The 3C Company has taken an initiative to lead Noidas real estate to yet another level by developing a Green SEZ in Noida. Krishna Kumar Mangalam reports

The 3C Company has taken an initiative to lead Noidas real estate to yet another level by developing a Green SEZ in Noida. Krishna Kumar Mangalam reports

Concerns about climate change have serious implications on real estate sector. But at the same times, it is an opportunity to developers with expertise and experience to build stateof-the-art green buildings along sustainable models.
The coming decade will see development of large townships and special economic zones with fresh infrastructure , which puts minimal burden on natural resources. Leading the bandwagon of SEZ development in Delhi NCR are corporates like DLF, Unitech, The 3C Company, Parsvnath, among others. The SEZ were so designed as to be self-contained with their own infrastructure and support services.
In fact, in the coming days, SEZs will be the major supplier of office space. Anshuman Magazine, CMD of CB Richard Ellis, South Asia, says, The demand for office space is expected to improve in Noida, mainly towards the second half of 2010, with a gradual revival in economy. As a result , construction activity is likely to regain pace. Noida has an efficient infrastructure and good connectivity with Delhi, supported by DMRC, which will give further impetus to growth. Noida will emerge as a prominent destination for c o m m e r - cial and residential real estate in the future .
T he downf all of global economy in 2008 and its repercussions on Indian economy took a toll on the real estate business, which continued till the first half of 2009. Lack of capital forced realty majors to amend their business plans and some of these even abandoned their SEZ plans. Only those survived, which were well-planned and developed according to the needs of the corporate.
Nikhilesh Singh, assistant VP of JLLM, says, The drive to develop SEZ is triggered by the fiscal sops and benefits extended to realty players. Riding on tax exemption, investment in SEZ seems a safe route.
If we map the SEZ growth, Noidas office space has become one of the most sought-after destinations in Delhi-NCR , on account of its Noida Special Export Zone (NSEZ). With largescale investment in the IT and BPO industries , NSEZ ushered in an export era for the region. Unlike other SEZs, which are being developed in Delhi NCR, NSEZ will be a Green SEZ, which will be designed in a manner that will enable it to reduce GHG emissions .
Officials of the 3C Company say they have constructed three Platinumrated LEED-certified green buildings Green Boulevard and Patni Campus in Noida, and Wipro Campus in Gurgaon and have taken initiative to lead Noidas real estate to yet another level by developing a Green SEZ there. The move comes much before the government decided in its draft proposal to make all new and existing SEZs green. Christened as Oxygen Boulevard, this notified SEZ will cater to IT and ITeS industry and is being developed on a 25-acre plot on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in Sector 144. The SEZ already has over 2 lakh sq ft of ready-forbusiness space and 5 lakh sq ft of ready-for-fit-outs . Construction is in full swing and the project is expected to be operational by the end of the first quarter of 2010.
The developer is confident of obtaining a LEED Gold rating for Oxygen Boulevard SEZ as well. Vidur Bharadwaj, director of 3C Company, says, Oxygen Boulevard would address the ever-growing demand for office space in Delhi NCR. The level of awareness for green buildings is much higher today, with corporates taking it as a good investment option. Going forward, there will be a larger demand and greater focus on development of energy-efficient buildings. This is our first project in SEZ segment and we are sure the project will be an epitome in quality construction and high on energy-saving features, and become a benchmark for other projects in the country.
Unbeatable green features: Multiples blocks have been built to have passive sun-shading devices. The project comes with multiple support facilities like double-insulated walls, while the roof of the building will halt solarheat coming into the building directly and will enhance cooling inside, saving at least 33% on airconditioning costs. The state-of-art SEZ will have buildings with area of 2,00,000 sq ft to 5,00,000 sq ft. Emphasis has been put on providing extra features in server room and UPS rooms where heat generation is high. These buildings, while retaining their separate individualities and identities come together as a single complex, which share common facilities and amenities. The complex is so planned that these buildings form interconnected and semi-enclosed landscape spaces. Light Shelves will be provided for diffused natural lighting. The upper ground or the deck level is about 9 acres of vehicle free green area. The three-side open Oxygen Boulevard SEZ plot has a wide road with 5 acres green belt. This SEZ will surely help stimulate world-class manufacturing capabilities in India. The project also has a location advantage of being strategically located in Sector 144, along the main Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The project therefore, enjoys good connectivity. The developer is also planning to develop service apartments.
Having developed 12 million sq ft of office space and currently developing Green projects worth over Rs 8,000 crore, officials of 3C Company say that Green Boulevard project is the worlds largest Platinum-rated LEED certified green building in the Shell and Core category.