matter! There
are some set rules and regulations by the landlord
which you need to follow while renting. The policies
are in place for the common benefit of the premises
and the users of the premises. So, as a tenant there,
you hardly have any authoritative powers to change
something significant while working there. It is the
usual business for you in this type of situation, which
is, minding your own business!
Rent Variations - The value of the premises
undergoes appreciation as the time passes. The
landlord has the authority to make changes in the
payment plans as and when the value of the
premises goes up, may it be the regular development
happening around the neighbourhood or any
immediate publicity the facility has garnered. The
tenant only has to pay the price.
It is quite clear that renting a space has its own factors
that you must consider along with going through your
personal obligations. But what does purchase of a
commercial property look like for your business? It is
time to figure out its advantages and disadvantages.
Merits of Buying:
Ÿ
Ÿ
.
Equity Ownership: Now you can dedicate an entire
section of the floor as a garden if you want once you
own a space. Buying an office comes with different
benefits, first and foremost being a titled owner of
the premises including all its amenities at your
disposal. Plus, you can enjoy the appreciated value
of the property if you decide to utilize it for just
investment purposes.
Tax Benefits: Owning a commercial property can aid
you in tax deductions in the form of mortgage
interest, property taxes, and other charges. You can
show it as an associated cost for running a business
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THE RIGHT CHOICE
Demerits of Buying:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Monetary Conflict: Buying a commercial space
requires an upfront payment to the developer which
can eat up a huge chunk of your business capital. On
top of that, you still need to consider the
maintenance costs as well that come up annually in
the expenditures section of your balance sheet.
Growth Uncertainty – Imagine everything is going
well and you have closed good deals garnering a lot
of clientele over a limited period of time. You are
growing exponentially and now, you need to
accommodate your in-house team of employees
more. Then, your IT guy is complaining about sitting
close to the washroom. That is a troublesome case
and you realize that you have run out of space.
Purchasing a commercial property is only good
when you have a no or late plans of expanding your
in-house team because fostering a healthy work
environment requires ample of space. In case of
sudden expansion, the existing premises just
become a hindrance in the business development
process.
After carefully going through these above-mentioned
points, it is clear that the ‘struggle is real’ for a lot of
companies. Entrepreneurs and business owners need
to put their thinking caps on when it comes to the
working space dynamics. The question still largely
remains unresolved, but the factors mentioned above
should help in clearing some or most of the doubts you
might be having related to your ideal work space.
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 27

The Frontrunner of the Company
Aditya Virwani is a dynamic young professional and is
the COO of Embassy Group, one of India's largest and
among the finest property developers and also the
spokesperson of Embassy Industrial Parks, the business
that pioneered the lean model of warehousing in India.
Over the last three decades, Embassy, together with its
promoters, has developed over 53 million sq. ft. of
prime commercial, residential and retail space in India as
well as Malaysia and Serbia. Aditya has been exposed to
the world of Real estate and Property development
from a very early age of 15 years. He is keenly involved
with the strategy and operations of the Embassy Group
and its diversified businesses, along with his father Mr.
Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director of
Embassy Property Developments Limited.
EMBASSY
INDUSTRIAL PARKS
Constructors of Highly Functional Industrial Parks
Small-to-medium sized
manufacturers, distributors, and
wholesalers have to get products
to customers faster. One way of doing it
is by managing all warehousing needs
and transportation modes. It means that
companies should be able to track,
monitor and confirm the where-being of
their product all the time. That makes
transportation and warehousing the
linchpins of any company. However,
many companies face a challenge of
building industrial warehouse space.
Here, is where Embassy Industrial
Parks steps in.
The company offers seamless solution
to industrials by building industrial
parks. To better understand its
peculiarities and methodology of
working, we had a word with the COO
of the company, Aditya Virwani. This
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10 Outstanding
T
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Real
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Companies To Watch in Bengaluru
interview will also give an insight into how the company
eliminates the rising real-estate challenges for multinational
or small manufacturers.
IS Team: Kindly brief us about your company.
