Bangalore-based real estate major Brigade Enterprises Ltd has been recognized as ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For 2015’.

In a national survey conducted by Great Place to Work Institute (GPTWI) and The Economic Times, Brigade Enterprises Ltd has been Ranked No. 1 in the Real Estate Industry and No. 28 across all industries in India for inspiring trust among its people, instilling pride in them and creating an environment within the workplace that promotes camaraderie and many other reasons.

Brigade has been recognized for the fifth consecutive year by GPTWI and its rankings have improved significantly over the years.

Commenting on receiving the award, Mr. M R Jaishankar, CMD, Brigade Group said, “We are delighted to be ranked #1 in the real estate industry. When a company truly cares about its people, nurtures the culture, creates a great environment and offers challenging work, great things happen. Striving to be a great place to work is not easy, but it’s definitely worth it. It is a satisfying recognition of our efforts to create a good working atmosphere for our people.”

For more information about Brigade Group visit www.BrigadeGroup.com

Creates a Lush Green Oasis in Whitefield

Premier real estate developer Brigade Group has restored the Sitharampalya Lake in Whitefield to its pristine glory. Brigade Group joined hands with the NGO- Tropical Research Development Centre (TRDC) for rejuvenating the lake.

Commenting on the lake rejuvenation, Mr. M.R. Jaishankar, Chairman and Managing Director, Brigade Group, said “As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility Brigade Group took up the task of rejuvenating Sitharampalya lake next to our luxury project Brigade Lakefront. The lake was once a flourishing lake bed, with a bund dividing it into two pristine parts, but it soon fell to ruin in the name of development. So we took it upon ourselves to restore the lake to its original glory. The mission has not been easy, but today we can stand back, look at the work and be satisfied that it is a job well done.”

Paradise regained

Massive development work around the lake and the felling of trees resulted in receding water tables and the flight of birds to greener pastures. What was left of the Sitharampalya lake was a little pond, till about a year ago.

Brigade Group and TRDC followed a systematic path to restore the lake. According to Mr. Manjunath Prasad, COO, Brigade Group, the lake restoration work was done in stages. The first step was removing several tons of debris in the lake and its surrounding areas, followed by pitching of bunds to help capture water and ensure it stays within the lake area and does not seep out. Next, was to put pipes or a crack dam in place to check if there is any seepage. The banks were then pitched with dry stone along the periphery to help arrest any seepage.

With the completion of this, work on clearing the two existing feeder channels and also the creation of a third channel began. “We also ensured that no seepage from the surrounding areas was directed into the lake. Civil work to remove this hazard was also undertaken.

With all these measures in place, the lake will need just three rain cycles to be seen in its full glory. For the people of the area, the lake will serve as a great leisure and bird watching spot,” said Mr Prasad.

What has been achieved

 With this effort, 23.37 acres of the lake area has been restored. The following too, have been achieved:

* The current capacity of the lake stands at 13,692 litres compared to 9,197 litres earlier.

* A paved walking and jogging track of approximately 400 metres around the lake bed.

* A children’s play area.

* Pre-cast cement benches at few places on the walking tracks for relaxation of elderly people

* Over 1,500 trees planted in the bund area to encourage flora and fauna to thrive.

* A separate area created within the lake premises to encourage visiting birds; several Herons and Indian Cormorants are already visiting the lake.

* Nu-algae introduced into the water to reduce nitrous activity and bring down the growth of weeds

* Approximately 5,000 of five different fish species – including Katla, Tilapia and the common carp – introduced in the water by the Department of Fisheries.

With proper maintenance involving local residents and Government, the lake has the potential to be a good recreational space within the IT hub and upcoming residential developments surrounding the lake.

For more information on Brigade Group visit www.BrigadeGroup.com

 About Brigade

Brigade Group is one of India’s leading property developers head-quartered in Bangalore having presence in all domain of real estate – Residential, Offices, Retail and Hospitality. In the last 28 years, since its inception in 1986, Brigade has developed many land mark buildings in Bangalore and Mysore and has also expanded its operations to Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Mangalore.

