March 10-16, 2014 1

Volume 3 l Issue No 10 l March 10-16, 2014 l Price: Rs 100An MMR, Braj Binani Group Publication

Projects worth `5 lakh crore cleared by PMG

of the schemes has ensured that fuel supply agreements have been signed between power firms and coal companies for about 70,000 mw, out of the targeted 78,000 mw.

PMG’s vision is to make information available on the web, thereby creating transparency through IT-related applications, he further added that “specific details, however, would be available to project proponents only as I don’t want companies to poach into other’s areas.”

He stated that 13 states have decided to set up similar PMGs. “We have told states that we are ready to share the portal with them and they can start monitoring the projects below Rs 1,000 crore. This is irrespective of political colour. It is apolitical,” he stressed.

PMG has identif ied over 435 stalled projects worth around Rs 20 lakh crore, pending for years. The PMG was set up in June last year to facilitate and fast-track projects by resolving specific issues.

The Prime Minister’s Project Monitoring Group (PMG) has cleared 147 projects, entailing an investment of around Rs 5 lakh crore.

“PMG has facilitated clearance to 147 projects worth about Rs 5 lakh crore in which more than 200 issues, including environment and forest clearances, were involved,” said

PMG Chairman Anil Swarup.” In 100 out of 147 projects facilitated by the PMG, Rs 3.1 lakh crore investments have been made as per the industry figures, said Swarup, and added that these entailed a total investment of Rs 3.8 lakh crore.

A large number of projects related to coal, and the monitoring

Gujarat cement prices see poor upturn

IRB starts work on `4,139-cr road projects

Cement prices, a major commodity that gets used in the infrastructure sector, have not seen much upturn in Gujarat this year. For that matter, last quarter, prices in the Ahmedabad market were rather down by 10-13 per cent owing to slowdown in demand from end user industries like real estate and infrastructure.

A recent report on the cement sector from market research firm Icra highlighted that while average wholesale cement pr ices have increased by 8-12 per cent in select markets like Delhi, Chandigarh in the north and Mumbai in the west between September to December 2013, prices have actually declined by 13 per cent in Ahmedabad during the same period.

Cement dealers, stockists as well as companies agree that prices are indeed down by 10-12 per cent owing to slow demand. Alok Sanghi, Director, Sanghi Cement said that prices were down in the region owing to lack of demand from user industries.

A senior company official informed that average price of cement during the fiscal has been around Rs 250 for a bag, and at present prices in the Ahmedabad region were hovering around Rs 290 a bag, which is down by 10-12 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

V Srinivasan, cement analyst with Angel Broking, said that average capacity utilization of cement plants across the country is around 66 per cent at the moment, which is the

IRB Infrastructure has started work on two road projects in Karnataka and Maharashtra, which entail a cost of Rs 4,139 crore. The Rs 2,639-crore scheme for four-laning of a highway in Karnataka and the Rs 1,500-crore road widening project in Maharashtra are being implemented by the company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, IRB Infrastructure.

“IRB West Coast Tollway Pvt Ltd has now received appointed date from the NHAI in terms of the concession agreement for the project of four-laning of Goa-Karnataka border to Kundapur section of NH-17 in Karnataka under NHDP phase-4.

The SPV, it said, has commenced construct ion on the project on design, build and finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) toll basis. It said it has sought Rs 536 crore from

lowest in the past three years. Right ahead of the assembly elections in the state last year, the state government had announced that it would build affordable houses every year (around 25,000-40,000 houses per year) for the lower and middle income groups.

However, demand from the real estate sector has failed to pick up. A senior official of the Builders Association of India (Bai), Gujarat chapter, stated that real estate demand is down around 20 per cent in the Ahmedabad region.

The Icra report further pointed out that cement production has grown by a modest 3.7 per cent during April-December 2013 primarily due to weak demand from end-user industries.

The repor t s ta ted, “De lays in environmental clearances for industrial and infrastructure projects and sand unavailability in some states contributed to slow growth. Contrary to expectations, cement demand failed to pick up even in the post monsoon season due to continuing weak demand from infrastructure and real estate sector.

“In fact, as against year-til-date growth of 3.7 per cent, the production registered an even lower growth of 2.0 per cent during Q3 FY14 despite a low base (cement production had grown by 5.5 per cent in the corresponding period last year).”

Lower demand has, in turn, affected the margins of cement c o m p a n i e s . C o m p a n i e s h a d raised prices in September 2013 in

the NHAI as viability gap funding for the Rs 2,639-crore project with a concession period of 28 years and construction period of 910 days.

The company has achieved financial closure and tied up project finance of Rs 1,406 crore from a consortium of public sector banks, it added. “Solapur Yedeshi Tollway Pvt Ltd, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has now executed concession agreement with the NHAI for the project of four-laning of Solapur to Yedeshi section of NH-211 in Maharashtra under NHDP phase-4 on DBFOT (toll) basis. It added that the company has sought Rs 189 crore as viability gap funding from the NHAI for the 1,500-crore project with a concession period of 29 years and construction period of 910 days.

anticipation of recovery in demand post-monsoon. However, the price rise had to be rolled back in October due to weak demand.

At the same time, input costs have risen. The Sanghi Cement official pointed out that rising diesel prices have indeed impacted freight costs for cement companies. Cement being a bulky commodity, freight costs constitute almost 30 per cent of overall operating variable costs. Srinivasan said, “While overall input costs have risen by Rs 100-150 per ton, freight costs have gone up by Rs 40-50 per ton.”

The total operating income for companies in Icra Sample (includes ACC Ltd, Ambuja Cements Ltd, JK Cement Ltd, JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd, OCL India Ltd, Prism Cement Ltd, Shree Cement Ltd, the India Cements Ltd, the Ramco Cements Ltd and UltraTech Cement Ltd) declined by 2.4 per cent y-o-y in Q3 FY14.

The report further pointer out, “The operating profitability margins for Icra sample declined from 17.1 per cent in Q3 FY13 to 14.6 per cent in Q3 FY14. Muted demand, pricing pressures and cost headwinds resulted in muted performance of cement companies in nine months FY14.

“Companies in Icra Sample reported 3 per cent y-o-y decline in revenues in nine months FY14. The operating profitability also declined from 21.8 per cent in nine months FY13 to 15.4 per cent in nine months FY14.”

Centre okays projects worth `266 crore

for W BengalThe Centre has approved three

projects - - the renewal of the iconic Tala Tank in north Kolkata, augmentation of Uluberia water supply scheme and solid waste management scheme of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), said official sources.

The Cent ra l Sanc t ion ing & Monitoring Committee (CSMC) of the Union Ministry of Urban Development, a day before the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission, approved the three projects worth around Rs 266 crore for West Bengal. The Tala Tank is an iconic structure in north Kolkata with a capacity of 41 million litres (9 mgd) and was commissioned in 1911, but is still providing service to an estimated 36 lakh population. Its area is 98m x 98m, depth is 5.5m. Due to ageing, some deformation is happening and some leakages are also noticed. The CSMC technical experts described the tank as unique and the sources said the approved

project cost for its renovation is Rs 67.81 crore.

The project will be executed by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The 10 mgd water treatment plant at Uluberia was commissioned under JNNURM but was inadequate in meeting the local demand.

To increase the capacity to 18 mgd, the project is being augmented again under JNNURM at a cost of Rs 46 crore. The implementing agency will be the Kolkata Metropolitan Water & Sanitation Authorities.

T h e K M C ’ s s o l i d w a s t e management project with compactors was approved by CSMC at a cost of Rs 153 crore. The project envisages 163 stationary compactors and 200 movable compactors. There will be a compost plants, transfer stations and modern mechanical transporters. The project will use 20 acres in New Town that has been recently earmarked for the project. KMC will implement the project, the sources added. Representation only

March 10-16, 2014 2

Tata Housing will invest Rs 1,200 crore over the next five years on developing 13 housing projects for senior citizens. Tata Housing -- a subsidiary of Tata Sons -- has launched the f i rst project Riva Residences in Bengaluru and will now expand its presence in the senior living segment by taking the concept to eight more cities.

“There are 98 million people of 60 years and this number is going

to double by 2030. Homes for senior citizens will be a very good and viable market for real estate developers,” said Tata Housing Managing Director & CEO Brotin Banerjee.

Stating that the company received good response for its first senior l iving project in Bengaluru, he said the company has decided to expand this segment by adding more projects in its ongoing and future townships.

“We will be investing Rs 1,000-1,200 crore by 2018 to develop 13 projects across 8 cities,” he said, adding that people of 55 years and above only can reside in these projects. The company is targeting to capture 25 per cent of the total market size of 2018 poised to reach Rs 4,000 crore. These projects would be in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, National Capital Region and Pune.

DOMESTIC

S Africa woos Indian investments in Sezs

South Africa plans to offer special incentives to tap investment from India in the special economic zones being promoted across each of its nine provinces. The country currently has four Industrial Development Zones (IDZs), primarily focusing on exports.

The South African government had already announced various incentives to attract investment, but it is studying various models adopted by different countries,

including China and India, to woo more investment.

Elizabeth Thabethe, the country’s Deputy Minister for Trade & Industry said it will choose the best practices adopted by each country to arrive at a comprehensive plan to promote investment in the special economic zone (Sez), which would focus on boosting domestic demand.

