Regulator for real estate likely soon

Undeterred by stiff opposition from private developers and builders, the Union housing ministry is pushing hard to bring the real estate regulator bill — aiming to protect homebuyers — in the current session of Parliament.

Housing minister said on Sunday that the bill was expected to be soon brought up before the Cabinet for its consideration before being introduced in Parliament.

The government is looking to set up a tough regulator for the realty sector. The bill is expected to have provisions of even jail terms for developers if they put out misleading advertisements about projects.

House that

Bill to be introduced soon aims to protect homebuyers by setting up tough regulator Provisions of even jail terms for developers for putting out misleading ads Regulator to ensure every project is registered and has all required clearances

Bill: No housing ad before plan nod

It will be interesting to see if the legislation, which has been pending since 2009, becomes a reality before the 2014 general elections.

The consumer-friendly law was again returned from the Cabinet after objections were raised by some ministers. The legislation will clearly define ‘carpet area’, and private developers will not be allowed to sell houses or flats on the basis of ambiguous ‘super area’ .

A real estate regulator in every state will ensure that private developers get all projects registered before sale of property and after getting all necessary clearances — addressing a major concern of buyers about incomplete or fraudulent land acquisition and pending clearances.

The bill has proposed builders would not advertise or start a housing project before getting all necessary clearances and reporting before a real estate regulator.

The developers cannot collect any money from buyers before completing all necessary permits to start construction on the project.

The minister said builders wouldn’t be allowed to use pictures of housing projects in foreign countries to lure buyers while advertising a project . They will have to use pictures reflecting the actual project which will be delivered to homebuyers.

Source: The Economic Times, Delhi/NCR

“Point of Know Return” is our next 5 day Camp

“Point of Know Return” is our next 5 day Camp from April 15th to 19th, 2013The “Point of Know Return” will walk you down all vital aspects required to be a musician at a gig and in the studio.Faculty for this camp : Farah Siraj Voice Faculty, Jordan Jake Hertzog Guitar Faculty, USA Dario Boente Piano/Keyboards Faculty, Argentina Andres Rotmistrovsky Bass Faculty, Argentina Jovol ‘BAM BAM’ Bell Drums Faculty, USA Dr. S.Karthick Indian Studies Faculty, India Faculty for this camp : Farah Siraj Voice Faculty, Jordan Jake Hertzog Guitar Faculty, USA Dario Boente Piano/Keyboards Faculty, Argentina Andres Rotmistrovsky Bass Faculty, Argentina Jovol ‘BAM BAM’ Bell Drums Faculty, USA Dr. S.Karthick Indian Studies Faculty, India This camp is fully residential, accommodation would be provided in our serviced apartments and 3 meals a day would be provided from our multi-cuisine cafeteria. Fees: The Tuition including accommodation and 3 meals a day is Rs. 20,000/- for Indian Applicants and USD 400, for International Applicants. To Apply http://sam.org.in/academics/camps/

Marg Bags Three of Construction Industry’s Biggest Awards During Feb-March 201

MARG Group, one of India’s leading infrastructure companies announced that it has bagged 3 prestigious Infra awards in quick succession. During the period of Feb-March 2013, the Group bagged 3 prestigious awards thereby once again reiterating the credentials that MARG has established in the industry.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India., March 22, 2013 – (PressReleasePoint) – MARG Group, one of India’s leading infrastructure companies announced that it has bagged 3 prestigious Infra awards in quick succession. During the period of Feb-March 2013, the Group bagged 3 prestigious awards thereby once again reiterating the credentials that MARG has established in the industry.

In the recently concluded 5th CIDC Vishwakarma Awards 2013, CIDC, New Delhi –  an apex body set up by the Planning Commission of India handing handed out the most prestigious set of awards that recognize and facilitate achievers in the construction sector, GRK Reddy, CMD MARG GROUP was chosen as ‘Industry Doyen’ for his exemplary contribution to the construction sector through adoption of path breaking technologies, best practices, people management and CSR initiatives .

Also, MARG Ltd was chosen as ‘Best Professionally Managed Company’ for exhibiting professionalism across its operation. The awards are an embodiment of encouraging truly successful efforts from individuals and organizations that have made a mark on the present Indian Construction Industry in terms of delivering better outputs, processes and creating higher benchmarks for construction industry to help in nation building.

CIDC selects the winners through a stringent systematic process involving site visits & personal interaction with key functionaries of the organisation.

These two awards were followed by another laurel for MARG in the form of the prestigious 5th KPMG Infrastructure Today Awards’ 2013.This annual award event organized by Infrastructure Today in association with KPMG recognizes excellence in infrastructure sector. MARG Karaikal Port was adjudged as ‘Most admired emerging Infrastructure Company’ for its excellent performance & growth in transport segment. The selection to these awards goes through an extensive industry survey conducted by Infrastructure Today followed by elaborate discussions and voting by a panel of eminent jury from the construction sector.

While commenting on MARG’s feat at the prestigious industry forums, GRK Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, MARG Group said that “The three biggest awards in construction sector to MARG within a short span is a reaffirmation of our innovative business models, managerial practices & systems and an unwavering customer focus. Also, it acknowledges our continuous endeavor towards excellence in operations through concerted efforts for achieving high standards of productivity.”

