Commercial Reality Rates may stabilise in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad’s commercial realty will experience a supply-surge of 3.6 mn sq ft in 2009-11 against the estimated demand of 2.5 mn sq ft; the oversupply will stabilise commercial realty’s outright values at current levels in 2010. This is a key forecast of the 2010 realty report issued by the Credit Rating and Information Services of India Ltd (Crisil).
Though a large number of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been planned in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the report does not expect them to come up in the 2009-11 period.
As for the oversupply in commercial realty, it has affected the retail lease rentals; that is the reason why the rates are expected to settle down at current levels.
Retail lease rentals have declined sharply on the SG Road, raising the vacancy levels. The average lease rentals on the SG Road declined by 20% during the March-November period in 2009. Crisil estimates that 1.9 mn sq ft of retail supply will be available in the market in 2009-11, but the planned supply is 3.4 mn sq ft.
A majority of the upcoming malls are being developed in western Ahmedabad. At any rate, retail lease rentals are expected to stabilise at current levels with a gradual pick up in transactions being expected in 2010.
Lakshmi Narayanan, the president and CEO of Real Estate Bank International Ltd, (REBI), a national realty consultancy, agreed that there was an oversupply in the city’s commercial space. He said, however, there were chances of growth in the coming period. “I believe that Gujarat has great potential for growth and therefore it will not face many problems in coping up with the situation,” Narayanan said.
Experts believe that the oversupply will unleash cutthroat competition and cause developers in areas that lie far from the central business district (CBD) to offer lower rates. In the circumstances, developers are also expected to work towards community-centric growth, focusing on value-for-money products.
The report also states that commercial realty in Ahmedabad is being led primarily by sectors such as banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI); telecom; pharma; and textile. Commercial realty was buoyed by a gradual pick up in transactions involving small and medium enterprises; private and PSU banks; insurance firms; and FMCG companies. Development spurred by IT/ITeS companies is slowly picking up momentum in the Infocity region of Gandhinagar.
Be that as it may, not everyone in Gujarat agrees with the Crisil report. For instance, the president of Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers (GIHED), Suresh Patel, said that 2011 would be a better year for commercial segment’s development.
“The year 2008 was not that good for the realty sector, but since then there has been an improvement in rental rates of commercial property,” Patel said.
He said that as far as he was aware, no new commercial properties had been launched over the past one-and-a-half years. Further, he said that the players who featured in property shows would choose the mixed-development model (commercial development along with residential property).
IIM-A placement begins
Things began to look up at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad on Saturday as regular recruiters returned to the campus after skipping placements last year on account of the global meltdown.
In the first day of the first cluster, under the new cohort-based system, Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Co gave out eight offers each. These included pre-placement offers too. These were the only ones declared by the institute on the first day.
‘‘In the new cohort-based placement process for the batch of 2010, companies that offer similar roles, profiles, salaries and locations are grouped together into individual cohorts. Several cohorts together make a cluster, interviews for which are conducted over a selected weekend,’’ said a member of the student-run Placement Committee of the institute. Regulars at IIM-A, investment banks like Bank of America and Merrill Lynch returned to the campus this year.
Ace recruiters from international investment banks, global strategy consulting, global niche consulting and private equity/ venture capital were the first to grab the best heads as the placement season began on Saturday.
Raisins Cafe Ahmedabad
Raisins a Gourmet Café has variety of pastries and continental food. It serves variety of sandwiches, fondues, platters. The mocktails are awesome. My favourite is the Cheese Fondue. Not only the sauce is amazing but the best part about it was is that it is served with variety of bread, nibbles and vegetables unlike other places where only small pieces of breads are served. The mezz platter (Mediterranean food platter) was also good. Garden vegetable skillet (Vegetables in black pepper sauce), though I wasn’t much interested in trying to my surprise it was really good. Pasta wasn’t very good though and neither were the waffles.
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Address |
Near Prahladnagar garden, Vejalpur, Ahmedabad |
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Contact No |
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Timings |
11:00 AM to 10:00 PM |
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Food Type |
Vegetarian |
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Credit Card |
Accepted |
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Water |
RO Water |
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Air Conditioned |
Yes |
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Home Delivery |
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Price |
Rs. 400-Rs. 500/- for 2 persons |
Scarcity virus hits lifesaving masks in Ahmedabad
The price of surgical masks that offer a measure of protection against the H1N1 virus doubled, just hours after Ahmedabad reported the first death caused by the swine flu in the state.
Pharmacists in the city say that panic-driven demand has outstripped supply, dismaying people who are willing to pay almost three times the normal price of the mask, N 95, recommended by the World Health Organisation.
The tissue masks available in the market are apparently not effective against the H1N1 virus. “It is advisable to obtain the surgical mask N95,” said Ashok Patel, a pharmacist at Paras Medical Store on the Civil hospital campus. “We sold the masks for Rs80. Now, they are not available even at Rs200 per piece.” He said a new lot of masks was expected by Monday, though the price was not known.
It is reported that some Amdavadis are buying the masks for their relatives in Pune, which had registered the first death in India caused by the H1N1 virus.
Swine Flu Symptoms
According to the CDC, like seasonal flu, symptoms of swine flu infections can include:
· fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
· cough
· runny nose or stuffy nose
· sore throat
· body aches
· headache
· chills
· fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
· diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu
Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure.
If your child has symptoms of swine flu, you should avoid other people and call your pediatrician who might do a rapid flu test to see if he has an influenza A infection. Further testing can then be done to see if it is a swine flu infection. (Samples can be sent to local and state health departments and the CDC for confirmation of swine flu, especially if a child is in the hospital.)