Mr. Virwani: In the last few decades, warehousing
witnessed a significant transformation from a frail and
unorganized structure such as godown to a well-planned
and well-suited infrastructure aiming to provide a solution
to contemporary business needs. This industry has
substantially progressed from those days, to efficaciously
make a huge difference to the manufacturing and growing
e-commerce industry. The sector is evolving fast, with both
the nature of the business and technology advancement and
therefore undergoing robust changes. Embassy Industrial
Parks was formed to help companies and businesses avoid
the extra sweat by building and managing quality Grade A
industrial, light manufacturing and warehousing spaces all
over the country. We have started by bringing industrial
parks to the key cities of India - Chakan - Pune,
Sriperumbudur - Chennai, Farrukhnangar and Bilaspur -
Delhi NCR and Hosur and Kothur – Hyderabad, we plan to
expand into other metros eventually. These modern well
planned technology-enabled industrial and warehousing
solutions are targeted at industry verticals like E-
Commerce, 3PL, Automobile Ancillaries, FMCG and
Retail. Embassy Industrial Parks are built with a
commitment to offering class apart experience
IS Team: What are the different products and services
provided by your company, setting you apart from your
competitors?
Mr. Virwani: Embassy Industrial Parks was founded in
2015 aiming to meet the requirement of a well-planned
infrastructure that can ensure the smooth functioning of
businesses that comes with warehousing needs. We take
into consideration factors like strategic land positioning that
makes business more convenient. We keep our eye on
attention to detail and provide globally approved amenities
like rest areas for drivers, dormitories, round the clock
canteen, first aid centers, 24/7 security coverage an
excellent fire fighting system, ample parking space for
trucks so the flow of the traffic remains unaffected and does
not hamper workflow. We provide built-to-suit industrial
and logistics parks where clients can have up to 2X
expandability. Over and above this, our in-house facility
management arm, Embassy services manage all our assets
so that our clients have can only worry about business
growth.
IS Team: What are the key attributes that helped your
company overcome the challenges that it faced during
its establishment?
Mr. Virwani: The constant challenge with warehousing is
the need to cater to the increasing demand. To be more
specific, there is an increase in e-commerce as a mode of
purchase by a larger population across different product
segments in India. Secondly, India is undergoing massive
urbanization and demographic change creating a huge wave
of consumer demand over the next decade. ‘Next
Generation’ warehousing and logistics solutions are offered
by players like us who stay ahead of the time. One can be in
this kind of space by being a fully compliant warehousemanagement
system which serves their client’s purpose in
achieving success. Flexibility is at the heart of a high leap.
Leading organizations of all sizes trust our solution, which
is designed to grow with our clients and conquer the
complexities of demanding sectors’ order fulfillment. We
can proudly claim to be the pioneer of the lean model of
warehousing. By maintaining the global standards in the
infrastructure of the industrial parks we manage to provide
advance technology and best quality services and be the
ideal solution to our customers.
IS Team: With the massive advancements in the Real
Estate Solution Providers segment, what are the
opportunities and challenges evolving with it?
Mr. Virwani: The commercial real estate sector has
witnessed robust growth and created a market for global
investors. Industrial and warehousing sector has witnessed
consistent growth since last 2 years. There is an increased
demand in industrial sector like manufacture, lift in
consumer demand and a huge impact of global trade on the
business. Factors like these, growth in manufacture sector,
rising consumer demand, an uplift in international relations,
advent of organized retail in the country, increasing private
and international investments in infrastructure along with
the dynamic growth in e-commerce is ought to maintain
prosperity in the sector in next few years. 77% YOY growth
was observed in warehouse leasing. A recently published
report states that the manufacturing sector that accounts for
80% of warehousing market is estimated at 739 million sq.
ft. in 2019 and is expected to grow to 922 million sq. ft. by
2024. A strategically placed and well planned warehouse
not only improves the consumer services but also enables
competitive advantage through efficient supply chain
economics.
One of the major challenges for any real estate player is
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land acquisitions. When we consider buying 50 acres to 200
acres of land and develop it, we hope for some reforms that
make this process for industrial and warehousing
configuration easier. The second challenge is approvals.
Currently, the situation has definitely improved from what it
was a few years back but I think we have scope for
improvement there. The policies can become more users
friendly. The important thing to understand here is there is
that the more time approvals take; construction would delay
and we won’t be able to generate revenues from the land.