The group has completed over 150 buildings in residential, commercial and hospitality sectors amounting to 25 million sq. ft.

The Brigade stamp of innovation, quality and trust speak of a standard that has been established, and is consistently being upgraded by our continual efforts to provide a better quality of life.

Premier real estate developer Brigade Group has won several awards at the NDTV Property Awards and CREDAI Awards for Real Estate (CARE) recently. The developer won an award in the ‘ Budget Apartment Project of the year – Tier 1′ category for Brigade Meadows at the NDTV Property Awards. Brigade Meadows consists of primarily 2 and 3 bedroom luxury apartments and a few 1 bedroom options

At CARE, Brigade Group won 4 awards across various categories. The awards were split across three zones – North Karnataka, South Karnataka and Bangalore.

Commenting on these awards, Mr M.R. Jaishankar, Chairman and Managing Director, Brigade Group, said, “These awards are recognition of our efforts to deliver quality projects across real estate markets. We are very happy to receive these awards which also prove our customers’ faith in our projects.”

CREDAI Awards

Brigade Group won awards at the second edition of CARE in the following categories:

• Best Best Dwelling below 1500 sqft (Residential) in South Karnataka – Brigade Sparkle, an affordable luxury project in Mysore.
• Best Commercial Complex in Bangalore – Brigade Rubix, which has a unique design and offers office spaces from 100 sq ft upwards.
• Best CSR work by a Developer – Brigade Group received this aware for the redevelopment of the Kempegowda playground in Malleswaram and the Skywalk on Dr. Rajkumar Road.

The most prestigious award of the evening was the one bestowed on Mr M.R. Jaishankar, CMD, Brigade Group in the Special Awards Category – ‘Outstanding contribution to the Real Estate Sector’ award.

Accepting this award on his behalf, Ms Githa Shankar, wife of Mr.M.R Jaishankar and Director of Brigade Group, said, “It has been a journey of hard work from every one of our colleagues who have worked intensely to bring things to this pinnacle. It is indeed a proud moment to be recognised by our peers and the real estate fraternity. This is akin to an Oscar moment for the company.”

Other awards and recognition

Brigade Group’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr Suresh Kris has been recognized as one of the Top 100 CFOs in the country for 2015 by theCFO India Magazine.  Mr Kris was presented the Roll of Honour for his exceptional calibre and contribution to the world of finance by Mr. U.K. Sinha, the SEBI Chairman at a ceremony recently in Mumbai.

At the GLOBAL Real Estate Brand Awards – 2015 held recently in Bangalore, organised by Exhibition Asia, Mr  Manjunath Prasad, COO – Projects, Brigade Group, was awarded the “Most Enterprising Real estate Professional of the Year”.

About Brigade Group

Brigade Group commenced operations in 1986, and over the last two decades has evolved into a brand that is synonymous with Innovation, Quality, Trust and Customer Satisfaction.

Headquartered in Bangalore, Brigade Group has a network of offices across South India, an office in Dubai, and is represented in the USA by an accredited agent, Legion Real Estate. Brigade Group’s portfolio includes residential, office, retail, hospitality and education.

Over 25 million sq.ft.of developed real estate, across over 150 projects, Brigade has emerged as one of India’s leading property developers, and is constantly setting new benchmarks in the real estate industry.

Bangalore, March 28^th, 2015: The Mysore Hall at ITC Gardenia was abuzz with anticipation at the 2nd edition of the CREDAI Awards for Real Estate (CARE Awards) 2015. Builders from across Karnataka had submitted their nominations across various categories before an eminent jury panel.  The awards were presented across multiple categories for North Karnataka, South Karnataka and Bangalore City.