Coal India and South Africa’s Department of Trade & Industry recently decided to team up to

explore mutual prospects in the coal sector. The South African government is planning to invest $4 trillion to develop infrastructure across the country, she said.

South Afr ica and India have already surpassed the trade target of $15 billion set for 2015, and a new target would be fixed in coming days. Indian companies have invested about $7 billion in South Africa, while South African countries have investments of $610 million in India.

Land prices in Noida and Gurgaon may fall in coming years as Delhi market is likely to get 70,000 acres of land after the announcement of DDA new land pooling policy, according to property consultant CBRE.

“The land pooling policy will prove to be positive for the National Capital Region (NCR) in the long-term, since land prices in the suburban markets of Gurgaon and Noida would eventually rationalize with fresh supply coming into the Delhi market,” said CBRE South Asia Chairman & Managing Director Anshuman Magazine.

The consultant highlighted that DDA has identified about 200 villages

along the outskirts of Delhi for this scheme. It intends to convert around 90 villages into ‘development areas’ and about another 90 into ‘urban villages’.

Magazine also noted that certain peripheral locations of Delhi with large land parcels have been witnessing price rises to the tune of two to three times over the course of about six quarters. These locations are land parcel along the NH-1, north Delhi (Akbarpur, Mazra), north-west Delhi (Rohini, Narela), west Delhi (Najafgarh, Dwarka) and areas of south Delhi (Masoodpur, Kishangarh, Chhatarpur, etc)

Gurgaon, Noida land price may fall

Tata Housing to invest in retirement homes

Primarc invests `300 cr in Bengal real estatePrimarc Group, which runs the

‘Crossword’ franchisee in West Bengal, has invested nearly Rs 300 crore in real estate projects in the state. At least six projects across the IT-township of Sector V in Salt Lake, Kolkata proper and other fringe areas and suburbs like Birati and Chandannaore are already under various stages of construction.

Apar t f rom Crossword, the Kolkata-based group is also the master franchisee for Raymond in the eastern region and has interest in the

real estate sector also. According to Sidharth Pansari, Director, Primarc Group, around 1,600-1,700 new resident ial units wi l l be added through these projects over the next five to six years.

“Among the ongoing projects, the one in Salt Lake is for commercial use. Except a super-premium project (Astitva) in Kolkata, other residential projects would be in the mid-to-high range,” he said.

Most of the mid-to-high range apartments would have a carpet

area (area covered by the rooms) 600- 800 sq ft and fall under the price bracket of Rs 25 -35 lakh. These would mostly be two- and three-bedroom homes.

The super-premium project would have apartments measuring between 1,600-3,500 sq ft, and price upwards of Rs 1 crore. According to Pansari, Astitva has been given a green building certification and designed to ensure less power consumption, reuse waste water and rainwater harvesting.

Acumen to invest in low-income housing in India

Acumen Fund, a New York-based not-for-profit venture fund for businesses that address poverty, is about to make its first investment in the low-income housing space in India. “We will be investing up to $8 million (nearly Rs 50 crore) in India in 2014, of which around $2 million will be invested in the low-income housing space,” said Karuna Jain, a senior portfolio associate of Acumen Fund. “We are actively looking at housing finance companies to invest in and will close our first investments in a couple of months.”

Acumen has made 27 investments in India till date across sectors such as agriculture, education, energy and health. In 2013, the fund invested around $5 million in India. Jain said most of the capital Acumen invests in India comes from its global corpus, but it is now looking to raise additional funds locally.

“The challenge with low-income housing is that, most of the funds for

low-income housing available right now are between the Rs 12-25 lakh bracket. We are looking to serve the customer segment which is earning a Rs 20,000 per month salary in a city and will invest in housing finance companies which will, in turn, give loans in rural areas and also to registered slums. We will invest in developers and are looking to invest in Rs 3-10 lakh projects,” said Jain.

According to a report by property consultant JLL, the loan market for the Rs 3-10 lakh low-income housing segment is worth nearly Rs 11 trillion.

The key issue that stops people from availing housing loans in the Rs 3-10 lakh bracket, the report said, is the perceived high risk of the borrowers—that is fears of uneven repayments and loans turning into non-performing assets.

In India, Acumen will not only invest in new home developments, but also in home improvements, temporary housing, etc.

Challenging outlook for cement sector

The outlook for the cement industry continues to remain challenging with both demand and prices continuing to be under pressure, said rating agency Icra.

“The demand for cement was sluggish during Q2 FY14 -- a seasonal phenomenon -- due to a slowdown in construction activities during the monsoon season,” said Icra Senior Vice President Sabyasachi Majumdar.

“Contrary to expectations, cement demand failed to pick up even in the post-monsoon season due to continuing weak demand from infrastructure and real estate sector, and shortage of labour due to festive season,” he said.

Delays in environmental clearances for industrial and infrastructure projects and sand unavailability in some states contributed to the slow growth, Majumdar said. Cement demand is

expected to recover in the past quarter, driven by rural housing demand following increased incomes due to good monsoons and pre-election spending by state governments, primarily on road strengthening and improvements, state highways and power transmission, said Icra.

On cement prices, coupled with rise in raw material, domestic coal and freight costs has put pressure on the profitability of cement companies. The growth in cement dispatches on YoY basis remained sluggish in Q3 FY14 given the lacklustre demand from end-user industries.

According to Icra study, for most of the cement company’s modest volume growth coupled with pricing pressures resulted in y-o-y decline in revenues in Q3 FY14. The profitability margins also came under pressure in Q3 FY14 due to the inability to pass on the rising costs.

March 10-16, 2014 4INFRASTRUCTURE

Centre nod to infra projects worth `16,057 cr

The Centre has cleared seven infrastructure projects worth Rs 16,057 crore that fall under the ministries of road and shipping. The Public Private Partnership Approval Committee (PPPAC), chaired by Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram, has cleared six projects of the Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways and one of the Shipping Ministry.

The projects would have an estimated cost of Rs 16,057.45 crore, said an official statement. The projects approved in the road sector include widening and strengthening of Bikaner-Phalodi section of NH-15 in Rajasthan, Delh i -Meerut Expressway and other connecting roads in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The four- laning of Amri tsar-

Bhatinda section of NH-15 in Punjab, and four-laning of Sultanpur-Varanasi section of NH-56 in Uttar Pradesh was also cleared by the PPPAC. The project approved in the port sector pertains to development of additional liquid bulk terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Maharashtra

The Centre cleared the Rs 6,284.20 crore six-laning project of Eastern Peripheral Expressway to accelerate development in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and ease traffic in the National Capital. The expressway connects national highways of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, bypassing Delhi. The government approved the project by implementing the build, operate & transfer (BoT-Annuity) in design, build, finance, operate & transfer (DBFOT) pattern.

The Rs 6,284.20-crore estimates include the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre- construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 135 km, after the

Cabinet Committee on Economic A f f a i r s ( C C E A ) c l e a r e d t h e proposal.

T h e p r o j e c t w i l l e x p e d i t e improvement of infrastructure in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and the development of this stretch will also help in uplifting socio-economic condition of this region. The project covers districts of Sonepat, Faridabad and Palwal in Haryana and Baghpat, Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Implementation of this project will free Delhi roads of huge volume of trucks and buses that pass through the capital every day, and help reduce pollution levels in the city, said the statement.

CCEA clears `6,000-cr Eastern Peripheral e’way

L&T wins `1,550-cr Oman road project

The Transportation Infrastructure Business of L&T has bagged an international order worth ` Rs 1,550 crore from the Ministry of Transport & Communications, Sultanate of Oman, for the construction of a road between Bidbid-Sur section (second phase, first part).

The scope of L&T’s works involves widening of the existing 76 km two-lane road into three-lane dual

carriageway, the construction of 10 arch type interchanges, 5 two-cell vehicular underpasses, 7 single-cell pedestrian underpasses and 15 km of linked and service roads along the stretch.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 38 months, when it will transform the existing single-lane carriageway into an international-class, all-weather motorway, on

which vehicles can be driven at a speed of 120 km per hour.

On winning the unique road project in Oman, S N Subrahmanyan, Member of the Board & Sr EVP (infrastructure and construction), L&T, said, “This order augers well for L&T’s bus iness expansion plans in the infrastructure space in the GCC markets. L&T has been making significant strides in the transportation infrastructure sector, both in international and domestic markets through our well-established capabilities in design, engineering and project execution with top class quality and safety standards.”

Solar Energy Corp to set up 1,000-mw park in AP

RPP Infra bags `64-cr orders in TN

Solar Energy Corporation of India (Seci) has announced its decision to set up a 1,000 mw solar photovoltaic power generation park on a 5,000-acre site in the backward district of Mahboobnagar of Andhra Pradesh (located in Telangana), which entails an outlay of Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.

“The entire capacity will come up over the next 18 to 24 months. The site identified by the Mahboobnagar collector will be made ready with necessary infrastructure with an initial outlay of Rs 600 crore,” said

RPP Infra Projects said it has won Rs 64 crore contracts in Tamil Nadu, taking the size of order book to Rs 700 crore. The company has won a few contracts in the state. The company’s order book position has jumped to Rs 7,000 million (Rs 700 crore), the company said in a filing to the BSE.