Mr. Reddy further added, “We have a rich base of satisfied customers which is growing year-on-year. MARG Karaikal port has a prestigious client base which reflects a diversified cargo-mix .Our real estate customers are now more than 4000 and we have built a strong real estate brand. MARG EPC has a number of international technology partners to bolster its technical competence, a cross-industrial widespread customer base and has deployed machinery and equipment worth more than Rs 260 crores. MARG Group is thus well aligned with business needs and over the last year we have re-engineered ourfinancial and business requirements to the economic and business realities”.

New launches spurred residential market in Chennai

Chennai’s good economic density, progress in infrastructure development and growing influence of IT/ITeS has enhanced sales in the realty markets. The Chennai property market showed a remarkable improvement seeing an average appreciation of 10-12 per cent in the residential sector across the city during past June-Nov 2012 period.

Marg Swarnabhoomi Aayush Apartment starting at 9 Lakhs* – Low budget apartments in chennai

The Chennai realty segment witnessed location-wise appreciation in values. There was a fragmented demand-supply across locations and henceforth value appreciations.” Areas such as Thoraipakkam, Sriperumbudur, Medavakkam and Kelambakam noted an escalation of up to 20 per cent in residential property values in past six months and is still appreciating, he added.

“The new projects being launched in past one year is the key factor leading to elevated inventory level in realty markets,”The new segment offering variety of deals to the end users and in wide range of price brackets to choose from has created buzz in the property market. With options of investing in a luxury apartment to a sea-facing villa has fetched NRI’s, HNI’s and buyers and investors from different parts of the country, he added.

“Chennai’s supply of new residential units has tripled in Jul-Sep 2012 quarter as compared to the previous quarter.” Maximum new supply has been witnessed in Chromepet, Thirumallaivoil and Egmore in the mid‐segment price range of Rs 50 lakh onwards.

The new segment witnessed more number of transactions compared to the resale segment. “New residential units are equipped with all basic and luxury features which are missing in resale market and therefore it is more preferred,” says Gopal. The average capital values of newly launched apartments vary from Rs 3,200-4,500 per sq ft depending on location and other facilities.

Better infrastructure, availability of land parcel for development and relatively lower land prices as compared to Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune and Gurgaon makes Chennai an attractive destination for investment.

Builders in Chennai Now Targeting Construction of Penthouses

A penthouse is the space directly below the roof of a building. They are different from other apartments in tow ways, that they are located at a higher altitude and offer luxurious lifestyle. The penthouses are located on the topmost floor of the building and are provided with some personal terraces ensuring privacy, and amenities that are usually not given with other flats or apartments. In Chennai, one can find numerous penthouses, which are available at very higher prices and are beyond the reach of middle class segment. There has been a rapid increase in the construction of penthouses in Chennai, which have thereby redefined luxury in real estate. These penthouses have been a major determining factor in increased capital values.

Penthouses have been the sign of luxury and economic growth. The concept was first conceived in New York as there was space crunch in the city and these penthouses solved the accommodation problems in the urbane areas. With the passage of time, dwellers found some innovative ways to decorate these penthouses and later made big money out of it. The concept was later adopted by other western countries, and is now an important part of the residential segment in India as well.

The real estate developers have their own segment of buyers for these penthouses, as they are too costly to be bought by a commoner. However, there are chances that increased construction of penthouses in any town or city would lead to reduced green ecosystem and create a concrete jungle. The real estate builders have been somehow unable to provide their clientele with the desired features, as those are not included in the list of projects lack such features.

Although the builders offer some exclusive features such as smart home technology, automatic security & surveillance systems, fast elevators and Jacuzzis have already been added to the upcoming projects, so that they can lure more and more customers now.

The penthouses offer some extra features, which are usually not provided by the flats or apartments, and include:

·  Larger accommodation area.

·  Open-to-sky terraces.

·  High-end facilities and amenities.

It is in the regular practice to construct a penthouse in a minimum area of 500 sq. ft. According to Sandeep Mehta, the President of CREDAI and the Managing Director of Jain’s Housing and Construction Limited, states that the prices define luxury, and this is the reason why the pent houses constructed with an area of 3,000-4,000 sq. ft. are quite costly

This consideration has been the installation of elevators in buildings because the penthouses are positioned at the top most space of the building. In many cases the dwellers need to go through extreme and variable temperatures and humidity, because of their proximity to the roof.

Some penthouses are reused as bedrooms and offices, perfected with stairs and windows, though most remain difficult to access and are often used as warehouses. It also helps control the temperature by providing a large mass of moving air. Warm air rising from the lower levels of the building often gets trapped in the penthouse, creating in inhospitable atmosphere. However, in recent years, some of these penthouses have been insulated to help reduce cooling costs.

The penthouse means the space between the inner ceiling of the top floor and/or the roof. Penthouses can also be constructed in multi-story homes or one-story homes. Penthouses form a very important part of the real estate projects, but due to their very high purchase and maintenance costs, only a few can afford it.

Chennai Funds The Arts

Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music: Founded in 2010 by renowned guitarist/composer Prasanna, with the infrastructural support of the Marg Group of Companies, the non-profit Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music on East coast Road near Chennai, is India’s first professional college for contemporary music. By blending the best of Indian traditional Gurukula based classical music pedagogy and contemporary western college education practice, the college provides a unique and rounded music education preparing its students for various careers in music.