IS Team: Share with us your company’s contributions to
the industry and how it is helping its clients in their
business growth.
Mr. Virwani: Founded in 2015, Embassy Industrial Parks
brought Grade- A Warehousing at a time when warehouses
were only available in an unorganized sector and emerged
in the market as the pioneers of the new lean model of
warehousing. Embassy Industrial Parks have gained
importance across sectors today as it serves the business
purpose without the need of owning it. A good warehouse is
the primary requirement for businesses today and is a firsthand
enabler of the global supply chain.
IS Team: How do you motivate creativity and innovation
in the workspace while maintaining a healthy work
environment?
Mr. Virwani: Embassy Group believes strongly in
empowering people. The relationship of the company with
their employees has always been trust driven and people are
the asset for the company. We have programs and
opportunities which encourage team members to come up
with new ideas, suggestions that help at the business level.
They are free to innovate the way things are done. The
management believes in an open-door policy where any
team member has access to reach out to senior management
and can discuss any issue which ensures a healthy and
transparent environment.
IS Team: Brief us about the current scenario of Real
Estate companies and your company’s future plans.
Mr. Virwani: Real Estate companies in the current market
scenario have experienced a mix of responses in terms of
their projects for example a residential market has been
undergoing a lot of stress especially for ticket sizes over 3
crs. and in general, the affordable segment has seen robust
response to its offerings. Talking about commercial and
industrial warehouse assets, the growth has been as robust
as it has been in the couple of years in addition the vacancy
rates are at its lowest levels since the financial crisis of
2008-09.
With respect to our existing portfolio Embassy Industrial
Parks currently is at 4 million sq. ft. with 3mn that will be
operational in another 12 – 18 months. Additionally, there is
a pipeline of 6 million sq. ft.additional space which will
total the space to 12-13 million sq. ft. Our plan is to
strengthen our existing tenant base and work on repeat
business deals across locations which we have been
successful in doing with tenants like Stellar, Amazon and
Myntra to name a few. We would like to work on these
relationships to incur repeat business. Supporting our
clients with expansion plans, we wish to focus on 5-6 micro
markets within the country which are the demand drivers of
the market currently.
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Case Study
SaaS
Technology to Boost Real Estate Uptake
Software as a service is now the key tool for developers to reduce unsold housing inventory
With COVID-19, real estate developers in India
are suddenly faced with the need to rapidly
adopt technology to get property sales going.
ANAROCK research indicates that while homebuyer
enquiries have increased by more than 50% post the
nationwide lockdowns, a large part of these enquiries are
generated online.
This is unlikely to change soon - though homebuyers are
back on the market, social distancing and overall safety
concerns are still very much in place. A lot of the property
discovery journey has now gone online, and developers
who do not use technology to harness and convert online
enquiries are at a disadvantage.
Fortunately, like many other functions these days, the
technology and professional support they need can be
outsourced to specialists. Enter Software as a Service, or
SaaS.
SaaS and Real Estate
Customer Relationship Management SaaS is the key for
real estate companies who want to leverage advanced
software technology to drive their business. Previously,
Indian real estate developers seeking a tech advantage in
their business had to rely on mainstream software giants
who don’t understand completely the specific requirements
of the Indian real estate business.
Today, they have the option of an integrated Customer
Relationship Management delivered through Software as a
Service solution – or SaaS, as it is now commonly referred
to - created and managed by tech-driven real estate
consultancies.
Instead, it integrates several smaller software solutions into
one platform.
SaaS – Focused Results
• Vastly superior leads from both online and site visits,
and automatically routes them to the pertinent sales
manager
• Elimination of the call centre approach to servicing
customers. Instead, a SaaS system analyses the enquiry as
well as the buyer profile and automatically determines
how and when the customer prefers to be reached. At the
appropriate time, the buyer is contacted by a fullyempowered
and trained sales representative who will
carry out all levels of interaction from enquiry to home
purchase
• Relevant and exhaustive information on the project or
property in question is instantly shared online on-demand.