The recent contracts include projects for combined water supply scheme for 212 habitations in different

Rajendra Nimje, MD, Seci, the nodal agency for implementation of solar power projects in the country.

The corporation has entered into an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation for facilitation of the land. While the basic infrastructure will be ready within five to six months, developers will be chosen through a competitive bidding process. The solar units will be modular with 10 mw and above.

The Sec i has t ied up w i th Japanese lending agency Jica for

unions in Trichy district for the Tamil Nadu Water & Drainage Board for Rs 38 crore, to be completed in 12 months.

The company said it “also recently won a contract for implementation of phase-2 eco-restoration in 300 acres of Adayar Estuary & Creek in Chennai for a value of Rs 155.10 million (Rs 15.51 crore)”.

I t sa id the p ro jec t w i l l be completed in 24 months. Besides,

initial infrastructure and plans to provide loans at lower interest rates for the developers. This could be 4-5 per cent through various multi-lateral agencies like the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and through the Clean Energy Fund.

“We have already signed for a 4,000 mw solar PV park in Rajasthan, which will be amongst the biggest such parks in the world and are also planning at least four more solar parks to be located in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and another one possibly in Andhra Pradesh,” said Nimje.

it also got a project for construction of hostel block for Anna University Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu for Rs 10 crore, to be completed in 12 months.

RPP Infra Projects CMD Arul Sunda ram sa id , “ I n s p i t e o f infrastructure companies being faced with turbulent times, we in RPP believe this year is looking very good with many orders and a few more in the pipeline.”

Projects worth `1,700-cr launched in UP

Cabinet note on FDI in rail, construction ready

With the Model Code of Conduct likely to come into force soon, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched a number o f infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,700 crore in the state.

He dedicated to public over 1,800 government tube wells under the Ram Manohar Lohia New Tube Well Project, and six projects of housing, urban development and tourism departments in Agra. The Model Code of Conduct will come into force the moment the Lok Sabha election schedule is announced by the Election Commission, which is likely sometime this week.

Speak ing on the occas ion, the Chief Minister said the state government has also prepared a detailed programme to connect all district headquarters with four-lane roads. Chief Secretary Javed Usmani said that of the schemes launched today, Rs 307 crore was being spent on setting up of 1,820 government tube wells.

Also, 27 important roads with a combined length of 541 km would

Union Commerce & Industry Minister Anand Sharma said the cabinet note on allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the railway and construction sectors has been cleared. “Yes, we have cleared the Cabinet note on the FDI proposal in the rai lway and construction sectors,” he said. Sharma signed the MoUs with the state government

be widened and strengthened by the PWD department with a cost of Rs 980 crore, he added. Yadav also announced to shift the Gomti Barrage at Lucknow and construct a new one in Rampur. Irrigation & PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said that under the irrigation system in UP, 72,000 acres of area was being irrigated by 74,000 km long canal system.

The PWD minister said 3,000 new tube wells would be installed in the next three years and irrigation schemes have been launched in Bundelkhand region, which is often affected by drought.

Usmani said the foundation stone of Agra inner ring road project has also been laid. He said the 11 km ring road between Uberpur and Fatehabad would be constructed by the Agra Development Authority with a cost of Rs 306 crore.

In addition to this he said the beautification and development of Tajganj area would be done with a cost of Rs 108 crore.

and other stakeholders for the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor project.

The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion had proposed relaxat ion of FDI norms in the construction sector and 100 per cent FDI in the railway sector. “We hope liberalization of FDI in both the sectors will be a major step,” said Sharma.

March 10-16, 2014 5IN PERSON

Construction Review Magazine Ad 15cm X 12cm - March 2014

“We knew every phase of improvements and the needs of architects and many companies like Walplast contribute towards the ever growing needs of improvement and technical advancement in construction industry,” says Kaushal Mehta, Joint Managing Director, Walplast Products Pvt Ltd, in an interview with Paresh Parmar. Excerpts:

Walplast started its journey in 2004 with a small manufacturing unit in Turbhe in Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra). As the demand for the products of Walplast increased, the company came out with as many as 8 more manufacturing units in different regions like Vapi (Gujarat) and Taloja (Maharashtra) in 2006, two units at Behror (Rajasthan) in 2007, Durg (Chhattisgarh) in 2010, at Vadodara (Gujarat) in 2011, and at Katni (Madhya Pradesh) and Perundurai (Tamil Nadu) in 2013.

How do you see the domestic and exports market for Wall Putty and Easy Plast?

The product Wall Putty came into existence in India in 1999-2000 and has actually caught the limelight during 2003. The market of Wall Putty was initially replacing the traditional way of application. Now, a stage has come where the product has to grow by itself which has been growing for last many years and replace in future the remaining markets where the traditional way of application is still being continued. The product itself is technically sound, very convenient and user-friendly for applicators and gives aesthetic value of a beautiful home. This is the major reason for which the product is well

‘Walplast contributes towards ever-growing needs of the construction industry’

Tell us about your product range. What are the guidelines, quality parameters fol lowed in your product range?

Our product range includes Wall Putty, Plasto Proof, Crack Filler, Sanla, Ready-Mix Tile Adhesive, Ready-Mix

of new products for the construction industry. To be more specific, the availability of natural sand for plaster is very low. The R&D centre of Walplast has started the process of manufacturing sand, and today we are in the final stages of manufacturing sand.

accepted and growing in all parts of the country, irrespective of metros or small villages.

Easy Plast is the product for the next generations to come where it improves and enhances the quality and durability of plasters. Thus, giving a long life to buildings. This product is again a user-friendly for the applicators and quality committed product to consumers.

Easy Plast Readymix Plaster brings down the actual wastages at site and improves the quality of the final application. Easy Plast Readymix Plaster can be applied with spray machine also which drastically brings down the labour cost and time.

Easy Plast has one more such product which is called Block Jointing Mortar which is used for erecting walls of blocks. It gives extra strength by the way of adhesion between two blocks with a minimum thickness of approx 3 mms as against the traditional mortar with a thickness of 10 to 12 mms. The polymer in this product plays a very vital role.

Walp las t Wal l Put ty is we l l accepted in countries of the Asian Pacific Zone and we export to some countries in Africa and the Middle East. We envisage huge scope for export market which is to be explored.

Plaster and Block Jointing Mortar. As there is no spec i f ic IS I

specification for these products, Walplast is using the parameters specified by the Singapore Housing Development Board and the European and American standards which are of international standard to test its products.

Walplast is in the process of getting IS code number for its new products which is at the finalization stage. Till date, we have been using the quality parameters of other countries of international standard.

Tell us about the innovation and R&D at your end.

Walplast, when started in 2004, in i t ia l ly the f i rst th ing i t could understand was the need to maintain the quality parameters and then to keep on upgrading the same. This was and is the only reason Walplast could thrive in this competit ive market.

For this, Walplast has set up a full-fledged R&D Centre at its head office in Navi Mumbai and continues to establish such laboratories in each and every manufacturing units. Our R&D centre is continuously evaluating new construction polymers and improve the existing quality.

Walplast is working on innovations

Any plans for new product l a u n c h e s ? A n d b u s i n e s s diversification plans?

Wa l p l a s t ’ s R & D c e n t r e i s continuously in the process of innovating new products and is now focusing only on drymix products for

construction. Today, we are working on the dry texture which is presently available in paste form. This product is already passed all the quality tests and commercial sampling is going on.

After getting the feedback from the market, Walplast will launch this product in the market. We are also working on dry primer which is at R&D stages. Another product we are working on is the gypsum-based plasters by adding new polymer to give better adhesion, whiteness and easy application. This product can also be applied by spray machine.

What are your plans and strategies ahead?

As these construction materials are of low value products, Walplast has decided to develop manufacturing facilities in different parts of the country to cater to the needs of consumers all over India. For Easy Plast, the company will establish multi-city plants for manufacturing Easy Plast with manufacturing sand as volume of this product is very high.

Give us your outlook for the industry.

The construct ion industry is probably the oldest industry since the revolution of mankind. Since then it has shown the phenomenal change by way of value addition, durability and quality in all the buildings being constructed.

We k n e w e v e r y p h a s e o f improvements and the needs of architects, and many companies like Walplast contribute towards the ever-growing needs of improvement and technical advancement in the construction industry.

There were days when even a single- or double-storey building was viewed like a masterpiece or wonder. But with development and progress, new techniques and improvements took place in all industries, including the construction industry. Nowadays, multi-storey buildings have become very common not only in metros, but also in all cities, towns and villages.

March 10-16, 2014 6PROJECTS UPDATE

MSRDC invites RfQ for Versova-Bandra Sea Link project

DMIC’s first phase launched in Maharashtra

Dedicated Freight Corridor project on track

ADB inks $300 m loan accord with India for road projects

The Maharashtra government has launched the first phase of the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Cor r idor pro jec t tha t a ims a t generating industrial output of Rs 20 lakh crore by 2042.

The mega-infrastructure project will be developed in two phases. The first one includes development of Shendre-Bidkin industrial city and an exhibition-cum-convention centre in Aurangabad, alongwith multi-modal logistics park at Karmad and water supply scheme for Shendre.

In the second phase, projects to be taken up include Dighi port industrial area, Dhule mega industrial park,

While most of the land acquisition and statutory clearances for the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) are complete, project execution has also begun with the award of civil contracts for 1,100 km.