SAM has already done India and Chennai proud by being a major catalyst in developing world class international cross-interactions in music by bringing around 72 musicians from 25 countries that span the entire contemporary music world from Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater to 2013 Grammy nominee Manuel Valera to 8 time Grammy winning drummer Rodney Holmes and more to offer great music education to students from all over India, USA, Tunisia, Argentina, UK, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh and more. SAM is now poised to become one of the leading music colleges in the world in the future.

SAM is currently looking to raise funds that will go towards scholarships for deserving students, facilities development, widening the academic program curriculum, help fund student, alumni and faculty projects and more. The proposed concert with some of the most sought after bands in Chennai aims to raise money for this worthy cause.

SAM wishes to thank the Chennai contemporary music community for coming together for this concert and inspire us to continue the cause of music education that the institution has pioneered in India.

Performances by:

Ed DeGenaro`s Electric Circus feat. Ujjayinee Roy
Grasshopper Green
7even
Blues Conscience
Trojan Horse
83 Miles Per Hour
SAM Student Ensembles

at

The Music Academy
168, T.T.K. Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600014.

Tickets available for Rs. 2000 Donor Pass | Rs. 500 | Rs. 350 | Rs. 200
Ph: 044-24541115; +91-87544 12325

IN THE CITY `MUSIC HAS TO BE HONEST’