This results in zero-gap communication which leads to
faster deal closure
• The senior salespeople at the developer retain complete
online oversight of every event from enquiry to
processing and can be instantly involved in a discussion if
required
• Likewise, the developer has perpetual online access to
channel partners involved in the project, their
performance and work in progress by each operative
• Time-consuming data entry is eliminated with the help
of intuitive artificial intelligence (AI) which automatically
records all relevant data in the appropriate systems. This
information can be quickly retrieved at the click of a
mouse.
• The system not only maintains a detailed track-record
of ongoing marketing activities along with expenses and
In contrast to multi-modal, multinational system
management services which handle a diverse number of
business types, Indian real estate SaaS providers deliver
integrated software solutions - customized not only to
Indian real estate environment but also to individual
players.
Though quite complicated at the coding and delivery end, a
SaaS approach does not involve any single software
platform which has to be adapted to a certain business type.
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results but also suggests more effective marketing
interventions based on location, majority buyer profiles
and market conditions
The SaaS model eliminates the need to spend large amounts
of capital on enterprise-level services. It combines the
efficiency of advanced software appropriate human
involvement and provides a results-oriented approach to
achieving and monitoring specific business goals for the
business.
How SaaS Helps Homebuyers
Though highly technical at the DNA level, the purpose of
software-based services is to deliver a more streamlined,
satisfying experience to end-users. At its core, SaaS is a
Customer Relationship Management software which makes
all communication relevant - customers get only the
information which makes sense to them.
Superfluous information is eliminated. Further, the system
pushes multiple alerts and reminders to sales managers for
meetings and site visits, who then connect with the homebuyers
on-time. every time, as per the stage of home-buying
process.
Finally, the SaaS system also escalates discussions to senior
sales managers if the ball gets dropped by their teams. For
customers, this ensures access to the senior management if
and when required.
Why Current Tech Solutions for Real Estate Fail
For the Indian real estate industry, the time for a SaaS
approach had come long before the COVID-19 pandemic.
While many real estate developers had adopted technology
at some level, they were spending disproportionately on
enterprise-level software services.
To make things worse, these services are usually provided
by sector-agnostic software companies who apply a generic
approach to all their clients within the purview of annual
contracts
Also, the ‘monolith’ level of technology solutions that most
software giants offer lacks scalability. Their inherent
unwieldiness makes them unsuitable for adaptation to
different sizes of businesses. What a real estate developer
will usually wind up with is a massive software overkill
requiring large in-house or off-site teams - usually of the
software provider himself - to manage them.
SaaS, on the other hand, takes the onus from developers and
puts it on the contracted tech firm. They get the flexibility
and freedom to use high-end and customizable bespoke
technology at a fixed annual fee.
Sunil Mishra
Head – Strategy
COVID-19 Kick-starts Indian Real Estate’s Tech
Revolution
For the Indian real estate industry, the time for adopting a
SaaS approach to their business is now at hand. The
COVID-19 pandemic and its unique compulsions have
rendered the traditional marketing approach obsolete. What
developers need now is a dynamic technology-based
approach geared to their businesses.
Indian real estate players are currently grappling with
unprecedented unsold inventory levels in a completely
transformed marketplace. ANAROCK’s latest data indicates
that there are as many as 6.33 lakh unsold homes in various
stages of completion across the country’s major cities.
Developers need to speed up sales and need solutions that
be deployed rapidly and cost-effectively.
In the current market conditions, Indian real estate players
are not only stretched for time and bandwidth - but they can
also not afford massive capital outlays for services whose
results they cannot effectively monitor or confirm.
By adopting SaaS, real estate developers can immediately
stop over-spending and being diverted from their core area
of business. They benefit from a technology platform that
efficiently boosts project sales and simultaneously monitors
all sales activity in real-time.
When SaaS is ‘done right’ in terms of scalability and
adaptability, it becomes a major enabler for developers
regardless of their size and market bandwidth, and
irrespective of whether or not they possess the ability,
knowledge or skill to develop their own tech-driven sales
tools.
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 33

CoEvolve Estates
Building Premium Sustainable Homes and Properties
home can be glamorous, luxurious, commodious,
Aand fun. However, can it be sustainable? According
to some of today’s most innovative designers and
builders, a home can be anything one wants it to be.