The 1,110 km covers two legs of the Eastern corridor — Mughalsarai-Sonnagar and Khurja-Kanpur — and Rewari to Palanpur on the Western side. Construction, mainly excavation and earthwork, has already started on these sections.

Track-laying is also part of civil works.Tenders for another 1,260 km of civil works are in various stages of finalization. “We hope to invite bids and award contracts for these by December,” said R K Gupta, Managing Director, DFC Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL).

Alongside, tendering for systems

Nashik-Sinnar-Igatpuri investment region, multimodal logistic park, and greenfield mega city in Ahmednagar will be taken up.

“These projects have the potential to make Maharashtra emerge as a world leader in manufacturing and to generate an additional 38 lakh manufacturing jobs in the state with an additional industrial output of Rs 20 lakh crore by 2042,” said Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan after the formal signing of the shareholder and state support agreements.

The state government will take up the development of Shendre-Bidkin industrial city in the first leg, which

contracts — covering electrical (laying overhead wires and substations) and signalling works — is underway for 2,200 km so that they could also be awarded this year.

“Once civil contracts are awarded for a stretch, we want electrical and signaling, along with testing and commissioning of the line to be completed in four years’ time. There will be intermediate milestones for contractors within this four-year timeline,” said Gupta.

Thus, if the work of the electrical or signaling contractors is delayed because of the civil contractor, DFCCIL will pay compensation to the former by penalizing the latter. The penalties would be around 0.5 per cent of the contract value per month.

One major problem DFCCIL is now facing in award of contracts is Multilateral funding agency. the

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has entered into a $300 million loan agreement with India to help improve road connectivity along key corridors in Chhattisgarh.

“The project has been approved with an objective to improve more than 900 km of state roads, in line with the Chhattisgarh Road Master Plan, involving upgradation of road sections and strengthening culverts and bridges,” said a statement from the Finance Ministry.

The agreement was s igned by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary (Mu l t i l a te ra l Ins t i tu t ions) , the Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of

will have an investment of Rs 17,319 crore.

The Maharashtra government and the DMIC Trust have formed a joint venture for developing these projects wherein the state will have 51 per cent stake, while the rest will be held by DMIC.

“The DMIC projects in Maharashtra would cover nearly 29 per cent of land area and 18 per cent project influence area. Around 26 per cent of the state’s population would come under the corridor that covers eight districts -- Thane, Raigad, Pune, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad.

the absence of sufficient number of bids, especially in the Western corridor that is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). The Jica-funding norms stipulate involvement of a Japanese partner as the lead contractor even in civil contracts.

This has resulted in poor bidding, as not many Japanese firms are willing to enter the Indian civil construction market. In one of the Western corridor civil contract — for a 322 km stretch between Iqbalgarh and Vadodara — awarding got delayed by eight months because of a single bidder, which DFCCIL officials are not comfortable with. In contrast, there has been no dearth of bidders for the Eastern corridor contracts. On completion, much of the project is expected to go live by 2018 — the DFC will increase freight capacity on trains, apart from reducing transit time for moving goods.

At present, the average speed of goods trains in India is about 25 km per hour. The main reason for it is the higher priority given to passenger trains, which share the same congested railway network. This is despite freight generating two-thirds of the Indian Railways’ total revenues.

The DFC tracks will move only goods trains. That will make it possible for freight customers to also avail themselves of time-tabled services — a privilege now extended only to passenger trains. Train speeds may go up three times as would be fully automated signaling and no level-crossings.

“Also, not having to stop multiple times will lead to the trains consuming less fuel,” pointed out H D Gujrati, Director-Operations & Business Development, DFCCIL.

India and M Teresa Kho, Officer-in -Charge, the ADB’s India resident mission on behalf of the ADB.

“The project targets key corridors in Chhattisgarh and will significantly con t r ibu te to improv ing road connectivity in the state,” said the statement quoting Mitash.

The loan will be funded from ADB’s ordinary capital resources. It has a principal repayment period of 20 years, and annual interest set in accordance with ADB’s Libor-based lending facility, it added.

The government of Chhattisgarh will provide counterpart finance of about $128 million to cover the estimated total project cost of $428 million.

Two major tunnel projects on Jammu- Srinagar national highway to reduce the distance between twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, would be completed in 2016, the state Legislative Council was informed.

Work on Banihal-Qazigund tunnel and Chenani-Nashri tunnel projects is in progress. These projects are likely to be completed by June, 2016 and May, 2016 respectively, said Minister of State for Revenue Ajaz Ahmad Khan in a reply to a question by S Bashir Ahmad Veeri (NC).

Khan said construction work for widening of North-South corridor of national highway-1-A from Lakhanpur, Kathua to Parimpora, Srinagar is going on and is being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Border Road Organisation (BRO).

He said widening of the stretch from Lakhanpur to Jammu (Kunjwani) has been completed, while work on Jammu-Udhampur stretch is in progress and is expected to be

completed by December. Work on Udhampur-Cheneni road stretch is to be started, while the work on Chenani-Nashri tunnel is going on in full swing and is expected to be completed by May, 2016, he said.

Khan informed that work on Ramban-Banihal section has not been taken up so far as the approval for the stretch is pending with the Union Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways.

He said as far as Banihal and remaining part of the national highway in Kashmir division is concerned, there are two stretches -- Banihal-Srinagar and Srinagar-Uri -- which are being executed by the NHAI and BRO respectively.

Work on Banihal-Qazigund tunnel is in progress and is likely to be completed by June, 2016, he said. Land for construction of Qazigund-Srinagar road has been handed over to the NHAI and work on the stretch is expected to be completed by this year-end, he said.

Tunnel projects on Jammu-Srinagar highway

by 2016Ahead of the announcement of the

code of conduct for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, the state-run Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has invited request for qualification (RfQ) for the Rs 5,975 crore Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) project.

The 9.9 km project would be developed through public private partnership on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. The VBSL project would be built 900 metres into the sea. It would be a northward extension of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and would be the last leg of the link which starts from Nariman Point in south Mumbai.

“The project is expected to be complete in four years. All the requisite

clearances including environment clearances are in the MSRDC’s possession,” said MSRDC Chairman & Public Works Minister Jaidutt Kshirsagar.

He informed that the state cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure headed by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had given its consent at its meeting held in January. He added that the bidders would have to submit an RfQ by May 30.

Th is i s one o f the c ruc ia l infrastructure projects proposed by the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government, with a total investment of Rs 66,000 crore in Mumbai and adjoining areas.

On February 1, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development

Authority (MMRDA) commissioned the first phase of monorail services between Wadala and Chembur, while on February 5, the City & Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) floated an RfQ for the much-delayed Navi Mumbai International Airport.

On February 12, the MMRDA threw open the Sahar Elevated Road, connecting the Western Expressway to Terminal 2 of the airport.

The government hopes the 12 km Mumbai Metro phase-1Versova-Andheri-Gahtkopar corridor will be operational in March. Furthermore, the 6.54 km Santacruz-Chembur Link Road project, which has already missed 11 deadlines since its inception in 2003, would be opened for vehicular traffic during this month.

March 10-16, 2014 7CASE STUDY

The WeSchool institute campus at its workshop

in Mumbai discussed the growing concerns

of Mumbai, highlighting key infrastructure

issues like water supply, drainage system, waste

management and challenges of creating

an educational township

The ‘2014 Interdesign Mumbai’ workshop, a collaborative initiative of Principal L N Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool) and the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) successfully concluded an exhibition at WeSchool campus in Mumbai on February 18, 2014. The exhibition showcased around 25 prototypes created by participants.

Under the overarching theme ‘Humanising a Metropol is ’ , 30 designers from India and 8 other countr ies with dif ferent design competences came together to address some of the social and infrastructure challenges facing the growing city of Mumbai.

Mumbai’s key issuesThe participants worked on 6 sub-

themes based on pre-research done by WeSchool faculty. They visited various precincts to further understand the design bottlenecks faced by the city, focusing on key issues like drainage system, waste management, challenges of creating an educational township, socializing in a metro, improving outdoor experience for citizens, chaotic shopping experience, lifestyle-related health problems, etc, and ideated on the probable solutions which can be practically implemented.

With sub-themes like ‘Visualising Matunga as a University Township’, ‘Living with Rain’, ‘Zero Waste Household’, ‘Redefining the Outdoor Experience’, ‘Health on the Go’ and ‘The Great Indian Bazaar (unorganized and organized retail)’, the exhibition of the prototypes at the open house showcased many of these solutions which could later be applied in other Indian metropolises and emerging international economies.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, WeSchool said, “This is the first time ICSID-Interdesign workshop was held in India and we are happy to be hosting it. For the past two weeks, WeSchool has been an innovation hub with experienced designers from India and abroad devising ways and means to bring about simple design interventions, to tackle some of the critical infrastructural and social challenges in a metropolis like Mumbai.”

Water supply and zero waste Living with rain: The core idea is

to capture and reuse water, increase awareness about water usage. The prototype focuses on Mithi as it receives the monsoon water and can be turned into a sustainable water supply to the city of Mumbai. The idea is to turn Mithi river into a clean and fresh water body by the year 2030.