MARG GROUP REGISTERS steady PERFORMANCE in Q3 FY’13

~ Standalone operational revenue at Rs.172.5 crores ~~ YTD Dec 2012 Revenue stands at 659.7 crores; EBITDA of Rs. 48.5 crores and PAT of Rs. 44.1 Crores ~ ~ YTD Dec 2012 MARG External EPC revenue increased by 76% ~ ~ MARG EPC to focus on its core competence i.e. Marine Works and Industrial Projects~ ~ Unexecuted EPC order book is at Rs. 3,830 crores including a 81% diverse external customer component. Also, tenders worth around Rs. 2000 crores are in bidding stage ~ ~ MARG EPC strengthened by infusion of funds in MARG Junction, residential approvals, launch of serviced apartments and additional orders expected in Marine, Urban Infra and oil/gas sector and recent collaborations ~ ~ MARG Karaikal Port registers a growth of 24% in cargo, 32% growth in revenue and 59% in EBITDA – YTD Dec 2012 ~ ~ Significant additions to the cargo mix of MARG Karaikal port ~ ~ Over 4000 residential customers with 4.02 Mil sq.ft sold with a sale value of 860 crores~ ~ 6.54 mil.sq.ft. of approved residential projects; 5.7 mil.sq.ft of soft launched residential projects; 7.35 Mil sqft of residential projects with development rights under conceptual stage; 0.8 Mil sq.ft. of residential project gearing-up for launch ~ ~ 65% of MARG Junction mall space booked. In addition, with rentals firmed up, over 250 leading brands have shown keen interest the mall ~ ~ 340 units of service apartments & residences covering 3.2 lacs sqft being launched in MARG Junction mall premises on sale model ~ ~ 10 leading industrial / manufacturing units are operational at MARG Swarnabhoomi ~ ~A number of education institutions have taken space at MARG Swarnabhoomi in the 100 acre EduCity. Current 900 students expected to grow to 4,000 in 3 years, accelerating hostel/residential demand~ Chennai, February 13, 2013: MARG Limited, India’s leading diversified infrastructure development company, announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2012. MARG – Standalone: The company charted a steady growth in Q3, with a standalone operational revenue at Rs. 172.5 Crores in Q3 FY’13 with an EBITDA of Rs. 4.8 Crores. YTD Dec’12 revenue stands at Rs. 659.7 Crores with an EBITDA of Rs. 48.5 Crores and PAT of Rs. 44.1 Crores. Commenting on the company’s performance in the year ended December 31, 2012, GRK Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, MARG Limited said, “MARG Group is now better aligned with business needs and over the last year we have re-engineered our financial and business requirements to the economic and business realities. We are more focused on a lean organisation with better efficiencies and lesser overheads. Our approach is now more cash flow and bottomline centric. We are now directing our efforts to get strategic and financial partners and towards land sale so as to infuse fresh equity”. Mr Reddy further added, “We have a rich base of satisfied customers which is growing year on year. MARG Karaikal port has a prestigious client base which reflects a diversified cargo-mix .Our real estate customers are now more than 4000 and we have built a strong real estate brand. MARG EPC has a number of international technology partners to bolster its technical competence, a cross-industrial widespread customer base and has deployed machinery and equipment worth more than Rs 260 crores”. MARG GROUP Highlights MARG EPC Unexecuted EPC order book is at ~ Rs. 3,830 crores as of Dec 2012 constituted by 19% for Group assets like Port, Mall and others and 81% for external customers including 47% for civil work for residential customers and 34% for Government, PSU and other Corporate EPC customers MARG EPC Signed agreement with Momentum Group, an Irish-registered company established in 1983 with its headquarters in Dubai, which which adds to MARG’s core competence in Marine and Industrial Projects MARG EPC bagged a project worth Rs. 86 crores for construction of Head Quarters of Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and allied works at Mahipalpur, New Delhi from NBCC MARG EPC is L1 in projects worth Rs. 125 crores including NMDC and Dept of Atomic Energy. MARG is also in the process of building a healthy pipeline of additional EPC contracts – bidding for mega contracts in the specialized areas like marine, industrial projects, urban infrastructure, solar & alternate energy sector Tenders worth around Rs. 2000 crores is in bidding stage Apart from this, recent approvals obtained for residential projects, infusion of funds into MARG Junction; Launch of Service Apartments will increase the EPC turnover of MARG in the forthcoming financial year MARG Karaikal Port MARG Karaikal Port handled 1.94 MMT of multi-cargo in Q3 FY13 taking the YTD total to 5.47 MMT. Posted revenue of Rs. 85.2 cr. in Q3 FY13 (YTD Rs. 216.4 cr) and EBITDA of Rs. 44 cr (53%) in Q3 FY13 (YTD Rs. 109.9 cr). Shown a growth of 33% in cargo, 47% in Revenue and 68% in EBITDA in Q3 FY13 as compared to the corresponding quarter of FY12 Successfully handled MV Wangaratta with a parcel size of 73,724 MT in December 2012, the largest vessel for the quarter Handled a total of 316 rakes in Q3 FY13 against 293 rakes handled in Q3 FY12 The company has entered into contracts with many major cement companies for handling their coal imports like Chettinad Cement, Dalmia Cement, Madras Cement and India Cement Added new cargos to the portfolio like Fire clay, Lime Stone, Iron Ore, Wheat and Maize and efforts will continue to bring in additional cargos to the port Additional volume of coal is expected to materialize in the coming year i.e., FY14 from the commissioning of power plants. This will also bring in the expected project cargo With the iron ore mining ban in Karnataka, JSW has started importing domestic iron ore in the forms of fines and lumps for its Mecheri Plant. The cargo is expected to continue through the next year as well Maize is another significant addition to the cargo portfolio in the recent times and is expected to add traffic to the port in the coming year too With the government’s decision to export the surplus wheat, it has contributed a total volume of ~ 81,000 mt in Q3 and is expected to contribute ~1,46,000 mt in Q4. Significant volumes will flow in the next year as well Terminalisation opportunities are being explored for Coal Terminal, Liquid cum General Cargo Terminal, LNG Terminal and Container Terminal. Port has created lot of interest among national and international bulk cargo traders Residential Development 6.34 Mil sqft of approved residential projects launched with a sale value of Rs. 1720 crores in 12 projects located in OMR (IT Corridor), East Coast Road (ECR), Oragadam-Sriperumpudur and Tirupati 5.7 Mil sqft of residential projects soft-launched with a sale value of Rs. 1220 crores in 2 projects located in ECR. 0.8 Mil sqft of residential project gearing-up for launch with a sale value of Rs. 510 crores in OMR 7.35 Mil sqft of residential projects with development rights under conceptual stage with sale value of Rs. 1840 crores in ECR 4.02 Mil sqft of residential space sold to customers with a sale value of Rs. 860 crores Over 4000 residential customers 1.2 Mil sqft of residential space delivered to customers In MARG Swarnabhoomi 90 apartments (0.1 Mil sq ft) were sold during Q3 FY13, taking the total sales to 2872 units (2 Mil sqft). Education population which is poised to grow to a level of 1500 in 2013-14 is a major demand driver of residence. Growth of education population from the current level of 900 to 4000 by FY16, along with the Light Engineering and IT Training centres and the demand from Kalpakkam will continue to drive the residence sale in MARG Swarnabhoomi. Swarnabhoomi Cityscapes launched a unique product of Serviced Villa Plots. 