Mumbai: The handing over of India’s first wholly factory-made residential project by a Dubai-based company to Yenepoya University, Mangalore, Karnataka, was announced at the Dubai Property Show in the city.
The Mangalore project, comprising three 8-storey residential buildings covering an area of 100,000 square feet was completed in a record nine months, said KEF Infra, the infrastructural arm of Dubai-based KEF Holdings which is setting up Middle East’s first plant in Jebel Ali to design, pre-engineer and manufacture every element of a building.
Faizal E. Kottikollon, the founder-chairman of KEF Holdings, said the India project marked the successful initiation of off-site construction technology that helps reduce the duration and cost of construction to a large extent.
“With the commissioning of our ‘building factory’ in Jebel Ali, the Gulf region is set to witness a revolution in off-site construction technology that helps reduce cost and time of construction significantly,” said Kottikollon.
Every element
He added that in comparison to conventional construction methods that would have taken anywhere between 24 and 36 months to complete a project of this size, the Mangalore project took just nine months.
Kottikollon said KEF Infra One Industrial Park in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu is the only company in the world to design, pre-engineer and manufacture every element of a building ranging from wall panels, hollow core slabs, bathrooms, facades and windows to doors at a single location. “In a few months, we will have such a plant in Jebel Ali that will ensure perfect finish, superb construction quality and speed of delivery. He also said that his company was committed to creating a socioeconomic impact in the Gulf and India by introducing groundbreaking technologies.
At a formal ceremony held at Yenepoya University campus in October, Kottikollon handed over the complex to Abdullah Kunhi, Chancellor of Yenepoya University, in the presence of Karnataka ministers U.T. Khader, Ramanath Rai and Nalin Kumar Kateel, M.P.
“Our initial focus is on three key sectors — infrastructure, education and health care. In line with the Indian government’s vision of ‘Make in India,’ our primary focus is on infrastructure development by bringing in the best global practices, technologies and processes and integrate them to ensure enhanced quality benchmark and a significant reduction in time and money spent,” said Kottikollon.
Seamless coordination
Over 200 professionals planned the construction schedule of the project and the task involved the seamless coordination and transportation of the fully finished prefabricated elements from KEF Infra One to the site office at the campus in Mangalore.
The project’s 208 bathrooms were fully prefabricated, inclusive of all mechanical, electrical and plumbing works, sanitary wares, tiling and fittings. Innovative graphic concrete technology from Finland was used for the façade.
