A concept holding promise

A concept holding promise
The concept of integrated townships along an ‘infrastructure corridor’, or ‘knowledge centres’ bring another dimension to the city and more real estate options, says B S Manu Rao
The Times of India


All it takes in any part of Bangalore to see a real estate boom is a new road. It happened with the Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, and promises to be the case with the planned Peripheral Ring Road. Connectivity it seems is the key. Infrastructure has always been a thrust behind real estate development. Be it civic infrastructure that promotes connectivity, plug-and-play facilities or IT zones created by the State Government, any development that supports commercial growth and brings with it residential options leads to the locality finding demand.
Primarily, roads have always served the need of connectivity. Be it the six-lane road to Devanahalli or the Outer Ring Road, they are meant to make commuting faster and easier. But just around the corner is another concept - the 'infrastructure corridor' or 'knowledge centre', or simply put, an economic zone created around a road to promote industry and housing in a planned and integrated development.
Bangalore will see the first such integrated development with the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP). Another such development will be the Knowledge Centres in eight satellite townships around the city linked by the planned Peripheral Ring Road. While five have been identified for development - Ramanagara, Bidadi, Sathnur, Solur and Nandagudi - another three will be identified as surveys are on. A plot of 9,500 acres has been allocated in Ramanagara for the Knowledge Centre.
So what exactly is an infrastructure corridor or knowledge centre and how does it promote development and create opportunities?
"These centres will have all conveniences it takes to make an integrated knowledge centre such as workplaces, education and recreation facilities, and civic infrastructure. It will be totally out-sourced and put up using the public-private partnership model", says M N Vidyashankar, IT Secretary, Government of Karnataka. "The knowledge centres will be easily accessible from the city as the Peripheral Ring Road will be linked to the Outer Ring Road in 12 locations. This means you can reach any of these centres from the city in less than 90 minutes", he says. These centres will host the IT and ITeS sectors, and create an estimated five lakh jobs.
The BMICP too holds promise with an estimated 10 lakh jobs with its five townships. The centres here will be integrated with civic infrastructure, workspaces and residential options.
A key factor that makes this concept unique is the conveniences it affords those investing in it either as entrepreneurs or residents. Walk-to-work is a possibility and modern conveniences and technology is easy to come by as the townships will be planned to accommodate them.
"We look at outskirts and go for these combination workspaces that have residential options too as they are convenient for techies who work for more than eight hours daily. With hectic schedules, the conveniences and infrastructure these townships offer makes it easier to strike a worklife balance for the techies", says S Hemkumar, Senior Manager - Facilities, Novell India. "Bangalore has its own advantages that draw people. These townships will help in easing congestion in the city, making it more attractive as both a base for entrepreneurs and those seeking career options", he adds.
The international airport is a boost to the city's draw as an investment destination and the metro rail will go a long way in augmenting its efficiency for commuters. These townships will add another dimension to the city to make it an attractive real estate menu for investors .A concept holding promise
The concept of integrated townships along an ‘infrastructure corridor’, or ‘knowledge centres’ bring another dimension to the city and more real estate options, says B S Manu Rao


All it takes in any part of Bangalore to see a real estate boom is a new road. It happened with the Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, and promises to be the case with the planned Peripheral Ring Road. Connectivity it seems is the key. Infrastructure has always been a thrust behind real estate development. Be it civic infrastructure that promotes connectivity, plug-and-play facilities or IT zones created by the State Government, any development that supports commercial growth and brings with it residential options leads to the locality finding demand.
Primarily, roads have always served the need of connectivity. Be it the six-lane road to Devanahalli or the Outer Ring Road, they are meant to make commuting faster and easier. But just around the corner is another concept - the 'infrastructure corridor' or 'knowledge centre', or simply put, an economic zone created around a road to promote industry and housing in a planned and integrated development.
Bangalore will see the first such integrated development with the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP). Another such development will be the Knowledge Centres in eight satellite townships around the city linked by the planned Peripheral Ring Road. While five have been identified for development - Ramanagara, Bidadi, Sathnur, Solur and Nandagudi - another three will be identified as surveys are on. A plot of 9,500 acres has been allocated in Ramanagara for the Knowledge Centre.
So what exactly is an infrastructure corridor or knowledge centre and how does it promote development and create opportunities?
"These centres will have all conveniences it takes to make an integrated knowledge centre such as workplaces, education and recreation facilities, and civic infrastructure. It will be totally out-sourced and put up using the public-private partnership model", says M N Vidyashankar, IT Secretary, Government of Karnataka. "The knowledge centres will be easily accessible from the city as the Peripheral Ring Road will be linked to the Outer Ring Road in 12 locations. This means you can reach any of these centres from the city in less than 90 minutes", he says. These centres will host the IT and ITeS sectors, and create an estimated five lakh jobs.
The BMICP too holds promise with an estimated 10 lakh jobs with its five townships. The centres here will be integrated with civic infrastructure, workspaces and residential options.
A key factor that makes this concept unique is the conveniences it affords those investing in it either as entrepreneurs or residents. Walk-to-work is a possibility and modern conveniences and technology is easy to come by as the townships will be planned to accommodate them.
"We look at outskirts and go for these combination workspaces that have residential options too as they are convenient for techies who work for more than eight hours daily. With hectic schedules, the conveniences and infrastructure these townships offer makes it easier to strike a worklife balance for the techies", says S Hemkumar, Senior Manager - Facilities, Novell India. "Bangalore has its own advantages that draw people. These townships will help in easing congestion in the city, making it more attractive as both a base for entrepreneurs and those seeking career options", he adds.
The international airport is a boost to the city's draw as an investment destination and the metro rail will go a long way in augmenting its efficiency for commuters. These townships will add another dimension to the city to make it an attractive real estate menu for investors .