225 acres have been earmarked with 2425 Villa Plots. During FY13 250 villa plots (0.43 Mil sqft) have been booked with a Sale value of Rs. 21.2 Crores. MARG Properties sold 275 units (0.3 Mil sqft) in Q3 FY13 with sale value of Rs. 97 crores, taking the total sales to 1872 units (2 Mil sqft) with a sale value of Rs. 517 crores. The increasing demand in Chennai market, clubbed with the brand image of MARG Properties and the unique concepts of Properties Shoppe, measure and pay and the affordable pricing continues to propel the sale of residential space of MARG Properties MARG Chinmaya Vidyalaya School at Vishwashakthi complex is the first-ever Chinmaya Mission Vidyalaya established in Tirupati. The school is running for the 2nd year with a total strength of more than 100 students with good infrastructure and facilities MARG Junction Launching 340 units Service Apartments/Residences (3.2 Lacs Sqft)with a sale value of Rs. 250 crores Launching a high end Club of 70000sft targeting high net worth individuals and Corporate clients Service apartments, club membership, rental advances and sale of part facilities will fetch a cash surplus with which MARG Junction Mall development will be self sufficient. As of now, 65% of the space in Mall has been booked by Anchors, Mini-anchors and other vanilla clients. With rentals firmed up, over 250 leading brands have shown keen interest in the Mall. Mall will have a soft launch in June 2014 with above 80% occupancy Urban and Industrial Infrastructure – MARG Swarnabhoomi Light Engineering Light Engineering SEZ houses 10 leading industrial / manufacturing units including Grundfos, Virgo Engineering, Polyhose, Easwari Electricals, Twin Disc, Tecpro, TVS Kwikpatch New Manufacturing facility of M/s Twin Disc has begun operation in this zone on a 33,500 sqft manufacturing unit leased out with a lock-in period. Existing units are in expansion mode seeking additional acres within MARG Swarnabhoomi Total physical exports from the SEZ units reached a cumulative YTD figure of Rs. 32.5 crores by the end of Q3 FY13, which is almost 5 times that of Rs. 6.9 cores in the corresponding period of FY12. With the expansion of existing units and startup of additional units the exports are slated to grow faster Multiservices- Education/Research/IT-ITES Training Centres Signed MOU’s with Limkokwing University of Malaysia, Central Institute of Technology of Western Australia and ITE Education Services Pte Limited of Singapore for over 250,000 sq ft of leasable space; these institutes will offer courses in various fields in the academic and vocational categories. Interest received from additional five top ranked US Universities, one Canadian University and two Australian Universities to establish collaboration with MARG Swarnabhoomi in education and research area. This is in addition to the existing units of MIDAS (Architectural Institute), MARG Navjyothi Vidhyalaya (CBSE School), Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music and Exemplarr Worldwide Proposals have been submitted to key decision makers in IT majors for Training-cum-Operating centres. MARG Navjyothi Vidyalaya was launched in FY12 and has successfully entered into its second year of operation. The current count of students in MARG Navjyothi Vidyalaya School is 400. In the academic year 2013-14, MNV will be admitting its third batch of students from LKG to IX Std.  Post admission student strength would be 500 in 2013-14. MIDAS is in its second year of operation. Current student strength at MIDAS is 135 students (1st batch:  55, 2nd Batch 80 students) MIDAS has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Council of Architecture, New Delhi, for adding another 40 seats to the B. Arch program, from the academic year 2013-14. The annual intake of B. Arch program post the increase will become 120.  Student strength in 2013-14 would be 255. Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) is the first ever professional college for music in India offering a range of programs in contemporary music that includes rock, jazz, classical and world music and 280 students have already graduated from Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM). Annual students trained in 2013-14 would be 150. MARG College of Arts and Science, an International School, a Management Institute and an Engineering college are in the pipeline in and around Swarnabhoomi. In 2013-14, the total student population is expected to be over 1500, which will further grow to 4,000 FY16, accelerating demand for residential / hostel facilities at Marg Swarnabhoomi. Business Potential at a glance With increments in the current cargo, new cargo from the power plants, additional container, maize and wheat cargo, Karaikal Port is expected to clock around 10 MMT in FY14 with improved EBITDA and the cargo ramp-up will expand in the further years, aided by power plants and Terminalisation of berths Residential development of around 9 Mil sqft is in immediate sale pipeline with a sale value of Rs. 2,600 crores Education and Research Institutions, IT/ITES Training Centres and Industrial and Defense Offset units will drive the MARG Swarnabhoomi development Unique serviced plots launched near Swarnabhoomi in 225 acres, is targeted to yield around Rs. 150 crores in two years MARG Junction Mall which will be self sufficient in development with the cash generation from sale of serviced apartments, club membership, rental advances will be soft launched in June 2014, and will stabilize by FY 16 posting a turnover of around Rs. 100 crores MARG EPC strengthened by infusion of funds in MARG Junction, residential approvals, launch of serviced apartments and additional orders expected in Marine, Urban Infra and oil/gas sector and recent collaborations Awards received MARG Karaikal Port adjudged as the ‘Best Project’ under the Port Development category at the prestigious ‘D&B – AXIS BANK INFRA AWARDS 2012’, Mumbai About MARG Group: MARG Limited (BSE: 530543), incorporated in 1994 and headquartered in Chennai, is an infrastructure major with presence across the value chain. The Company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and its shares are traded on the NSE under the category of ‘Permitted Security’. With over two decades of reassuring presence and the credit of pioneering the development of economic growth centers, MARG’s portfolio spans across the entire infrastructure value chain – urban and industrial infrastructure, urban residential clusters, marine infrastructure & services, malls and EPC division. Listed by Dun & Bradstreet among “India’s Top 500 Companies 2011”, today MARG Group has projects worth more than Rs. 3835 crores under execution, a seasoned human capital of more than 1000, global partners in the Infra space and offices spread across India, Singapore and China.

