Singapore firm investing Rs.1,500 crore in India

Singapore-based multi-national KEF Holdings LLC, which specialises in offsite construction technology, Thursday announced investing Rs.1,500 crore in India over the next five years.

"The investments will be channelled through our twin business verticals - KEF Infra and KEF Health," KEF founder-chairman Faizal E. Kottikollon told reporters here.

The seven-year-old holding firm with operations also in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has six business verticals focusing on infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, metals and investments in growth sectors.

The first project - KEF Industrial Park - is being built on 42 acres of land in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, about 90 km from Bengaluru, as an integrated facility for the offsite construction sector with dedicated units for precast, prefabricated bathrooms, joinery and aluminum glazing.

"Manufacturing building components such as columns, beams, hollow core slabs, wall panels, staircases, windows, doors, bathroom units and facades at one place will help reduce construction period 50 percent, shrink project costs 30 percent and minimise wastage," he said.

The construction industry will also have the advantage of precast technology with in-built fire-proofing and reduced need for form-work and scaffolding at the on-site.

Similarly, the robotics-driven pre-fabricated bathroom facility will have an installed capacity to manufacture 30,000 units a year.

"We want to be a game-changer in the Indian construction industry by catering to core sectors like education, healthcare and housing through design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and project management," he said.

The second project - PMHP Hospital (Premium Medical Healthcare Providers), a 500-bed tertiary care facility - is being built in Kozhikode in Kerala, to provide treatment in cardiology, orthopaedics and neurosciences.

Both the projects are expected to be completed by April 2015 and March 2016 respectively.

"In line with the central government's 'Make in India' vision, we will focus on infrastructure, education and healthcare through infrastructure development across the country with best practices, processes and technologies from the world over," he said.

A joint venture with the PeeKay group of Kerala and eminent cardiologist Ali Faizal, the PMHP hospital has been designed using precast and modular construction technology.

"We want to reduce healthcare cost through industrialising infrastructure, creating evidence-based care paths and promoting disruptive healthcare technology," he said.

Industrial Policy and Promotion department secretary Amitabh Kant said KEF's infrastructure development projects would help change the country at the grassroots by improving skill sets, enhancing competitiveness in construction and ensuring sustainability of growth.