Design a schematic map of Mithi river by mapping its origin in a fresh water lake. Plotting the small changes that could be made in different parts of the river like building dams, filters, etc and turning it into a fresh water reservoir.

Mumbai’s infra and social challenges Create awareness among people

who have/don’t have abundant water supply.

Waste water recyc l ing and beautification of Five Gardens.

Develop Frog Island.Environmental awareness through

enhanced signage.The p ro to type a lso makes

suggestions to improve and make Mumbai’s water distribution system equitable by adopting the following model.

Install water recycling system in apartment blocks.

Models of toilets and showers for slumdwellers: Taps with different colours.

White: drinkable; Grey: washing hands, cleaning and bathing. Black: toilets

Zero waste household Under this theme the participants

worked on developing ideas and prototypes to address the issue of lack of proper waste management in Mumbai with the slogan, “If less is more, then zero is everything.”

(Contd. on pg 8)

March 10-16, 2014 8CASE STUDY

$761-million road plan with neighbour countries A f t e r p r o p o s i n g a t r a n s -

Asia highway to connect India wi th Thai land, the Centre has now proposed to improve road connectivity under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical & Economic Cooperation (Bimstech) with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.

According to a senior Road Ministry official, agencies such as ADB (the Asian Development Bank) and the Jica (the Japan International Cooperation Agency) have shown keen interest to assist India with these road projects in terms of funding and construction expertise.

There are seven projects which

The following designs are created for the same:

Public display and communication: To effectively communicate to citizens about the impact and hazards of improper waste disposal. This will encourage people to manage waste generated at an individual level by knowing, owning and fearing its side effects.

Technology and devises: Installing smart devices like smart water meter and gear-based taps that will help track water consumption through smart phone.

Recycle & reuse: To promote the concept of reuse, reduce and recycle.

Segregat ion, col lect ion and disposal: Adopt smart material techniques l ike put t ing v isual metaphors on waste bins to trigger segregation, timely collection and disposal.

Communi ty pro ject : Create awareness about the importance of waste management amongst various communities to promote a zero waste household.

Teach your kids: Use of card game and piggy bins to instill in children a clear understanding about efficient waste disposal.

Habitat design: Develop modular designs and efficiently use available space and resources.

Floating community habitatProf Hakan Mattsson, a lecturer

at School of Innovation, Design & Engineering (Mälardalen University, Sweden) has also designed a futuristic sea-based floating community habitat. A community accommodation built from blocks of recycled waste material will have a flexible fresh water reservoir at its centre that will store rainwater during the monsoon. During the non-monsoon season, the condensation of cool sea breeze will trickle down

into the reservoir, thus, keeping the level of fresh water in the reservoir always full.

Social spaces/redefining the outdoor experiences for citizens: The main aim here is to invoke people’s consciousness about being a part of Mumbai city. It involves community planning by involving the community in every step of identifying and solving problems.

The prototypes created under this theme complement each other and touch upon the various aspects of a society. Some of the prototypes created are as follows:

Maa Mumbai To motivate people to revitalize

Maa Mumbai and reinstall its previous glory by 2020 with a spirit of her old self by creating a link between the city, its people and the ‘Panchtatva’ the five elements (air, water, earth, fire and space, that are linked to five senses -- Space (sight), Air (smell), Fire (touch), Water (sound), Earth (taste).

These elements and its experience on the senses for Mumbai will be brought out in the prototype, For example, connecting ether, that is, space with physical and virtual vision, like creating different kinds of sunglasses to help track the various objects in the city by bar-coding them, which can be scanned by citizens using a smart phone.

It is also suggested to create a databank of the city’s various arte facts or monuments or objects of historic importance like oldest tree, statues, temples, etc which can also be read using a smart phone or I-pad with the help of bar-code system.

One prototype reflects a space which has been redesigned to include all the 5 elements in the form or a garden, a walking path, a children’s play area and a vertical tower which has been made using the 3-D Printer.

The tower has 5 levels and each level gives experience of each of the 5 elements.

The second prototype is a complete road which leads into a sea/waterfront -– as a person moves from one end of the street to the other he/she gets experiences of each of the five elements in a unique and soothing manner.

A parkoscope is a two-sided turning wheel with images of animals, trees, people, etc that will tickle people’s imagination and help create memories to associate and feel related with social spaces.

Great Indian bazaar As Matunga was the first gardened

landscaped settlement in Mumbai, the focus of this theme is to transform Matunga into a prime destination by designing a cultural, emotional and nostalgic experience.

I t i n v o l v e s v a r i o u s t i m e l y interventions l ike developing a model bazaar which will also be a multipurpose space for the old and the young in the city to meet shop and get various cultural experiences that will create memories in the history book.

The idea is to create an inclusive design that will bring together citizens of all classes, thereby creating a unique but diverse brand identity for Matunga with its eminent local culture, markets and aromas. The participants aim to promote change under the opportunity areas identified like:

Services: Introduction of changing bazaars near Kings Circle flyover; multipurpose spaces which can be used for different purpose during different parts of the day like jogging tracks in the morning, parking area during peak hours or a flee market twice a week where people get together to see culture like Mango Mela or a handicrafts market which will create a platform for people to

experience the spirit of Mumbai and Matunga in its true sense

Socio-Cultural: To use the unused and underused areas of Mumbai like the space above the railway workshop near Matunga station to turn it into a parking lot or market zone with stretches of greenery .

Navigat ion: Coming up with b rochures o r pamphle ts w i th information on various places in the city, encouraging alternate parking depending on the need of the hour to ease traffic congestion.

Retail: Responsible hawking by empowering hawkers and recognizing their efficiency, encouraging use of standardized selling carts and the like.

The above changes wi l l be implemented in phases to have Matunga featured on Lonely Planet by 2025 as one of the ‘Must visit shopping destination in Mumbai’.

Health on the go The main aim under this theme

is to create a system that will bring a change in habits, mindsets and to empower people to bring effective transformations in their lives and community spaces. For this, there is

Matunga as educational township

Students these days are not compelled enough to sit in classrooms, attend lectures or visit libraries. The participants under this theme tried to address this issue by creating an educational hub with something to learn at every nook and corner so that even if students don’t visit learning centres, learning centres reach out to them.

This could be done by turning social spaces and streets into classrooms and areas of learning. Various design and technology interventions will help achieve this goal. It will not only help in creating an educational hub but also encourage students and citizens to engage with the outdoor spaces to learn, to enjoy, fulfilling their hobbies, etc.

The prototype: Lakhamashi Napoo Road at Matunga to be turned into Celebration Street.

The design includes: A widened and contoured road

with provisions for unobstructing vehicle drop-off and pick-up bays. The present parking on both sides of the Napoo Road is proposed to be removed and relocated to Telang

need for visualization and transparency of real time data to influence people in order to take action. Slum areas, rich neighbourhoods and public places need a designed a system that encompasses all these.

Some of the prototypes created under the themes include the following:

Covering the sewage channels in the city slums with greenery.

Rainwater harvesting and spreading greenery in affluent areas.

Human involvement to answer the following questions: How can Mumbaikars really enjoy the city? Can the areas meant for transport/bus stops be made better; how can we bring greenery into these areas? How can technology help us?

Street, behind the Welingkar-Podar-Ruia campuses,

In teract ive in fo-exper ient ia l kiosks.

Open-learning amphitheatre that bring about an interaction amongst students and the public community.

The biomorphic street lighting fixtures that provide a new visual experience.

The mobile teaching bus takes learning to the road.

Graphic street s ignage that guides.

Prof Dr Uday Salunkhe Group Director, WeSchool, Mumbai

have been shortlisted to improve road connectivity in this region. Out of these seven, three are in West Bengal, three in Manipur and there is also a major bridge to connect India and Nepal, which will be built across the Missi River, added the official.

The ADB has promised an investment of $500 million for these

projects, estimated at a cost of $761 million. Once the roads are connected, Manipur will have direct-linking highways with Myanmar and West Bengal will have interlinking highways with Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. The idea is to develop the northeastern India as a trading hub, enhancing the country’s trade with East and Southeast Asia, sources said.

These highways are for the last-mile connectivity which is crucial to boost trade and investments within the Bimstec region. There is a clear mandate from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to build these at the earliest to reduce trade costs and capture a major share of the inter-regional market which is currently dominated by Chinese,” added the official.

The Road Ministry, along with the ministries of defence and external affairs, has been mandated to improve connectivity and logistical

issues faced by the region. “India is currently interacting with transport d e p a r t m e n t s i n B a n g l a d e s h , Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal to initiate and improve connectivity for which Japan is also keen to help Indian projects in terms of funding and construction expertise,” added the Road Ministry official. These projects will be built on EPC mode and will be done in two tranches over the next two to four years.

Out of these seven projects, four projects will be in the first tranche and the next tranche will focus on the remaining three. “In the first phase, two projects in West Bengal are almost ready as their DPR has been approved. For the other two projects in Manipur, central government along with the state government is preparing the DPR, for approval. After DPRs are approved, they will be up for further process for consideration for construction,” said the official.