MARG GROUP REGISTERS steady PERFORMANCE in Q3 FY’13~ Standalone operational revenue at Rs.172.5 crores ~ ~ YTD Dec 2012 Revenue stands at 659.7 crores; EBITDA of Rs. 48.5 crores and PAT of Rs. 44.1 Crores ~ ~ YTD Dec 2012 MARG External EPC revenue increased by 76% ~ ~ MARG EPC to focus on its core competence i.e. Marine Works and Industrial Projects~ ~ Unexecuted EPC order book is at Rs. 3,830 crores including a 81% diverse external customer component. Also, tenders worth around Rs. 2000 crores are in bidding stage ~ ~ MARG EPC strengthened by infusion of funds in MARG Junction, residential approvals, launch of serviced apartments and additional orders expected in Marine, Urban Infra and oil/gas sector and recent collaborations ~ ~ MARG Karaikal Port registers a growth of 24% in cargo, 32% growth in revenue and 59% in EBITDA – YTD Dec 2012 ~ ~ Significant additions to the cargo mix of MARG Karaikal port ~ ~ Over 4000 residential customers with 4.02 Mil sq.ft sold with a sale value of 860 crores~ ~ 6.54 mil.sq.ft. of approved residential projects; 5.7 mil.sq.ft of soft launched residential projects; 7.35 Mil sqft of residential projects with development rights under conceptual stage; 0.8 Mil sq.ft. of residential project gearing-up for launch ~ ~ 65% of MARG Junction mall space booked. In addition, with rentals firmed up, over 250 leading brands have shown keen interest the mall ~ ~ 340 units of service apartments & residences covering 3.2 lacs sqft being launched in MARG Junction mall premises on sale model ~ ~ 10 leading industrial / manufacturing units are operational at MARG Swarnabhoomi ~ ~A number of education institutions have taken space at MARG Swarnabhoomi in the 100 acre EduCity. Current 900 students expected to grow to 4,000 in 3 years, accelerating hostel/residential demand~ Chennai, February 13, 2013: MARG Limited, India’s leading diversified infrastructure development company, announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2012. MARG – Standalone: The company charted a steady growth in Q3, with a standalone operational revenue at Rs. 172.5 Crores in Q3 FY’13 with an EBITDA of Rs. 4.8 Crores. YTD Dec’12 revenue stands at Rs. 659.7 Crores with an EBITDA of Rs. 48.5 Crores and PAT of Rs. 44.1 Crores. Commenting on the company’s performance in the year ended December 31, 2012, GRK Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, MARG Limited said, “MARG Group is now better aligned with business needs and over the last year we have re-engineered our financial and business requirements to the economic and business realities. We are more focused on a lean organisation with better efficiencies and lesser overheads. Our approach is now more cash flow and bottomline centric. We are now directing our efforts to get strategic and financial partners and towards land sale so as to infuse fresh equity”. Mr Reddy further added, “We have a rich base of satisfied customers which is growing year on year. MARG Karaikal port has a prestigious client base which reflects a diversified cargo-mix .Our real estate customers are now more than 4000 and we have built a strong real estate brand. MARG EPC has a number of international technology partners to bolster its technical competence, a cross-industrial widespread customer base and has deployed machinery and equipment worth more than Rs 260 crores”. MARG GROUP Highlights MARG EPC Unexecuted EPC order book is at ~ Rs. 3,830 crores as of Dec 2012 constituted by 19% for Group assets like Port, Mall and others and 81% for external customers including 47% for civil work for residential customers and 34% for Government, PSU and other Corporate EPC customers MARG EPC Signed agreement with Momentum Group, an Irish-registered company established in 1983 with its headquarters in Dubai, which which adds to MARG’s core competence in Marine and Industrial Projects MARG EPC bagged a project worth Rs. 86 crores for construction of Head Quarters of Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and allied works at Mahipalpur, New Delhi from NBCC MARG EPC is L1 in projects worth Rs. 125 crores including NMDC and Dept of Atomic Energy. MARG is also in the process of building a healthy pipeline of additional EPC contracts – bidding for mega contracts in the specialized areas like marine, industrial projects, urban infrastructure, solar & alternate energy sector Tenders worth around Rs. 2000 crores is in bidding stage Apart from this, recent approvals obtained for residential projects, infusion of funds into MARG Junction; Launch of Service Apartments will increase the EPC turnover of MARG in the forthcoming financial year MARG Karaikal Port MARG Karaikal Port handled 1.94 MMT of multi-cargo in Q3 FY13 taking the YTD total to 5.47 MMT. Posted revenue of Rs. 85.2 cr. in Q3 FY13 (YTD Rs. 216.4 cr) and EBITDA of Rs. 44 cr (53%) in Q3 FY13 (YTD Rs. 109.9 cr). Shown a growth of 33% in cargo, 47% in Revenue and 68% in EBITDA in Q3 FY13 as compared to the corresponding quarter of FY12 Successfully handled MV Wangaratta with a parcel size of 73,724 MT in December 2012, the largest vessel for the quarter Handled a total of 316 rakes in Q3 FY13 against 293 rakes handled in Q3 FY12 The company has entered into contracts with many major cement companies for handling their coal imports like Chettinad Cement, Dalmia Cement, Madras Cement and India Cement Added new cargos to the portfolio like Fire clay, Lime Stone, Iron Ore, Wheat and Maize and efforts will continue to bring in additional cargos to the port Additional volume of coal is expected to materialize in the coming year i.e., FY14 from the commissioning of power plants. This will also bring in the expected project cargo With the iron ore mining ban in Karnataka, JSW has started importing domestic iron ore in the forms of fines and lumps for its Mecheri Plant. The cargo is expected to continue through the next year as well Maize is another significant addition to the cargo portfolio in the recent times and is expected to add traffic to the port in the coming year too With the government’s decision to export the surplus wheat, it has contributed a total volume of ~ 81,000 mt in Q3 and is expected to contribute ~1,46,000 mt in Q4. Significant volumes will flow in the next year as well Terminalisation opportunities are being explored for Coal Terminal, Liquid cum General Cargo Terminal, LNG Terminal and Container Terminal. Port has created lot of interest among national and international bulk cargo traders Residential Development 6.34 Mil sqft of approved residential projects launched with a sale value of Rs. 1720 crores in 12 projects located in OMR (IT Corridor), East Coast Road (ECR), Oragadam-Sriperumpudur and Tirupati 5.7 Mil sqft of residential projects soft-launched with a sale value of Rs. 1220 crores in 2 projects located in ECR. 0.8 Mil sqft of residential project gearing-up for launch with a sale value of Rs. 510 crores in OMR 7.35 Mil sqft of residential projects with development rights under conceptual stage with sale value of Rs. 1840 crores in ECR 4.02 Mil sqft of residential space sold to customers with a sale value of Rs. 860 crores Over 4000 residential customers 1.2 Mil sqft of residential space delivered to customers In MARG Swarnabhoomi 90 apartments (0.1 Mil sq ft) were sold during Q3 FY13, taking the total sales to 2872 units (2 Mil sqft). Education population which is poised to grow to a level of 1500 in 2013-14 is a major demand driver of residence. Growth of education population from the current level of 900 to 4000 by FY16, along with the Light Engineering and IT Training centres and the demand from Kalpakkam will continue to drive the residence sale in MARG Swarnabhoomi. Swarnabhoomi Cityscapes launched a unique product of Serviced Villa Plots. 