Starting from construction to design features, the future of
real estate is pointing in the direction of sustainability.
It is well known that increasing pollution, harmful gas
emissions, the millennial lifestyle, and the entire process of
building projects are the greatest contributors to global
warming. Hence, it is mandated to construct buildings that
support our natural ecosystem.
Once considered as a trend in home building and design,
sustainable or eco-friendly homes are here to stay.
Developers, today are taking a conscious step to curtail the
use of natural resources and other natural elements, and are
instead finding ways to replace them.
Featured in this edition is CoEvolve Estates Pvt. Ltd, a
real estate company based out of Bengaluru, that embraces
environment-friendly methods for construction. Staying
ahead in the competitive real estate space can be
challenging, and CoEvolve Estates has taken this challenge
by exchanging the greens for concrete.
Redefining Real Estate
No matter how many reviews one will read or photos one
would see, nothing will prepare you for the real experience
of CoEvolve Estates’ homes or properties. “We strive to
build a world with awareness of the interconnected nature
of our existence, where creative innovation evolves into
living beyond sustainability,” is the mission statement of
CoEvolve Estates. It has carved a niche in the firmament of
the Bengaluru Real Estate & Development sector.
However, the real question is how does CoEvolve fit into
the jigsaw of real estate and how the journey of CoEvolve
commenced?
The journey began in 2005 when the Founder and
Chairman, M. A. Rahiman stepped into the real estate
business to provide credible housing solutions without the
umpteen number of legal hassles that most home buyers
have to deal with. His vision was to set up a company that
runs ethically providing legally compliant homes and
properties with crystal clear documentation. Thus arose the
company's motto ‘Built on Ethics. Built to Last.’
Over the past 15 years, CoEvolve Estates has grown leaps
and bounds. It has delivered over 1.5 million square feet of
living space spread across luxury villas, apartments, budget
homes, sustainable green buildings and plotted
developments.
An Unconventional and Unique Purpose
We now know the ‘how’ but, not ‘why’ did CoEvolve
Estate achieve such superlative success in the real estate
realm. Based in Bangalore, one of the fastest-growing cities
in Asia, CoEvolve Estates’ CEO, Suhail Rahman, realized
at an early stage, the responsibility we have towards the
environment. In the recent past, the garden city, began to
lose a lot of its greenery, giving way to industries and
software parks. Bangalore is also predicted to run out of
groundwater in a few years. This change in the dynamics of
the city also affected the quality of life within homes.
Mr. Rahman decided to take small steps to protect mother
nature while also providing the best home-owning
experience and thus CoEvolve Estates emerged as an ecofriendly
savior.
An Investor in Nature
At the helm of this close-to-nature developer is Suhail
Rahman, He is an engineer with an MS from University of
Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK with over 14 years of industry
experience. He has completed his business leadership
program from IIM Bangalore. He handles Marketing,
Procurement & Construction. He is very passionate about
sustainable practices and is the force behind Asset Aura –
among the top three sustainable residential communities in
Asia Pacific region (Awarded by World Green Building
Council in 2016). He was also chosen as the most
enterprising CEO (2016) by World Sustainability Group for
his contribution to sustainable developments. Mr. Suhail
spearheaded the emotionally challenging re-branding
34 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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10 Outstanding
T
h
Real
e
Estate
Companies To Watch in Bengaluru
process from Asset Builders to CoEvolve Estates.
A Green & Natural Portfolio
Satisfying clients and meeting all their demands is of
paramount importance to CoEvolve Estates. The fact that
CoEvolve Estates has zero litigations against any of their
projects, stands testimony to their commitment to live by
the high ethical standards set. This has earned the trust and
goodwill of customers and peers alike.
However, achieving this level of comfort, luxury is not
easy, it comes with a price and here it is, ‘by embracing
nature.’ CoEvolve has engaged a highly motivated team of
experts to research the latest developments in construction
technology, resulting in a lot of path-breaking initiatives
being implemented in its projects. Harnessing renewable
sources of energy, 100% recycling of water, rooftop organic
farm, conserving electricity and effective waste
management are just a few of the innovative steps taken
towards the fulfillment of this goal. The concept of
‘Sustainable Green Buildings’ became the ultimate
objective.
