Singapore to invest in Indian building and technology
Published on 21/11/2014
The Singapore-based multi-national KEF Holdings has announced that it will invest more than Rs.1,500 crore ($250 million) in India over the next five years, as part of the offsite construction technology specialist's expansion into the country.
The holding firm has six business verticals in areas including infrastructure, education, health agriculture, metals and investments, and revealed that the funding will be channelled through its twin business verticals - KEF Infra and KEF Health.
Major projects
The first of the projects is the KEF Industrial Park, which is currently being constructed on 42 acres of land in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu; it will form an integrated facility with dedicated units for precast, prefabricated bathrooms, joinery and aluminum glazing, revealed KEF founder-chairman Faizal E. Kottikollon.
He explained: "Manufacturing building components such as columns, beams, hollow core slabs, wall panels, staircases, windows, doors, bathroom units and facades at one place will help reduce construction periods by 50 per cent, shrink project costs by 30 per cent and minimise wastage."
The construction industry will benefit from precast technology, which will include in-built fire-proofing and reduced reliance on form-work and scaffolding on-site, while the robotics-driven pre-fabricated bathroom facility will have an installed capacity to manufacture as much as 30,000 units a year, Mr Kottikollon stated.
He added: "We want to be a game-changer in the Indian construction industry by catering to core sectors like education, healthcare and housing through design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and project management."
Wide scope
The second of the projects will be the Premium Medical Healthcare Providers hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala, which will provide treatment in cardiology, orthopaedics and neurosciences.
The projects are expected to be completed by April 2015 and March 2016, respectively, according to KEF, which said that the objective will be staying in line with the central government's 'Make in India' vision.
Mr Kottikollon said his organisation will focus on infrastructure, education and healthcare development across the country, utilising best practices, processes and technologies from across the globe.
According to Amitabh Kant, the Industrial Policy and Promotion Department Secretary, the investment from KEF and the new infrastructure development projects will help to change the country at the grassroots level, and improve skillsets, as well as enhancing competitiveness in construction and ensuring sustainability of growth in the sector and country as a whole.