Reliance Infra plans to raise funds in phases for Hyderabad project

October 6, 2008	(Be the first to rate this story!)  Loading ...
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Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, part of the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, will be raising funds in phases for its 100-storeyed trade tower and business district project on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The company needs about Rs 4, 000 crore in the first phase to pull off a large part of the project, which will be executed at a cumulative cost of Rs 8,000 crore in the next three-five years. “We will have to raise the money in two-three phases from banks, though we intend to develop the project in one go,” said a senior official of Reliance Infrastructure in charge of the Hyderabad project.

Reliance Infra, which is a two-thirds partner in the project that is to be implemented through a special purpose vehicle (SPV), won the bid last November. The other stakeholders in the venture are Bangalore-based Sobha Developers Ltd (technical partners) and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corp. with 23% and 11% stake, respectively. The project is the business group’s first venture into real estate, with the second being a mixed-use project planned on about 220 acres, which it got by winning the contract to build a metro rail line between the New Delhi railway station and the international airport. Considering the current market downturn, the SPV has decided to lease, rather than sell, the tower, which will be the central attraction in the 77-acre project. “Leasing out space is much more flexible when property prices are on a downward slope and you don’t relinquish ownership rights. However, we will lease out the space in phases in the next few years,” said the same official.

With capital values per square foot touching Rs6, 000, building residences in the tower has been ruled out. Hospitality and commercial office space will be built instead. Construction costs will also double from the 60th floor upwards. These will be resistant to high wind velocity. Superior quality of steel is required to construct such buildings. However, 10 months after winning the bid, construction is yet to start and the project is still at the planning stage—finalizing the design and appointing project consultants. There is no hint at when construction will take off.

News Published Under:   Hyderabad |

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