225 acres have been earmarked with 2425 Villa Plots. During FY13 250 villa plots (0.43 Mil sqft) have been booked with a Sale value of Rs. 21.2 Crores. MARG Properties sold 275 units (0.3 Mil sqft) in Q3 FY13 with sale value of Rs. 97 crores, taking the total sales to 1872 units (2 Mil sqft) with a sale value of Rs. 517 crores. The increasing demand in Chennai market, clubbed with the brand image of MARG Properties and the unique concepts of Properties Shoppe, measure and pay and the affordable pricing continues to propel the sale of residential space of MARG Properties MARG Chinmaya Vidyalaya School at Vishwashakthi complex is the first-ever Chinmaya Mission Vidyalaya established in Tirupati. The school is running for the 2nd year with a total strength of more than 100 students with good infrastructure and facilities MARG Junction Launching 340 units Service Apartments/Residences (3.2 Lacs Sqft)with a sale value of Rs. 250 crores Launching a high end Club of 70000sft targeting high net worth individuals and Corporate clients Service apartments, club membership, rental advances and sale of part facilities will fetch a cash surplus with which MARG Junction Mall development will be self sufficient. As of now, 65% of the space in Mall has been booked by Anchors, Mini-anchors and other vanilla clients. With rentals firmed up, over 250 leading brands have shown keen interest in the Mall. Mall will have a soft launch in June 2014 with above 80% occupancy Urban and Industrial Infrastructure – MARG Swarnabhoomi Light Engineering Light Engineering SEZ houses 10 leading industrial / manufacturing units including Grundfos, Virgo Engineering, Polyhose, Easwari Electricals, Twin Disc, Tecpro, TVS Kwikpatch New Manufacturing facility of M/s Twin Disc has begun operation in this zone on a 33,500 sqft manufacturing unit leased out with a lock-in period. Existing units are in expansion mode seeking additional acres within MARG Swarnabhoomi Total physical exports from the SEZ units reached a cumulative YTD figure of Rs. 32.5 crores by the end of Q3 FY13, which is almost 5 times that of Rs. 6.9 cores in the corresponding period of FY12. With the expansion of existing units and startup of additional units the exports are slated to grow faster Multiservices- Education/Research/IT-ITES Training Centres Signed MOU’s with Limkokwing University of Malaysia, Central Institute of Technology of Western Australia and ITE Education Services Pte Limited of Singapore for over 250,000 sq ft of leasable space; these institutes will offer courses in various fields in the academic and vocational categories. Interest received from additional five top ranked US Universities, one Canadian University and two Australian Universities to establish collaboration with MARG Swarnabhoomi in education and research area. This is in addition to the existing units of MIDAS (Architectural Institute), MARG Navjyothi Vidhyalaya (CBSE School), Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music and Exemplarr Worldwide Proposals have been submitted to key decision makers in IT majors for Training-cum-Operating centres. MARG Navjyothi Vidyalaya was launched in FY12 and has successfully entered into its second year of operation. The current count of students in MARG Navjyothi Vidyalaya School is 400. In the academic year 2013-14, MNV will be admitting its third batch of students from LKG to IX Std.  Post admission student strength would be 500 in 2013-14. MIDAS is in its second year of operation. Current student strength at MIDAS is 135 students (1st batch:  55, 2nd Batch 80 students) MIDAS has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Council of Architecture, New Delhi, for adding another 40 seats to the B. Arch program, from the academic year 2013-14. The annual intake of B. Arch program post the increase will become 120.  Student strength in 2013-14 would be 255. Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) is the first ever professional college for music in India offering a range of programs in contemporary music that includes rock, jazz, classical and world music and 280 students have already graduated from Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM). Annual students trained in 2013-14 would be 150. MARG College of Arts and Science, an International School, a Management Institute and an Engineering college are in the pipeline in and around Swarnabhoomi. In 2013-14, the total student population is expected to be over 1500, which will further grow to 4,000 FY16, accelerating demand for residential / hostel facilities at Marg Swarnabhoomi. Business Potential at a glance With increments in the current cargo, new cargo from the power plants, additional container, maize and wheat cargo, Karaikal Port is expected to clock around 10 MMT in FY14 with improved EBITDA and the cargo ramp-up will expand in the further years, aided by power plants and Terminalisation of berths Residential development of around 9 Mil sqft is in immediate sale pipeline with a sale value of Rs. 2,600 crores Education and Research Institutions, IT/ITES Training Centres and Industrial and Defense Offset units will drive the MARG Swarnabhoomi development Unique serviced plots launched near Swarnabhoomi in 225 acres, is targeted to yield around Rs. 150 crores in two years MARG Junction Mall which will be self sufficient in development with the cash generation from sale of serviced apartments, club membership, rental advances will be soft launched in June 2014, and will stabilize by FY 16 posting a turnover of around Rs. 100 crores MARG EPC strengthened by infusion of funds in MARG Junction, residential approvals, launch of serviced apartments and additional orders expected in Marine, Urban Infra and oil/gas sector and recent collaborations Awards received MARG Karaikal Port adjudged as the ‘Best Project’ under the Port Development category at the prestigious ‘D&B – AXIS BANK INFRA AWARDS 2012’, Mumbai About MARG Group: MARG Limited (BSE: 530543), incorporated in 1994 and headquartered in Chennai, is an infrastructure major with presence across the value chain. The Company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and its shares are traded on the NSE under the category of ‘Permitted Security’. With over two decades of reassuring presence and the credit of pioneering the development of economic growth centers, MARG’s portfolio spans across the entire infrastructure value chain – urban and industrial infrastructure, urban residential clusters, marine infrastructure & services, malls and EPC division. Listed by Dun & Bradstreet among “India’s Top 500 Companies 2011”, today MARG Group has projects worth more than Rs. 3835 crores under execution, a seasoned human capital of more than 1000, global partners in the Infra space and offices spread across India, Singapore and China.