March 10-16, 2014 9IN PERSON

scaffolding & form work - ad -10 02 14 .indd 2 2/10/2014 9:37:00 PM

“Client satisfaction, in terms of quality certification needs substantial up- gradation. Otherwise, the day is not far when external agencies will be needed to do the regulation, says Atul Bhobe, Managing Director, S N Bhobe Associates in this interview with Remona Divekar. Excerpts:

S N Bhobe & Associates Pvt Ltd was founded in 1964 by Damodar N Bhobe, a civil engineer and Subhaschandra N Bhobe, an architect. The company specializes in architectural and engineering projects.

It is ranked and reputed for its strong track record in providing rational solutions to problems faced in urban development in infrastructure. The group’s strategy is to make S N Bhobe & Associates Pvt Ltd’s growth in the sub-continent harmonious and sustainable and increase progressively its involvement in overseas projects

The consultancy is focused on providing advisory services for problem-solving in design, construction, maintenance and repairs. It provides services which meet or exceed customer expectations, deliver services on time, reduce cost by using latest techniques, emphasize and impart appropriate training for all employees.

The company’s sustained efforts to increase consulting business revenues in the past five years have borne fruit. With a concrete plan and a focused strategy to achieve business growth in its place, business revenues will multiply manifold in the next five years at a rapid pace.

As India builds its infrastructure, how is the ready mix concrete industry gaining pace as the most viable option to speed up construction process? Give us some variables that influence the properties of concrete?

W i t h t h e a d v e n t o f R M C , somewhere in 1996, when we had the first commercial RMC unit set up in Mumbai, we have come a long way with several units now available all over the nation.

The RMC industry has come a long way and is serving the rapid pace of construction by allowing main contractors to focus on the job which is construction and taking care of all problems related to concrete.

Of course, there has to be a lot of regulation of these plants which are now mushrooming all over the place with all and sundry getting into the business. The RMC suppliers have to be self-regulated which means that there should not be the need for an external QA/QC inspector (like project management consultants/supervising engineer/independent engineer) to inspect the material being supplied.

The current experience with existing regulations with most suppliers is bad. Client satisfaction, in terms of quality certification needs substantial upgradation. Otherwise, the day is not far when external agencies will be needed to do the regulation.

The RMC suppliers have to be self-regulated which means that there should not be the need for an external QA/QC inspector (like project management consultants/supervising engineer/independent engineer) to inspect the material being supplied.

The current experience with existing regulations with most suppliers is bad. Client satisfaction, in terms of quality certification needs substantial upgradation. Otherwise, the day is not far when external agencies will be needed to do the regulation.

What are the aggregates or elements in concrete that have been vital to strengthen the structure thus providing support, filling and embellishment to many buildings?

There cannot be any option to producing and laying good concrete.

‘RMC industry serving rapid pace of construction’

What are the important hallmarks of ready-mixed concrete for higher speed of construction essential for a contractor to align the operation?

Location of the plant in close proximity to pouring point, considering the time lost in transit due to traffic conditions especially in urban areas, will govern the selection of the unit. Track record, credibility of the vendor, quality of the product and last but not the least, the price will also affect the selection.

What are the opportunities and challenges in coming years for the ready-mix concrete in the Indian construction industry?

The biggest advantage is the prol i ferat ion of the plants, but unfortunately, this is also the biggest problem. Without adequate self-regulation, this is a technology which can very easily end up being branded as incorrect for Indian conditions.

While as the opportunities abound, if the challenge of self-regulation is not taken seriously by suppliers, we could very well see these opportunities going down the drain where setting up of a regulator by the RMC suppliers, for one.

The regulator on the lines of a BIS/ISO certification could be set up by institutions like the Indian Concrete Institute, the American Concrete Institute or the Institution of Engineers (India). This would ensure uniform acceptability almost on the line of an IS/ISO certification.

However, this is easier said than done and it has always been the challenge to first produce the concrete and second, to place it appropriately and then thirdly – t o ensure that it achieves the desired color, form and strength to give the structure the desired longevity.

Technology wise how has the Indian construction industry benefitted in today’s times since the late 40s than Europeans and Americans. How much more consumption is likely to be expected from the current level of around 3 per cent?

I t is diff icult to give specif ic examples. We have always had the advantage of learning from the technology that was imported because we could cut short the learning cycle, avoid mistakes made by others and bring only technology appropriate to Indian conditions from the plethora of technologies available worldwide.

Also, since we started late, we always were privy to the best available, time-tested techniques which were then adopted for Indian conditions. The consumption will rise exponentially when all expected development programmes will reach critical mass in implementation maybe around 2016.

In what way does the using of ready-mixed concrete have advantages over site-mixed concrete? What is the major difference between the cost of ready-mixed and site-mixed concrete?

The biggest difference between the two is that one is produced by experts dedicated to RMC, while the other is produced by experts in construction. The cost differential is created because of various issues like procurement policies, overheads and taxes.

To determine grade wise concrete requirements, how can an architect/engineer work out on basic minimum requirements to design concrete mixes required at an appropriate quantity at placement point?

This is the job of the construction engineer. The planners (architects and engineers in design office) have to ensure that they create practical designs so that it is constructible.

What are the Indian standards of measurement on ready-mixed concrete? (Does not include miscalculation in volumes, deflection or distortions of forms, loss of entrained air, etc?)

No standards exist. This is where regulation and standardization is needed.

Brief us on the quality scheme for RMC that involves continuous monitoring on all stages of production and supply order processing, purchase/control on input materials, concrete mix design and process control.

A l ready manua ls fo r these are available. Specif ications of organizations like the NHAI, MoRTH, Railways, CPWD, PWDs, etc are available. Further, the RMC units own quality plan, which is self-regulatory and also available. The engineer, generally, needs to accept and approve the plan best suited for the site under reference.

March 10-16, 2014 10REAl ESTATE

Construct your own bungalow

The cost of constructing an independent house

can range from Rs 700-1,200 per sq ft,

depending on various factors such as house

design, quality of materials used, etc

Newer locations offer more options

to investors, and are attractive to a majority

of middle-income home buyers due to

more amenities, more open areas and better

infrastructure

purchase, the cost of obtaining statutory clearances from various authorities, the cost of obtaining an electricity connection, the cost of raw materials used in construction, the cost of construction labour and the fees of the architect and/or contractor.

The costs will vary depending on where the plot is situated, as land costs differ from city to city and area to area. While the cost of building materials would remain more or less the same everywhere, the cost of labour and also statutory permits may differ in urban, semi-rural and rural areas.

The cost of constructing an independent house can range from Rs 700-1,200 per sq ft, depending on various factors such as house design, quality of materials used, etc. The entire construction process involves excavation, foundation, stonework and brickwork, roofing and waterproofing, flooring, doors and windows, internal and external finishes, water supply and electricity connections and sanitary works.

The cost of steel, cement, sand and labour can increase significantly, and have in fact increased a lot in recent times. This is a function of the state of

Whi le there a re s ign i f icant advantages to buying a ready bungalow from a reputed developer, many individuals prefer to build their own homes as per their own specifications. Here are some guidelines on what involves in constructing your own bungalow.

Suitable plotObviously, the first thing that is

required for constructing your own bungalow is a suitable plot. The next aspect required to commence building a house on it are the necessary permits from the concerned authorities.

This would include an NoC with regards to land use from the local zoning authority, a building permit from the municipal corporation, load approval from the electricity board, etc. It is best to use the services of an experienced architect or contractor, since such professionals are familiar with the process.

If the plot is being marketed as a developed plot by a reputed developer, there is very little stress involved in establishing the legal veracity of the land. If the plot is being bought directly from individual owners, an advocate experienced in property matters should do a title check. It is not advisable for a lay person to attempt to do the due diligence without professional assistance.

Costs and clearances The overall costs of constructing

your own bungalow would include the price of the plot, the stamp duty payable to the government upon

the economy and availability of labour at a given time in a certain area.

Local FSI normsThe FSI norms are laid out for urban

areas are inflexible. However, many semi-urban and rural areas are not bound by regulations with regards to mandatory parking and open space provision, rules pertaining to structural safety or construction regulations such as FSI.

The FSI norms within which you can construct your own bungalow will not be the same from area to area, and this mainly depends on which corporation limits the plot falls in, or if it falls under gram panchayat jurisdiction.

These are three main aspects to be considered for the construction of a bungalow, but it is by no means a complete list. Considering the complexities involved, it often makes sense to buy a bungalow rather than construct one.

Thane: Small town to metropolis

Over the past decade, Thane has grown from a small suburban town on the outskirts of Mumbai to a large self-sustaining metropolis. It has graduated from a town with narrow alleys and lanes to a city with sprawling flyovers, uninterrupted highways and wide roads -- from low-rise organic residential developments to integrated townships and high-rise towers by reputed developers, from high street mom-and-pop retail to large plush malls, and from piecemeal low-grade small offices to an established information technology destination.

W i t h t h e i m p r o v e m e n t o f infrastructure, newer areas l ike Ghodbunder Road and Kapurwadi

comparatively lower rates when viewed against core Thane city, Mulund and other areas.

Today, with many malls, hotels, eateries and other amenities in being place, Ghodbunder Road is seen as offering more amenities, a better lifestyle and infrastructure than other location.

Majhiwada, an established area, is considered the most premium location in Thane. There are many boutique projects coming up in this location, and apartments are being

started becoming attractive by the middle of the past decade. With increased population in the core city and the corresponding increased pricing of real estate, Ghodbunder Road started attracting more and more home buyers due to the affordability of the location.