The awardees list reads this way

Special Awards

• Outstanding Contribution for  Realty  Sector – Mr. M R Jaishankar, Founder-CMD Brigade Group
• Lifetime achievement award – Mr.Ramani Sastri, of  M/s. Sterling Developers Pvt., Ltd

Bangalore City

• Best Dwelling above 1500 sqft (Residential) – 27 Park Avenue by Assetz Property Group
• Best Dwelling below 1500 sqft (Residential)– Spectra Raintree by Spectra Constructions Pvt Ltd.
• Best Villas and Row Houses – Prestige Silver Oaks by Prestige Estates Projects
• Best Commercial Complex – Brigade Rubix –  by Brigade  Enterprises Ltd
• Best Plotted Development – Chartered Fireflies by Chartered Housing (P) Ltd
• Best Innovative Designing (Residential) – Greenage by SalarpuriaSattva and 27 Park Avenue by Assetz Property Group
• Best CSR Activity by a developer – Brigade Enterprises Ltd.,

North Karnataka

• Best Dwelling above 1500 sqft (Residential) – Vishal Skypark by Vishal Infrabuild Ltd – Belgaum
• Best Dwelling below 1500 sqft (Residential)– Vishal Skypark by Vishal Infrabuild Ltd – Belgaum
• Best Villas and Row Houses – Suvidha Nestle by Suvidha Realtors & Constructions Pvt Ltd – Hubli
• Best Commercial Complex – Hussain Icon Centre by Icon Builders & Consultants – Dharwad
• Best Plotted Development – Kushal Nagar by Siddharth Realty Pvt Ltd – Bijapur
• Best Best Innovative Designing (Residential) – Brahmananda by Chaitanya Associates – Belgaum
• Best Shopping Mall – Shradha Mall by Kalaskar Properties Pvt Ltd – Gulbarga
• Best Innovative Design (Commercial) – Gold Hub by M.G Associates – Gulbarga
• Best CSR Activity by a developer – Siddharth Realty (India) Pvt Ltd – Bijapur

South Karnataka

• Best Dwelling Above 1500 sqft (Residential) Inland Windsors by In-land Infrastructure Developers Pvt ., Ltd., Mangalore.
• Best Dwelling below 1500 sqft (Residential) – Brigade Sparkle by Brigade Group – Mysore
• Best Innovative Designing (Residential) – Bearys Valencia by Bearys Properties and Development Pvt Ltd – Mangalore
• Best Green Building (Residential) – Bearys Valencia by Bearys Properties and Development Pvt Ltd – Mangalore
• Best CSR Activity by a developer – Bearys Properties and Development Pvt Ltd – Mangalore

The Program was anchored by Mr. Suresh Hari , Chairman of the CARE Awards 2015, Secretary of CREDAI Bengaluru., with the introduction of the event being held for the second time followed  lighting of lamp by the Founder Member along with Mr. Lakshmi Narayana Commissioner BBMP, Presidents,  & Past Presidents of CREDAI.

Mr.Nagaraj Reddy,President,  CREDAI Karnataka say s, “The CARE Awards is a way for us to recognize members of the real estate fraternity who have done exemplary work in the field and to encourage others to do the same. The CREDAI family works towards improving the real estate scenario in the state and we hope the same message of great work is spread across the country.”

Mr.C N Govindraju, President of CREDAI-Bengaluru said, “This is a platform to recognize the efforts of real estate development across the state. Let these awards be an inspiration for all to excel in their field.”

These winners were chosen by an eminent jury panel made up of Mr.Satish Naik and           Dr  K S Anantha Krishna  based on presentations made in each category.

The chief guest for the evening was the Honourable Minister of Transport and Bangalore Urban, Sri Ramalinga Reddy.

Speaking at this event, Lakshmi Narayana, BBMP Commissioner said, “I am happy to see that these awards recognize efforts made across the state, in places such as Gulbarga and Bijapur, and which areas placed outside of Bangalore. These awards serve as an encouragement to all, to come up with projects that will contribute to the development of the state.”

Anil Nayak, CEO, CREDAI Bengaluru said “When we first envisioned these awards in 2013, we did not anticipate the brilliant response it would garner from the real estate fraternity. It was a pleasure to see members of the CREDAI family come together for this 2nd edition of the awards.”

