The Hindu : Kerala News : Kochi still hogs the limelight

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 18, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

Kochi still hogs the limelight

Despite the inflation and increased rates of home loans, being the centrally located business capital of Kerala Kochi still hogs the limelight. People still prefer to own an apartment or a villa in and around Kochi with an expectation of getting good value appreciation in the long run.

In recent years, in the sphere of business growth in general and in realty sector in particular, Kochi has registered good growth. And in the process, it has acquired an equal standing with major metros in the country. Other than realty, IT, healthcare and hospitality are some of the other areas where Kochi has created a mark of its own. It is interesting to note that, today, with good industrial growth, Kochi offers more choices to every discerning customer. And one parti cular segment that has aptly complemented the growth is that of the real estate sector.

Despite the inflation and increased rates of home loans, being the centrally located business capital of Kerala Kochi still hogs the limelight. And, both the commercial and residential projects still have a steady following here. People still prefer to own an apartment or a villa in and around Kochi with an expectation of getting good value appreciation in the long run. The changes in the attitude of the customers have influenced the builders in Kochi in a big way and thus have streamlined several innovative transformations in their business.

Builders are of the opinion that all the prospective clients have one trait in common, before investing, they always give utmost priority to the credentials of the builder. "Because, by investing in real estate you are entering an altogether different investment platform where mutual good faith will have to stay intact for several years" says Ajith of Heera Constructions.

As the new generation is becoming more investment-friendly, the builders are zeroing in on that category with their premium projects. The IT hub of Kochi - Kakkanad - has the maximum number of premium housing projects and all the promoters are eyeing the IT professionals.

The easy accessibility to two national highways and an international airport are some of the advantages that make Kakkanad the cynosure of all eyes. And moving with the times, by introducing world-class amenities and design, the builders in Kochi are working hard to live up to the expectations of the young generation.

And projects like International Container Transshipment Terminal and LNG terminal, the work of which has already begun, is all set to enhance the face value of Kochi . On its completion, Kochi will grab all the attention in the country and a cosmopolitan crowd is expected to choose Kochi as their new destination. And housing is going to be a particular area where too expansion is likely to happen.

Builders having operations in Kerala have very well realized that launching projects in the suburbs of Kochi can also be equally rewarding. For them the availability of land within the city has become quite scarce and as such to be in the segment and also to cater to the huge demands from their clientele, it’s mandatory to head towards the suburbs.

Most of the builders have now more than one project in many of the suburbs of Kochi. "We were one of the first builders in Kochi to have gone beyond the city limits and the best example is our New Cochin Project, 20 Kms away from Vytilla", remarks Rajeev Kumar Cheruvara, Director, Apple a day properties.

In such a scenario, it’s not only Kochi but also its suburbs are all poised for good growth. Suburbs such as Tripunithura and Aluva are already witnessing hectic activities and more such places are being identified by the builders. This aspect has given rise to a sudden spurt of activities because of the fact that all these places lie in close proximity to Kochi . Given the road conditions are reasonably good sans traffic snarls one can easily access these places from Kochi .

To address the customers in a more tailor-made manner, builders are also organising exclusive property expos of their own. This apart the apex bodies of builders in the city also organise property shows bringing all concerned under one roof.

The property shows are being identified as a good platform where genuine buyers happen to participate. And those builders who have participated in such shows or have conducted one of their own endorse this statement with a grin.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section