Better infrastructureWith the pricing going up between

2010 and 2012 for all locations, Ghodbunder Road still remained a preferred destination for price-sensitive home seekers due to its

Arvind Jain Managing Director, Pride Group

Kishor Pate CMD, Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd

sold at a price between INR 2 crore to Rs 4 crore. Locations like Teen Haath Naka, Pokhran Road No 2, etc are commanding premiums over the newer locations.

However, the newer locations are also catching up fast and the prices in those areas are appreciating rapidly. These newer locations offer more options to investors, and are attractive to a majority of middle-income home buyers due to more amenities, more open areas and better infrastructure.

Kalyan-DombivliMeanwhile, Kalyan is emerging as

an attractive location for end-users and investors alike. Today, Thane has become a premium location, and housing there cannot be categorized as affordable anymore. Hence, a growing section of society is looking

for newer further locations with comparatively lower prices.

Further, public authorities such as the MMRDA and the civic authorities have taken up major infrastructure work in and around Kalyan, along with the preparation of the development plan for those locations. This is attracting more investors towards the Kalyan-Dombivli region. Developers are looking positively at the present and future potential of this market.

As a t rend, more and more developers are being inclined towards sizable, but not too large, affordable housing projects. This is creating the right kind of supply in the peri-urban locations (outskirts) such as Shahpur, Badlapur, Khalapur, Khopoli, Neral, Karjat, Boisar, Palghar, etc.

Joy SanyalNational Director, Strategic Development Initiatives, JLL

No home loan strategy should ever be based

on anticipated financial windfalls as a means to pay off the loan. It should be based on realistic factors such as reasonable salary hikes and maturing of insurance policies and

investments

Practical points for home loan

over the mid-term, and economic indicators suggest that inflation will continue to drive up costs.

Given that it is the right time to avail of a home loan and purchase a property in Pune, one still needs to consider the financial implications. As a thumb rule, an individual’s home loan EMI should not exceed a rational percentage of his or her net monthly disposable income. Generally, EMIs can amount to 50 per cent of monthly income.

Legal obligationHowever, home loans are not

the only cause of debt in the contemporary context. People take out personal loans and have pre-existing debts, too. In other words, even a ‘fair’ EMI percentage could prove unaffordable. The ‘ideal’ EMI component can only be calculated vis-à-vis a debt-free person’s salary. This would be between Rs 1,000-1,200 per lakh.

People availing of home loans sometimes forget that they are under legal obligation to repay. There are numerous cases where borrowers have neglected to undertake a due diligence with regards to their financial capabilities and the suitability of the loan of which they have availed.

As a result, they find themselves in debt traps and sometimes default on their repayments. Borrowers should stretch themselves only to the extent that they realistically foresee their financial position improving in a given time frame.

Realistic factorsNo home loan strategy should ever

be based on anticipated financial windfalls as a means to pay off the loan. It should be based on realistic factors such as reasonable salary hikes and maturing of insurance policies and investments.

If one anticipates a salary hike, even if this amounts to only a certain annual increase, one can consider a ‘step-up’ option for the existing home loan. Here, the borrower pays a lower EMI initially and steps up the repayment of the home loan in proportion to the assumed percentage increase in income.

Because of the on-going economic uncertainties, many aspiring home owners in Pune are still hesitant about taking a home loan and buying a residence. One of the questions that people who seek to make this beautiful city their permanent home is whether it makes more sense to rent now and await a price correction.

For those who are thinking of renting a home in Pune, there are many aspects to consider. In the first place, the affordability of both rental and purchased property is highly location and project specific. To illustrate – someone in Pune who can afford to buy a home in Undri may not even be able to afford the rentals at Boat Club Road, Koregaon Park or Kalyani Nagar.

Secondly, whether it makes more sense to rent rather than buy a property would also depend on one’s future plans in a particular locality. Does one wish to settle down there, or is one also open to other areas? It definitely makes sense to rent a home while one is making up one’s mind about a particular locality.

Competitive pricesIf an individual is certain of a

locality in Pune and is committed to settling down there, the right time to buy a home is now. There are many projects available in the excellent new residential areas that have come up in Pune, and prices are still competitive. There will not be a correction in real estate prices in Pune, as demand for a movement of residential properties in the city is healthy.

The watch-and-wait policy is only valid if there are informed reasons for anticipating a correction in a certain locality. On the whole, property rates in Pune will either remain stable or appreciate, depending on the area. Also, there are no prospects of home loan interest rates rationalizing

March 10-16, 2014 11

Tools like crushers, pulverizers and grapples are what is being sought after today. Source: Atlas Copco

Editor : Bina VermaEditorial Team: Dilip Phansalkar, Paresh Parmar, Remona Divekar Designer: Rajen Mistry

Business Team: Milind Joglekar (9833357005), Shantanu Baraskar (9820904795), Seema Kohli (9820904931)Email: contact@konstructionreview.com, editor@mmronline.com

No part of the contents of Construction Industry Review, in abridged or unabridged form, can be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor. CIR does not accept any

responsibility for statements and opinions expressed by the authors.

Metso wins three prestigious iF design awards

Hydraulic attachment tool makers join CECE

bauma Africa renamed Bauma Conexpo Africa

JCB India opens integrated facility in Bhopal

Grove GMK6300L – the only crane for job at New Zealand hospital

CECE, the European Construction E q u i p m e n t C o m m i t t e e , h a s broadened its portfolio. The recently established new product group ‘hydraulic attachment tools’ serves as a communication and information platform for companies operating in this field of business.

The companies active include Arden Equipment, Atlas Copco, Caterpillar, FRD, Indeco, Montabert, NPK, Okada, Sandvik, Simex, Socomec, Soosan, Tabe, Toku and VTN.

The product group is chaired by Torsten Ahr, who is Vice President Marketing at Atlas Copco Construction Tools. Ahr is convinced, “Especially the sub-segment of what we refer to as silent demolition tools will see a steady upturn over the next years as the industry turns towards more efficient solutions in demolition and recycling.”

The era of the sledgehammer and the wrecking ball is over in many parts of the world. Instead, sophisticated tools l ike crushers, pulverizers, grapples, and scrap shears are what is being sought after today.

The product group serves as a platform to discuss EU-legislation matters relevant to the section such

The first event was held under the name of bauma Africa, and it celebrated a successful premiere with 754 exhibitors from 38 countries and 14,700 visitors from over 100 countries. As part of their cooperation on in te rna t iona l cons t ruc t ion machinery events, Messe München and AEM announced at bauma in 2013 their intention to set up a joint venture in Africa.

Leading construction equipment maker JCB India Ltd announced the opening of its integrated facility in Bhopal.

The facility has six bays and is spread across an area of 29,000 sq ft, the company’s MD & CEO Vipin Sondhi said. The facility has

as the outdoor noise directive and to share information about market developments.

Statistics on hydraulic breakers and demolition tools are another core service. CECE is the only supplier of worldwide data of this kind.

“We are happy to supply such a unique tool to our manufacturers helping them to better understand their market situation and their competitive environment,” added Torsten Ahr.

One of the crucial future topics will be to address the problem of hydraulic breakers that are coming

This joint venture will be organizing the upcoming trade show as Bauma Conexpo Africa. The event will retain the current successful exhibition team and its CEO Elaine Crewe.

Eugen Egetenmeir, Managing Director of Messe München, explains, “Both partners have agreed on the new event name of Bauma Conexpo Africa. This new, joint name reflects the close and trusting cooperation

to the European market but do not comply with the European safety and environmental legislation.

The scope of products in this section of CECE includes hydraulically driven machines that are mounted to construction equipment such as excavators, backhoe loaders, and skid-steer loaders: breakers and demolition tools but also niche products and highly specialized solutions like screening buckets, mounted plate compactors or rotary drum cutters.

between Messe München and AEM.”

Dennis S la ter, Pres ident o f AEM, comments, “Afr ica offers tremendous opportunities for North American companies in particular. We are pleased to be supporting our members as they enter or expand in this market.”

The next edition of the international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles will be held from September 15 and 18, 2015, in Johannesburg. The event venue will be announced soon.

business felt its 300 t crane was the best and only choice to complete the job and limit disruption, as Wayne Slater explains.

“Placing a few 500 kg objects on the roof of a six-story building doesn’t sound hard, but add the variables of a hospital, 10 hours and limited space, and suddenly you’re in a world of trouble,” he says. “But we confidently knew what the GMK6300L is capable of. We got set up in no time, made our lifts without a hitch and finished well within the time-frame.”

The GMK6300L was set up at the hospital in just 90 minutes. It was configured with 92.5 t of

counterweight and a 21 m luffing jib extension, taking its reach to 101 m.

The equ ipmen t l i f t ed on to the hospital’s roof included air-conditioning units and components to construct a cell phone antenna. The maximum load was 0.5 t. Once complete, the crane was de-rigged for travel in another 90 minutes.

Metso’s mobile crushing plant, biomass moisture analyzer and scrap shear and shredder concept have received prestigious iF design 2014 awards. The jury in one of the world’s top product design competitions recognized Metso’s products for their design quality, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality, safety and branding, among others.

This year’s iF design competition had over 3 ,200 en t r ies in 17 categories to showcase outstanding achievements in product design. The awards were presented in Munich, Germany, on February 28, 2014.