The evening was peppered with performances by the celebrated Prince Dance Troup from Behrampur, Orissa. Each of the performances had a patriotic twist to them. The youngsters of this troupe are self-taught and are primarily the children of construction labourers. They have opened for major shows such as India’s Got Talent.

CREDAI Karnataka has Chapters in all major cities of the State, viz., Bengaluru, Belgaum, Bijapur, Gulburga,  Hubli-Dharwad, Karwar, Mangalore, Mysore & Udupi, with more than 450+ Members .

CREDAI Karnataka updates its members in State with the latest industry data, technology advancement, industry benchmarks and international business scenario from time to time. CREDAI’s code of conduct is adopted proactively by all its members and promotes ethical practices.

READY-built two-storey townhouses are being shipped to Perth from China.

In a Lego-style building operation, six homes were trucked from Fremantle to Cannington this week after arriving from China this week.

Innovative WA builder Craig Forster said he was forced to build offshore because no WA steel-frame home manufacturers could meet his demands.

The homes, completely finished with all the cabinetry, tiling, flooring, plumbing and electrical fixtures, were erected on Cannington’s Oak St in Cannington in just one week.

“I wanted concrete floors for the upper levels as well as the ground floor,” Mr Forster, of Dream Homes WA, a licensed builder and civil structural engineer who designed the family homes, said.

“That was too difficult for the WA companies I spoke to. While these homes are all constructed using steel-framed walls, I wanted them to have the solid sound of brick walls.

“So the steel frame walls have been filled with insulation that is 14 times denser than normal insulation, so thick you can stand on it without compressing it.”

To ensure Australian standards were met, he had a minimum of two people on site in China for the four months it took to build the homes and at critical times flew in specialists, including a quality control manager, welding supervisor, plumber and an electrician.

The townhouses come fully equipped with double-glazed windows, airconditioning and low-voltage LED lights and have an energy rating of about 7.5 stars.

There are bamboo floors downstairs, carpets upstairs, glass splashbacks, floor-to-ceiling tiles and even a waste bin under the sink.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes with double carports range in size from 128sqm to 142sqm and will sell from around $530,000.

He said the homes are Cyclone D-rated, to ensure they survive the boat trip from China.

He said building these homes on site with traditional materials would have taken him two years with the added costs of security fencing, scaffolding and site waste clean-up.

He spent six weeks on site in Cannington installing the infrastructure; a week erecting the modules; and it will take six weeks to pour concrete driveways and carports, join internal and external services and run in the remaining plumbing and electrical infrastructure.

While it wasn’t cheaper than building the homes in WA this time around, Mr Forster said “it will be a lot cheaper next time”.

“It should have been (cheaper) but I made a few mistakes and we had some learning curves because this was the first time,” he said. “But it will be a lot cheaper next time.

“But my main reason for going offshore was I couldn’t get the specifications I wanted here.”

He plans to open them to open them for public viewing for a short period at the end of May.

Fire in Commercial Building in Mumbai in Andheri East. Fire tenders, ambulances were rushed to the spot. The fire department said that it was to early to say if there are any casualties as they are trying to evacuate as many people as possible. Thus, no injuries or deaths reported so far.

Brigade Panorama, located on the Main Mysore Road is adjacent to Decathlon and right opposite to well-known Rajarajeshwari Dental College.  Surrounded with some very well-known educational institutes and companies like, R.V Engineering College, Rajarajeshwari Medical College, Delhi Public School, Toyota , Bosch, Mind Tree and many more in Global Village IT Park, this property offers easy reach to work places and a flavor of Old Bangalore. Brigade Panorama comes at an attractive price and is a very good opportunity  for end users as well as investors.

At Brigade Panorama, 7 individual blocks are interspersed with landscapes & recreation zones. The 25,000+ sq.ft. clubhouse comes with a host of thoughtful amenities like swimming pool, gym, sauna, party halls, proposed store, crèche, pharmacy, indoor sports and more. Outdoor sports facilities of Basketball, Tennis & Cricket Nets, kids playing areas and senior citizen zones promise to make life at Brigade Panorama fun-filled and healthy for everyone in the family.