Sustainable developments reap not only short term benefits
for the immediate user but also long term rewards for
generations to come. While most green buildings limit
themselves to harnessing solar energy, CoEvolve Estates
have been harnessing Wind energy through the windmills
installed in the rooftop of many of their projects. This is
indeed a sight to behold!
CoEvolve Estates’ first Green building, Asset Aura was
awarded the highest Platinum rating by the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC). At the time, this was a big
achievement for a residential apartment. Asset Aura went
on to bag multiple awards at national and international
forums. “What makes us truly content is not the awards that
we can showcase but the simple words of appreciation
expressed by our clients”,asserts Mr. Rahman. The patrons
are extremely pleased with their weather-friendly homes
and the fresh produce from the rooftop garden. They are
proud to own a peaceful haven, right in the middle of the
hustle and bustle of the city.
After the success of Asset Aura, CoEvolve Estates has come
up with its crown jewel: the ready-to-occupy CoEvolve
Northern Star, located at Thanisandra, North Bangalore.
CoEvolve Northern Star is also an IGBC Pre-certified
Platinum rated Green building and boasts of being a ZERO
WATER DISCHARGE COMMUNITY. “With the imminent
water crisis set to befall Bangalore, most of our research
for this project was centered around maximizing water
efficiency. We have a plethora of features which not only
ensures that almost all the water used is recycled but also
optimizes the water consumption. We have laid the best
foundation for the community to practice the 3 R's of
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle,” pinpoints Mr. Rahman.
The CoEvolve Northern Star has been featured in a United
Nations report - ‘Policies for Financing Water-Related
Sustainable Development Goals’. CoEvolve Northern Star
features as a case study - ‘Crafting Communities for
Change in a Megacity.’
Towards a Sustainable Future
Suhail Rahman
MD & CEO
By now it is evident that CoEvolve Estates is striving to
create sustainable and environment-friendly homes that
adhere to robust standards. Hence, it is safe to say that this
developer will evolve as one of the most desired builders in
the country. Mr. Rahman says that in future, CoEvolve
Estates will be foraying into the commercial real estate
space, with two tech parks of over a million sq.ft in the
pipeline. Furthermore, it also plans on building a student
housing facility and a shopping mall. Alongside these, this
real estate builder also has a residential project pipeline of
over 2 million sq.ft spread across different areas of
Bangalore.
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 35

INTEGRATED TOW
Weathering the
COVID-19
Siege
• COVID-19 has underscored the advantages of selfmanaged
mini-ecosystems with higher safety & security,
open spaces, sanitation & control
• Top 7 cities have just 101 integrated township projects
(launched since 2010 till date) with 3.16 lakh housing
units; this is nearly 2% share of overall projects launched
during the period
• Of this total, 57 projects are largely residential with basic
facilities like a small retail shop, pharmacy etc.;
remaining 44 are mixed-use developments with dedicated
retail, entertainment, education, commercial, health &
residential spaces
• NCR has maximum integrated townships - 42 projects
with approx. 1.33 lakh units, followed by MMR with 17
projects having >63,500 housing units
During a pandemic like COVID-19, there is a strong
rationale for living in integrated townships. These selfsustaining,
compact urban ecosystems are now more than
just lifestyle upgrades - they provide the kind of controlled
environment that makes a big difference during such an
outbreak. Gated communities offer security, but integrated
townships let residents get through the prolonged siege-like
situation of a pandemic with a much lower impact on
quality of life.
As on date, the top 7 cities have just over101 township
projects (launched since 2010 till date), accounting for
around3.16 lakh housing units. (Besides mixed-use
developments, townships with more than 2,000 housing
units are also considered).
This is only a minuscule 2% share of overall housing
projects launched during this period. Clearly, this is a
hugely under-served segment whose underpinning
relevance and importance has been emphatically brought to
light by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Out of the 101 projects, nearly 57 are large purely
residential projects with some basic facilities like a retail
shop, pharmacy, salon and some form of entertainment. The
remaining 44 are full-fledged mixed-use developments with
dedicated retail, entertainment, education, commercial,
health and residential spaces. NCR and MMR have the
highest saturation of townships.