In Metso, customer expectations and wishes guide product concept development process. The goal is to always provide the best possible user experience. Well-designed

equipment provides product users with significant benefits.

Ultimately, product design helps fulfil the customers’ needs, makes their jobs easier and sets new standards in environmental efficiency. For Metso, industrial design is a synonym for high performance, productivity, safety, usability and competitiveness.

The Metso Lokotrack LT106 mobile crushing plant is designed for crushing of hard rock and recycled mater ials for var ious purposes such as infrastructure construction. The design sets it apart from the competitors not just by its look, but also by the usability, serviceability and safer working environment it offers.

During the past 30 years, more than 6,000 track-mounted Lokotrack

units have been delivered to sites around the world. Lokotrack was also one of the award winners in the Fennia Prize design competition this year.

The Metso MR Moisture biomass moisture analyzer is the first industrial moisture measurement application utilizing the magnetic resonance phenomenon. The design features competitive and easy-to-use fuel moisture measuring equipment coupled with a user interface that can be used in multiple surroundings.

Metso’s EtaCut II scrap shear for crushing heavy mixed and demolition scrap, and the EtaShred ZZ shredder are both based on a g lobal ly applicable operating concept and product structure offering increased processing flexibility and low specific power consumption.

EQUIPMENT

The concept, which features a re-engineered design and an innovative control interface, was developed together with the German Institute for Integrated Design.

With a 60-year history, the iF

design award is regarded as one of the most important product design competitions worldwide. The award mirrors both current trends in design and the economic benefits delivered by well-designed products.

been built as per the JCB Corporate Identity norms and is equipped with standardized systems to provide a one-stop solution for customers, said Sondhi.

The facility is integrated with all modern tools and fabrication facility proving all necessary repairs under

T h e G r o v e G M K 6 3 0 0 L ’ s manoeuvrability came into its own at the job site. Despite its massive capacity, the crane’s al l -wheel steering gives it a minimal turning radius, which allowed the team to position it with ease in its precise location.

Following the success of the job, the hospital owner, Bay of Plenty District Health Board, has made a dedicated crane pad for the GMK6300L, making it easier for it to return and complete other jobs at the hospital.

Grove’s GMK6300L all-terrain crane is one of its most successful and popular cranes. Since it was first introduced in 2010, more than 120 units are now at work across the globe.

Established in 1965, Pollock & Sons Crane Hire is one of New Zealand’s leading lifting specialists. The company operates a 15-strong fleet of mobile and tower cranes, which it provides to projects across the North Island.

Grove GMK 6300L

one single roof, he said.The JCB has a large presence in

Madhya Pradesh, he said, adding that apart from Bhopal it has branches in the state at many places including Hoshangabad, Raisen, Sehore, Rajgarh, Sagar and Guna.

March 10-16, 2014 12

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No. MAHENG/2012/41844 Posted at Mumbai Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai - 400001, on Monday Published on Monday, March 10, 2014

Regd. No. MH/MR/South-355/2012-14

NEwS

Steel – sound choice for construction

Printed & published by Bina Verma on behalf of Asian Industry & Information Services Pvt. Ltd., and printed at Amruta Print Arts, 205, Tantia Industrial Estate, J. R. Boricha Marg, Opp. Kastruba Hospital, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai 400 011 and published at 1st Floor, Feltham House, 10, J. N. Heredia Marg, Ballard Estate, Mumbai 400 001. Tel.: 022-2266 0623. Editor: Bina Verma Annual Subscription : Rs. 5,000/-

for Professionals on Structural Steel Design & Construction during 2009-10 and 2010-2011, which is organized by INSDAG.

The technical sessions would cover topics like usage of steel in bridges & flyover, high-rise buildings and affordable housing, managing steel-based construction, role of service centre, Green steel, innovation with steel applications and software, technology innovation -- steel in advanced countries and protection system and critical analysis of specific structures

The seminar aims to create awareness amongst potent ia l consumers about the applications and benefits of usage of steel in construction and infrastructure and to disseminate knowledge about new applications of steel in construction and infrastructure sector amongst the user sector.

Steel intensity in India in sectors like construction and infrastructure is very low compared to the rest of the world. There is a huge potential for increasing the steel intensity in India from the present level of 60 kg per capita, as compared to the world average of 208 kg.

It is in this context, Ficci and INSDAG are jointly organizing a seminar on ‘Steel – Preferred choice of material for construction’ from March 14 to 15, 2014 in Mumbai.

Ficci is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India. Its history is closely interwoven with India’s struggle for independence and its subsequent emergence as one of the most rapidly growing economies globally. The Institute for Steel Development & Growth ( INSDAG) is a member-based organization established by the Ministry of Steel and the major steel producers of the country.

The seminar aims to showcase the versatility of steel as a preferred structural material for construction. I t a lso intends to disseminate knowledge about applications of steel and developments & design, construction methodology pertaining to steel.

The sessions would cover the usage of steel in bridges and flyovers, high-rise buildings, commercial complexes, airports, metro, stadiums, space frames.

Experts in the field of construction and structural engineering wi l l make presentations and share their experiences. This event is a platform where innovation, ideas, creativity will converge to revalidate preference of steel as a material, and where present will meet the future.

The captains of the industry will be present to share their views.

The seminar will have distribution of awards under National Competition

EVENTSMarch 13-15, 2014

Concrete Show – 2014Concrete Material & Machinery, Mumbai Contact: UBM India, Unit No. 1&2, B-Wing 5th floor, Times Square, Andheri-Kurla Rd, Marol, Andheri (E), Mumbai - 59. Phone: +91-22-61727272 Fax: +91-22-61727273 info.india@ubm.com www.ubmindia.in

March 20-22, 2014International Elevator & Escalator ExpoBombay Convention & Exhibition Centre, Mumbai The event provides an exclusive platform to get an insight into the market, trends and technologies that drive the elevator and escalator industry. The forum, apart from fostering thought leading insights from the stalwarts of the industry, also dwells extensively on leading edge technological advancements to the most contemporary design trends, safety standards, environment compliance codes and regulations.

Contact: Virgo Communications & Exhibitions Pvt Ltd Virgo House, 250 Amarjyoti Layout, Domlur Extension, Bengaluru Tel: +(91)-(80)-25357028/41493996/41493997 Fax: +(91)-(80)-25357028 Contact person : G. Raghu Mob: +91-9845095803

May 22-24, 2014Metal Buildings & Steel Structures ExpoBombay Convention Centre, MumbaiMBSS Expo is an initiative designed to promote the use of steel and allied metals in construction to showcase the latest products and innovations in the industry. The event also proves to be an ideal platform for exploring new business opportunities and for dissemination of knowledge in the quest to deliver world class technology/services.

Contact: INIS Enterprises Pvt Ltd, 116 Atlanta Estate, VItth Bhatti, Goregaon East, Mumbai

April 19, 201418th One-day Workshop on Jirnoddhara of RCC BuildingsThe Institution of Engineers (India), Mahalaxmi, MumbaiThe workshop contains structural audit, upgrading (housekeeping, regular maintenance, repairs, rehabilitation, fixing leakage, waterproofing of RCC buildings and a new concept to construct durable RCC structures without leakage

Contact: Jayakumar Jivraj Shah Tel: 28483541 Mobile: 9819242649

May15-17, 2014Ecobuild India To be decided soonIt is the largest exhibition of the sector that concentrates on the future of sustainable building design, construction and built environment. It plays an important role in the development and advancement of the sector and helps the exhibitors to showcase their products and services associated with the sector.

Contact: UBM India Pvt Ltd. Times Square, B- Wing, Unit 1 & 2,5th Flr, Marol, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East. Mumbai

May 16-18, 2014Roof India 2014 Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai The exhibitors will showcase roofing systems, architectural cladding, facade engineering, roof waterproofing, pre-engineered buildings, space frames and more.

Contact: International Trade & Exhibitions India Pvt Ltd 1106-1107, Kailash Building, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi

July 11-13, 2014India International Build Expo ChennaiChennai Trade Centre, Chennai,This event helps the professionals and experts of the industry to come together under the same roof and experience an ideal platform to network and interact with each other. Contact: Prompt Trade fairs (India) Pvt Ltd, 621, 3rd Floor, SIRE Mansion Thousand Lights, Chennai

September 11-13, 2014The Big 5 Construct IndiaBombay Convention Centre, MumbaiIt will provide the ideal platform for influential architects, contractors, consultants and engineers to share ideas about innovative construction tools and services. Contact: DMG: Events. PO Box No 33817 Dubai, UAE

December 4-6, 2014Ceramics AsiaGujarat University Exhibition Hall, Ahmedabad This event will be organized to enhance that potential by bringing industry professionals from different corners of the world under one roof. Ceramics Asia is going to be organized for three days at the Gujarat University Exhibition Center in Ahmedabad Contact: Unifair Exhibition Service Co. Ltd, Room 802-804, Daxin Building, 538 Dezheng North Road Guangzhou, China

December 15-18, 2014bC India ShowIndia Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida The International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines and Construction Vehicles-provides the international construction industry with a professional platform for the construction industry. Contact: B C Expo India Pvt Ltd, Lalani Aura, 5th Floor, 34th Road, Khar (West), Mumbai