Cognizant heads to Hyderabad, to set up ₹500 crore facility

Source: The Hindu Business Line  March 9, 2016

After Amazon, Google and Apple, it is the turn of Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) to announce plans for building a large development centre in Hyderabad.

Cognizant, the biggest IT firm in India by revenue, will invest ₹500 crore to develop a built-up area of 1.5 million square feet. It will house 8,000 employees when the facility is fully operational.

“We are building the campus in an extent of 11 acres in Gachibowli,” a company spokesperson said after signing a deal with the Telangana government.

Existing facility

The firm, which already runs a 2.25 lakh sq ft facility on the campus, has decided to expand the facility in order to make it “an important part of its global delivery capability”, the executive said.

“We look forward to bringing the benefits of our global experience and industry-leading growth to the region by way of high-value career and learning opportunities,” he said.

A State government official, however, pegged the Cognizant investments at ₹655 crore, and the employment potential at 8,500.

The firm got the clearances from the State government under its flagship industrial promotion scheme TS-iPASS (Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self Certification System).

SEZ persmission

Meanwhile, the Special Economic Zone approval committee, which works under the Union Ministry of Commerce, has accorded SEZ status to the firm.

At a meeting held on February 23, the Board of Approvals considered the company’s application to develop a sector (IT/ITES) specific SEZ in Hyderabad in about five acres.

“The SEZ panel has given the go-ahead to the company after acknowledging permissions from the State government,” a government official said.

Cognizant was among 18 firms that got clearance from the government. The list includes Sify Technologies that is going to set up a development facility in the city with an investment of ₹250 crore. “It will provide about 2,000 jobs when the facility is completed,” a State Government official said.

Lava plans to set up Research and Development facility in Hyderabad

Domestic handset maker Lava plans to set up a research and development centre in Hyderabad and the talks with Telangana government are in advanced stage, a senior company official said on Thursday.

"We have already submitted an application to Telangana government for setting up a Research and Development centre and discussions are at an advanced level. Once it gets okayed from the state, we will start a Research and Development centre in Hyderabad. The plan is to have 200 people at the proposed centre," Sandeep Dongre, Vice President and Business Unit Head South, told reporters.

The company already has a Research and Development facility in Bengaluru with more than 400 employees. "We have decided to invest Rs 200 crore in R&D over the next three years," he said.

Lava has a manufacturing unit in Noida. The company has earmarked Rs 500 crore for its second manufacturing plant in Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) which will be set up over 20 acres of land allotted by the government and will be operational in 2017 and will target production capacity of 5 million phones per month once fully functional, Dongre said.

Earlier, the company had said it will invest Rs 2,615 crore over the next seven years (over three phases) to set up two manufacturing plants in the country.

"In phase-I, we have invested Rs 56 crore and in phase-II, we will be investing 1,052 crore. In phase-III, we will be completing an investment of Rs 2,615 crore," he said.

Dongre said in phase-I, the company will be able to produce 2.5 million handsets per month, 5 million a month in phase-II and 18 million handsets per month, he said.

World Trade Centre towers to come up in Hyderabad

Source: Deccan Chronicle

It will be the third city in the country to have a WTC after Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Hyderabad will soon join the global network of World Trade Centres with the establishment of its own WTC, a global hub for international businesses. It will be the third city in the country to have a WTC after Mumbai and Bengaluru. WTCs are currently located in 100 countries.

The Telangana state government plans to set up the WTC in a public-private-partnership mode on the city’s outskirts. It will seek a licence from the World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) for the purpose.

The WTCA, headquartered in New York City, was established in 1970 as a non-profit organisation to promote growth of international trade.

WTC: Telangana to tie-up with private firm

Industries minister Jupally Krishna Rao said the WTC was part of the TRS government’s plan to transform Hyderabad into a global city.

The government is planning to tie-up with Bengaluru-based real estate major Brigade Group, which has already secured a licence from WTCA for setting up a WTC in Hyderabad, along with Kochi, Thiruvanantha-puram and Chennai.