Karaikal Port handles containers and crude palm oil in February, 2013

Chennai, February 15, 2013: Karaikal Port enters ‘Box Club’ of TN ports, begins container handling. The inaugural call of the 1,900 TEUs container vessel M.V. Tiger Bridge was marked with the exchange of mementoes with Capt. Celerian Dennis, Captain of the vessel, and the operators with the port.

With the fete, Karaikal Port becomes the fourth port in the State to have facility for handling containerized cargo after Chennai, Tuticorin and Kattupalli ports.

Initially, the feeder vessel is expected to call the port every fortnight and later would become a weekly service as volumes stabilize. The inaugural call witnessed the export of 50 laden containers of CMA-CGM, the French container shipping giant which is one of the world’s largest container shipping lines.

According to port officials, this service, which offers connections throughout the world, is expected to be of immense value to the agro-industrial heartland of Central Tamil Nadu, Karaikal and Pondicherry, enabling business establishments in the hinterland to competitively access the world’s marketplace.

In addition to providing a competitive gateway for the exports and imports from this area, it will also help in reducing the carbon footprint of the industries by substantially reducing the distance through which the cargo has to be moved by road leading to benefits for the society of the entire region, the port officials added.

LIQUID CARGO

Continuing and strengthening its presence in handling liquid cargo, the newly constructed tankages in Karaikal Port, augmenting the total capacity of the port to 19,000 cbm, was commissioned on Feb. 8.

The commissioning of the new oil tankages was marked with the arrival of the first shipment of Crude Palmolein vide vessel M.T.MAPLE for M/s BUNGE. Also, Karaikal Port is regularly handling refined edible oil for M/s KTV Health Pvt. Ltd.

GRAINS EXPORT

This year also saw the commencement of wheat export from Karaikal Port. Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been exporting wheat through the port and till date, more than 1, 25, 000 MT of wheat has been exported. Another addition to the agro commodities, maize is getting ready for export. The commodity has already started to stockpile at the port’s warehouses and will be ready for loading onto the vessel shortly.

With the recent additions of Palmolein, Crude Edible Oil, wheat and maize to its cargo portfolio coupled with the commencement of the container service, MARG Karaikal Port offers a comprehensive and competitive logistics solution to businesses not only in the immediate hinterland but also throughout the length and breadth of the country.

Visit:http://marggroup.com/press_release.php

Rachel Varghese- singer with perfectionist attitude

Mumbai-based Rachel Varghese describes herself as a singer-songwriter, from a Blues and Jazz background. She also plays the guitar and piano, but refrains from doing so on onstage due to her “perfectionist” attitude (And so, you’ll only see her singing during gigs). In 2010, she was one of the finalists for Project Lotus by Peter Gabriel to form the first pan-Asian girl band. However, she decided to opt out of the project because her heart didn’t lie in doing pop-commercial music.

Rachel Varghese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Majorly inspired by her elder brother’s love for music and his guitar-playing skills, Rachel decided to follow suit. Thanks to her father, she grew up listening to a plethora of artistes like Simon And Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Donna Summer, Joan Baez, Herbie Hancock and many more. Her prime influence as a singer is Eva Cassidy, who she describes as “an angel who was sent by God into the world but unfortunately, was called back soon.”

Rachel began writing songs at the age of 17 and writes about her everyday experiences, love and life in general. Some of her songs include: Invincible Mind, a rock ballad about how the power of the mind and heart and believing in oneself; Follow You is an autobiographical slow rock love ballad about a musician couple; You & Me Now is a love song with an indie acoustic feel; and Road Less Travelled, a new-age Blues number about the unanswered questions in life, about musicians are forced to take the road less travelled in life.

In October 2011, Rachel enrolled at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music near Chennai to study music. Here, she received a holistic appreciation of music besides studying vocals. While studying music, the 25-year-old teamed up with band Something Relevant doing corporate shows in various cities across the country.

After studying music, Rachel returned back to Mumbai and worked on her goal to churn out her own music. And so, in October, she along with four other musicians formed a band, Rachel And The Plutonians. (It doesn’t matter whether she pursues music as a solo artist or as a band, as long as she gets to sing and make her own music, she says). The music is composed by her with other band members adding their own flavour to it. In fact, they’re about to release their first single EP titled Road Less Travelled very soon.