The project has received very good response from prospective customers during the pre-launch phase is expected to continue as a favorite choice of home buyers in South-West Bangalore.

An image of the board has surfaced on Facebook and while the Herald Sun can’t confidently place the red pen in the “real” or “Photoshop” category, the listing itself is fair dinkum and has appeared in the same form on realestate.com.au.

“Perfect located one of the famous street in Balwyn, school zone of Balwyn high second colloge.

It is only walking minutes to shopping mall, 109tram and the Eastern Freeway,” the listing reads.

“The house features with classical style, stable construction; offers 3 generous size bed rooms with built in wardrobes, plus study space. Two townhouse permit!”

The aggrieved grammar aficionado lashed the agents’ wording and even suggested the property wasn’t that close to the Eastern Fwy as the sign claimed.

“D+ Well presented work girls. Next time, a little more care with proof-reading please!” the final assessment said.

Despite the contentious sign language, the three-bedroom property was sold on January 20.

* GST rollout, which should enforce reduction in consequent stamp duty by the state govenrment.

* Government discussing various bills on acquisition and regulation, also ensuring a win-win for all stakeholders

* Simplification of labour laws and scrapping of irrelevant laws

* Industry should be devoid of service tax

* Affordable housing concession on taxation for both developers and buyers

* Formulation of national building policy to enable better growth

* Lending rate reduction for better finance availability

* Granting priority sector status for real estate industry

* Speedy environmental clearances.

Quote from Mr.Vishal Mirchandani, CEO, Retail and Commercial, Brigade Group

We need to ensure that infrastructure projects that were announced earlier are getting implemented in the next fiscal in the way they have been planned. One concern in India has always been implementation and execution of plans and proposals.

We should also look at developing smart cities, and there should be a pronounced road map for this in the Budget.

We also expect GST to be enacted in the Budget.

We hope that the Government should look at lowering income taxes for the salaried and middle class.

For the retail sector in particular, we are hampered by service taxes. One area which could help and forward the retail sector is relooking service tax being levied on lease and renting of commercial properties. A reduced burden will help retailers increase absorption of space and also enhance their expansion capacities.

Shopping centres need to be classified under infrastructure sector. We request the government to at least provide a quasi infrastructure status and tax sops to shopping centres.

Ms Bani Anand, Founder Director, Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic

All industries in the country will stand to benefit from the GST rollout this year. Having said, there are certain expectations from the healthcare sector, which, if fulfilled, would take the industry forward.

* Reduction in service tax to around 6%.

* Subsidies/Grant for research in healthcare and aesthetics services. Such an initiative would throw open more opportunities for research in these fields, and this would be a big

boost for the health care sector.

* Relexation of laws related to import of cosmeceuticals. Besides, we also look forward

to licensing laws being relaxed so that import of these cosmeceuticals becomes easier.

Bangalore, February 17, 2015:

On his joining the company, Mr. Om Ahuja said, “I am delighted to join Brigade Enterprises Limited, one of the most respected and reputed real estate companies of India. In the current environment, credibility in the Real Estate space has become a crucial parameter and Brigade Enterprises enjoys great reputation, amazing track record & is well recognized as one of the best quality and innovative developers of India.”

Om Ahuja’s last assignment prior to joining Brigade was as the CEO of the Jones Lang LaSalle, Residential in India.

About Brigade Group

Brigade Group commenced operations in 1986, and over the last two decades has evolved into a brand that is synonymous with Innovation, Quality, Trust and Customer Satisfaction. Headquartered in Bangalore, Brigade Group has a network of offices across South India, an office in Dubai, and is represented in the USA by an accredited agent, Legion Real Estate. Brigade Group’s portfolio includes residential, office, retail, hospitality and education.

Over 25 million sq.ft. of developed real estate, across over 100 projects, Brigade has emerged as one of India’s leading property developers, and is constantly

setting new benchmarks in the real estate industry.