The government will allot the land to build the WTC towers. “We are planning to propose the WTC project in the Budget to be presented in March. Around Rs 300 crore would be required for this. The government will work out modalities for executing the project in PPP mode,” Mr Rao added. Each tower of WTC-Hyderabad will have about 30 to 35 floors and state-of-the-art infrastructure. to promote international business. It will also have networking with the WTCs spread over 100 countries across the world.

Apple plans a tech development centre in Hyderabad

Source: tech.economictimes

Apple is in talks with real estate firm Tishman Speyer for long term lease of around 2.5 lakh square feet of office space which could accommodate around 2,500 employees


After applying for single-brand retail licence in India, Apple is now looking at setting up its first large technology development centre and back-office operations in Hyderabad. 

The US-based company is in talks with real estate firm Tishman Speyer for long term lease of around 2.5 lakh square feet of office space on the city outskirts, which could accommodate around 2,500 employees, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter said. 

"Apple has evinced interest to lease the space at Tishman Speyer's WaveRock facility for ten years to begin with, involving a total expenditure of around Rs 150 crore," said a property consultant privy to the development. 

"Apple may at a later date consider asking the Telangana government to allot space for it to build its own campus," the consultant added. 

"Too early to comment," said Telangana's IT & Panchayat Raj Minister K Taraka Rama Rao. Emails to Apple, which opened Europe's first iOS App Development Centre in Italy, were unanswered. 

India has of late emerged a crucial market for the world's largest tech firm by market cap, which saw its sales crossing the $1 billion (Rs 6,800 crore) mark in India for the first time last fiscal year. 

The move by the iconic maker of iPhones to set up its technology development centre in India assumes significance at a time when the Indian market is at an inflexion point for Apple's product offering, which includes smartphones, laptops, smart watches and music players. 

A senior Telangana bureaucrat confirmed the interest of Apple to locate its IT operations in Hyderabad, but downplayed the matter saying the talks were at an early stage. "Representatives of Apple have met the officials of the industry and commerce ministry recently, evincing interest to lease nearly 2.5 lakh square feet of office space in the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation promoted IT ITes SEZ with Tishman Speyer," the bureaucrat told ET, requesting anonymity given the sensitivities involved. 

Sources at the development commissioner for the SEZ also confirmed the talks with Apple. "The Apple team made a presentation on January 12 on their proposed investment plans. They are slated to meet the SEZ officials during the second week of February to take the matter forward," said a person in know of the development. 

"Tishman Speyer's WaveRock IT-ITeS special economic zone, which is located near the financial district in Hyderabad's' Gachibouli, has a built-up area of around 25 lakh square feet and can accommodate over 20,000 professionals in all," said the property consultant. 

Tishman Speyer has around 65 lakh square feet of office facility in Hyderabad. Pointing out to the millions of jobs that Apple's ecosystem created across the globe, the Telangana bureaucrat said: "We hope the entry of Apple into Hyderabad would help attract dozens of technology companies into the ecosystem, creating thousands of jobs and sizeable investments."

NOW GET INTO A CHOPPER AND ENJOY HYDERABAD'S AERIAL VIEW

Source: Sakshipost

Hyderabad: After the joyous ride of hot air balloons in December, Hyderabadis will now be able to enjoy helicopter rides to have a bird's eye view of the historic city. The ride which will be formally launched on Tuesday. Minister for IT, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj K T Rama Rao will inaugurate the chopper rides at 10 AM at Necklace Road.

Hyderabad Aerial trip is an initiative by ‘Heli Tourism in Hyderabad’ in collaboration with Indwell Aviation Private Limited. The 10-15 minutes joy ride will cost Rs 3,500 per person. If this initiative receives a good response, the government is planning to start similar services in various places like Nagarjuna Sagar, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nallamalla forest and along Godavari river.

Want a US visa? Head to Hyderabad's Chilkur Balaji temple to make it happen!

Source: Zee news India 

Amazing! The famed Chilkur Balaji temple in Hyderabad can help fulfill all your wishes, including granting of US and other visas, devotees claim.