“Beyond superior conveniences and security, townships
offer a sense of community which is extremely important in
times like the coronavirus pandemic,” says Puri. “Living in
such projects also helps work-from-home professionals to
Constrained Supply
Integrated townships began their Indian innings primarily
as a lifestyle statement - the conveniences and address
value come at an added cost which does not appeal to
budget home seekers. The subtle luxury quotient, a function
of the surrounding infrastructure rather than in individual
properties, resulted in townships catering to a niche rather
than to the masses. Also, very few developers have the
expertise and resources to deploy integrated townships. As
a result, the supply of integrated townships remained
restricted even as other formats proliferated.
36 | SEPTEMBER 2020
www.insightssuccess.in

Case Study
NSHIPS
Anuj Puri, Chairman -
ANAROCK Property
Consultants says, “Going
forward, dispersed offices
and flexible workplace
policies around WFH will
spur housing demand on
city peripheries, beyond
the city-centre hotspots.
This will lead to higher
demand for large
township developments
which, because of their
massive size, have been
developed on the
peripheries. However,
they account for a mere
2% of all housing supply
since 2010, so their
numbers are currently
inadequate to meet the
coming demand.”
Anuj Puri
Chairman
www.insightssuccess.in 2020 SEPTEMBER | 37

maintain optimum productivity while being assured of their
and their families’ health and safety. Many townships
even offer a walk-to-work option.”
Apart from the expertise to plan and execute such large
projects, integrated townships also require gargantuan
investments in capital, land, and other resources.
Resultantly, integrated townships will largely remain the
purview of Grade A developers.
Integrated Township Supply (Completed & Ongoing)
• NCR-42 township projects with approx. 1.33 lakh
residential units. 22 of these (with 55,000 units) are
mixed-use developments; the remaining 20 projects are
exclusively residential with over 78,000 units.
• MMR-17 township projects, of which 8 are mixed-use
and 9 exclusively residential. Together, they account for
over 63,500 homes.
• Bangalore-10 mega township projects with 35,230 units
in all, of which 3 are mixed-use and the remaining 7 are
large, well-equipped residential communities.
• Hyderabad-9 township projects, of which only 1 is
mixed-use and 8 are purely residential. Together, they
have more than 21,600 units.
• PuneandKolkata-8 large township projects each, with
approx. 19,700 and 27,150 homes, respectively.
Interestingly, Pune has more mixed-use developments (5)
than purely residential townships (3) while Kolkata has 2
mixed-use developments and 6 purely residential
townships.
• Chennai-7 township projects with nearly 16,200
residential units, of which 3 are mixed-use developments
and 4 are purely residential.
The USPs
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the most important
features of townships probably are their considerable
distance from mid-city infection hot zones and their
superior security and sanitation. It has also been confirmed
that the virus is more easily transmitted in areas polluted by
excessive traffic. The reduced and regulated traffic and
large, air-cleansing green zones in integrated townships are
therefore a compelling argument. In townships where they
are available, schools, shopping and healthcare nearby are
distinct advantages. Multi-level security arrangements can
ensure very effective segregation from surrounding areas, as
well as contact tracing, if the need arises.
However, the main value-adds in such projects predate the
pandemic. Most townships are well-planned layouts where
optimum space is utilized. Landscaped gardens, jogging
tracks and dedicated play areas enhance the overall
liveability quotient. Integrated townships also tend to have
advanced waste management and rainwater harvesting.
Opening up The Townships Landscape
Given the nature of the times, we may soon see more such
projects being announced. Various government and nodal
development agencies have already incorporated various
townships-focused changes in their city planning, such as
better road connectivity, utilities supply and sewage.
Some of the more promising areas for future development
include Kalyan-Bhiwandi and Boisarin MMR, Sohna in
Gurugram, North Bengaluru, Yamuna Expressway in
Greater Noida, Gahunje in Pune, and West
Hyderabad, among others.
These locations meet the most important
criteria of being well-connected and having
enough contiguous land parcels to
accommodate integrated townships
38 | SEPTEMBER 2020
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