Cadila Pharma plans swine flu vaccine by November
Cadila Pharmaceutical Limited, an Ahmedabad-based unlisted pharma major, hopes to be the first to launch the vaccine for swine flu virus
H1N1 by November this year!
CPL had set up a joint venture (JV) on July 9 with the US-based vaccine maker Novavax for manufacturing of vaccines, including one for swine flu. The JV company called CPL Biologicals Pvt Ltd is filling application with Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) this week for phase one clinical trial for swine flu vaccine.
Company officials were confident Cadila will be the first Indian pharma company to produce the swine flu vaccine. “Novavax has already received permission for pre-clinical trials from US Federal Drug Administration,” IA Modi, chairman and managing director, CPL, told TOI.
Modi said the vaccine is expected to be available in November 2009 if permission for clinical trial comes from the government immediately. The government has already decided to clear swine flu related applications on fast track basis.
Modi said to protect from swine flu pandemic, two dosages of the vaccine are required over two weeks. The company initially intends to produce 2 million vaccine on a monthly basis and scale up production to cater to global demand, Modi said. “Sky is the limit as far as production is concerned,” he said.
The JV has already started building a facility costing Rs 100 crore in the CPL campus at Bhat to produce the vaccines. The new facilities will be operational after one-and-a-half years but the company will be able to launch the vaccine in November, using existing manufacturing capacity of CPL.
CPL has 80% equity and Novavax 20% in the JV. It may be pointed out that Cadila Pharma also holds 5.75% equity stake in Novavax Inc USA and has a position on the board of directors of Novavax.
BRTS in Ahmedabad
Bus Rapid Transit System or BRTS is a bus based high quality, high capacity rapid transit system that delivers fast, comfortable and cost effective urban mobility. In a BRT system, vehicles travel in exclusive lanes, thus avoiding congestion. There is provision of segregated right-of-way infrastructure, rapid and frequent bus operations, easy boarding and alighting facilities for the passengers and excellence in marketing and customer service.
http://www.ahmedabadbrts.org/Transit%20Line%20Diagram.html
Characteristics of a BRT System
Some of the characteristics of a BRT system which distinguishes it from a normal bus service are:
- Segregated bus lanes
- Prepaid / Automated ticketing systems
- Safe, secure and accessible stations
- Platform level boarding
- Quality service
- Branding and marketing of a high quality bus service
Shocolatery, Ahmedabad
Shocolatery is one of the best bakery café in Ahmedabad. Variety of bakery products and savoury stuff like pastas, Baguettes, sandwiches, pizzas, mocktails hmmmm are just too good to resist. It has the best of the confectioneries when it comes to being delicious, attractive and FAT RICH!! They do have options of low calorie food.
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Address |
Pushpak Building, Prahladnagar, Vejalpur, Ahmedabad |
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Contact No |
079- 29297096 |
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Timings |
11:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
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Food Type |
Vegetarian |
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Credit Card |
Accepted |
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Water |
RO Water |
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Air Conditioned |
Yes |
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Home Delivery |
Yes for orders above Rs 300/- in limited area |
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Price |
Rs. 400-Rs. 500/- for 2 persons |
Cafe Piano At TGB, Ahmedabad
‘Café Piano’ at TGB is round the clock coffee shop run by TGB group. Decorated on piano theme is located in the centre of the hotel with nice comfortable seating and a wide menu to munch from. Café Piano is open 24 hours.
Feast on Cafe Piano’s Saturday lunch buffet with a scrumptious range of vegetarian delicacies to choose from. For meager Rs. 199/- per adult you can choose from 3 mocktails, soups, Lebanese, Indian, Chinese dishes and 6 varieties of sweets and icecream. The food is piping hot and the service is good. Buffet lunches are only on weekdays and a la carte menu on all days
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Address |
The Grand Bhagwati |
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Contact No |
079- 26841000 |
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Timings |
07.00 am to 10.00 am Supreme Break fast 12.00 noon to 3.30 pm Quick Lunch 11.30 pm to 3.30 am Midnight Mauj Masti |
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Food Type |
Vegetarian |
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Credit Card |
Accepted |
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Water |
RO Water |
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Air Conditioned |
Yes |
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Home Delivery |
No |
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Price |
Breakfast – Rs. 149/-per adult Lunch – Rs. 199/-per adult Midnight – Rs. 199/-per adult Ala carte depend upon the order you choose |
Tomatoes Ahmedabad
‘Tomatoes’ is a fine dine and yet casually ever YOUNG restaurant created by a Passionate Parsee who is bent on infusing some life into your dinning experience even in a alchohol free massively vegetarian Ahmedabad gourmet life. The menu card itself is inviting you to be as you are in its hospitality! It has created a USA -UK of 1950-60’s with beatles Elvis et al dominated by Monroe extending her legs from old posters !
They have different seating arrangements suited to tastes-Rissottos and sizzlers continental,asian and Indian-coastal punjabi as original as it gets they serve you the menu card that you will want to come here.
My personal favourites is Tiramisu MOcktail and Mexican food.
| Address | Mardia Plaza, CG Rd, Navarangpura, Ahmedabad 380009 |
| Contact No | 079- 26461998 |
| Timings | |
| Food Type | Veg & Non Vegetarian Asian, Bakery, Chinese, Dessert, Indian, Italian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Thai, Continental, Fast Food, Pizza & Pasta |
| Credit Card | Accepted |
| Water | RO Water |
| Air Conditioned | Yes |
| Home Delivery | No |
| Price | Approx Rs. 250/- to Rs. 350/- per person |