According to a media report, scores of devotees, planning to visit the US, make it a point to visit this ancient temple to help grant American visas.

The Chilkur Balaji temple, built as a shrine to Lord Balaji, is said to be about 500 years old.

A wish-making ceremony at the shrine involves making 11 laps around the temple. Worshippers offer their passports and make offerings of coconuts.

If the wish comes true, they must return and make a further 108 laps.

The temple has gained a reputation for helping to get overseas visas smoothly -- so much so that it's now known as the "visa temple," CNN reported.

The trend began decades ago, mostly among students heading to the US. They would make the rounds and seemingly get luckier with visa lotteries.

"My own sister is in Belgium, in Brussels right now, so yes, it does work," CNN quoted Manjunath Singh as saying.

Over the years the temple's reputation has grown by word of mouth.

I Will Turn Hyderabad Into a Global City: KCR

Source: The New India Express

HYDERABAD:  “A road map has been prepared for the development of Hyderabad as an international city and we will make it happen,” Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has assured the people of Hyderabad.

In an initiative to make sure that his campaigning will not cause inconvenience to people, KCR started e-campaign, addressing people through the media, and appealed to the people to give TRS an opportunity to turn Hyderabad into an international city.

KCR said it needs anywhere near Rs 30,000 crore to equip Hyderabad with infrastructure to meet global standards. However, the GHMC budget is just around Rs 5,000 crore.

“For that I have approached the BRICS Bank during my recent visit to Shanghai in China. I told BRICS Bank chairman KV Kamath about my plans to develop skyways, multi-level flyovers, roads and junction improvements and others and he assured a loan of Rs 25,000 crore to us. The GHMC cannot stand as a guarantee for such a huge amount and to address this, the government will stand as a guarantee,” KCR said.

KCR said his confidence was making him make such a big promise. “I promised to achieve Telangana. I vowed not to seek votes if my government cannot provide drinking water to each household. With the same confidence, I am saying that I will turn Hyderabad into a global city. It may take five or six years for that to happen,” he said.

Apart from loan from BRICS Bank, KCR said the GHMC can get revenue from other sources like regularisation of lands through LRS and BPS, and sale of unused government lands.

The chief minister said that HMDA was coming out with a master plan along with tourism projects for the development of Hyderabad.

Reacting to the confusion over shifting of the state secretariat and the Osmania General Hospital, he said, “Hundred percent, the state secretariat will be shifted. Same with OGH.

Towers will be constructed on the backside of the existing OGH. I will lay the foundation stone for both the works after GHMC elections.”

Point of view

UoH Crisis

It is an unfortunate incident. We will take all necessary steps to bring the culprits to book.

New Districts

At least four new districts will be carved out of the existing Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts. New districts like Ibrahimpatnam and Medchal will be formed.

Amaravati

They have failed to get funds even for Amaravati. What will they do for Hyderabad? I went to Amaravati for the foundation-laying. I thought Prime Minister Narendra Modi would announce a package but he brought two earthen pots, one of water and the other of soil. I actually planned to announce some assistance on behalf of Telangana government but with Modi himself not giving any assistance, I refrained from announcing any amount as it would not look nice.

Development Road Map

■ Musi river and Hussainsagar lake will be restored and rejuvenated with the help of Austrian technology

■ Nearly 200 vegetable and mutton markets will be constructed

■ 150 to 200 public toilets will be built

■ More burial grounds and crematoriums to be built in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts of the state

■ Four new dumping yards with power generation facility to be set up

■ A plant to recycle construction debris will come up on the lines of the one in Delhi

■ Night shelters for those who come to the city on work or to hospitals. Now they are forced to sleep on pavements and at railway stations

■  Modern bus bays will be earmarked

■ Two new bus terminals abutting ORR. Two new railway junctions on the outskirts including one at Cherlapally

■ Talks with GMR to construct a second runway at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad

■ Island model power supply as in Mumbai

■ Two new water reservoirs, each of 20 tmc capacity to be built

■ Race course to be shifted from Malakpet and Chanchalguda prison to Cherlapally