It’s a brave move, to declare an intention to offer burgeoning and established businesses a new hub that can serve all needs and requirements, in an infrastructure sense, but that’s exactly what Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) has done.
“GIFT is conceptualised as a global financial and IT services hub, a first of its kind in India, designed to be at or above par with globally benchmarked financial centres such as Shinjuku, Tokyo, Lujiazui, Shanghai, La Defense, Paris, London Dockyards etc. Bringing Indian business into the modern era, GIFT has been heralded as promising to not only improve vital commercial support systems, but also heighten the quality of life and ambience that those fortunate enough to operate within its confines will experience. There can be no misunderstanding that an all-inclusive, onestop business district will greatly enhance the productivity and effectiveness of existing operations, but with a plan to include only the finest communication services, state of the art connectivity and exemplar transport connections as well, GIFT looks set to raise the bar when it comes to standards in the commercial park industry.
The GIFT Master Plan
“GIFT Master Plan reflects a sophisticated planning approach that integrates the intended program into the existing context of both the site and the region. The GIFT development is expected to become a contemporary model development in India, advancing the ideas of sustainability and ecology. The project regenerates the area as high-quality, mixed-use district of residential, commercial and open space facilities that optimize land and real estate values.”
We suspect that this deep seated commitment to not only progressing modern business, but doing so in an ecologically sound and protective manner will come as a shock. However, when you consider how vital ‘green issues’ are becoming, it makes perfect sense that a forward thinking development would be taking such considerations to heart, right at the start of the planning process. Discussing the basic principles that underpin GIFT, the team revealed that, “The development of GIFT offers a significant opportunity to be a test-bed to drive reforms and innovation in various fields including in delivery systems, local government, physical planning, infrastructure development, environmental protection and so on. Getting these foundation principles right is crucial to plan and execute the development strategies.”
In a bid to ensure ‘intelligent urbanisation’, the team at GIFT are keen to explore any and all possibilities that will lead to the building of “efficient, safe and smart” properties and this will have an impact on more than just the environment. While companies that look to align with and relocate to GIFT can feel happy that they have chosen a business complex that has impressive green credentials, the efficiency of the buildings themselves will ensure minimal running costs and maximum profit. That’s something that no business, big or small, will ever get bored of.
A smart, sustainable infrastructure development, fit to house India’s leading businesses
In order to ensure the perfect blend of technologically advanced locations and ecologically aware operations, GIFT has taken no short cuts when it comes to the design and implementation of stunning spaces that work smart, not hard. Steps being taken include, “High-energy evolving fusion of nature and technology, enhancing zest for work and life, reduced use/waste of energy thus reduced energy bills, sky gardens/roof-top gardens, nonconventional energy resources such as solar water heating, rain water harvesting and planning and design consideration according to micro-climatology.”
By understanding how dedicated GIFT is to providing a comprehensive, effective business platform, as well as a greenminded ethos, you get a real feel for just how different this location is. Whereas standard commercial parks may seek to simply guarantee a roof over businesses’ heads and a decent internet connection, GIFT is seeking to actually change the lives and working practices of employees and companies as a whole, for the better. This isn’t simply a convenient location for housing successful businesses; it’s a community, and a giant stride forward for infrastructure design. So why has GIFT become such a vital project?
“The last decade has seen unprecedented growth in India’s financial services sector. It employs over 3 million people, constitutes about 5% of the GDP and has an estimated market capitalisation of over US$ 200 billion. As India experiences continued economic growth, the financial sector could generate about 10-11 million jobs and a GDP contribution of US$ 350 to 400 billion by 2020. With a sustained growth and rapid development in technology and infrastructure, an increasing share of financial services would get centralized. McKinsey & Company’s market assessment report estimates potential of about 6 million centralized jobs across multiple service roles.”
India to join a prestigious club of the world’s leading finance centres
Having taken the time to commission an in-depth report as to the growth of the commercial market in India, the team at GIFT have ensured that not only is the new complex a good idea, it’s a vital addition. Where else would all these extra roles be housed and how would they be maintained without state of the art facilities and easy to access locations? As we all know, centralising industries and creating recognisable ‘hubs’ for certain market sectors increases efficiency and when it comes to delivering enviable levels of customer service, you have to be thinking about streamlining processes and ensuring that any steps that can improve a client’s experience are being taken.
“Several developed countries have successfully established high-tech financial hubs, which over time have catered as international financial services centres. These centres provide suitable regulatory regimes and create a business environment to promote talent and increase capital flow. As they develop they create significant economic value for their domestic economies, e.g. London and New York account for 10% of the GDP and about 5% of jobs. Emerging financial services centres like Singapore and Hong Kong have achieved similar levels of concentration of economic activity over short periods of time.”
Endeavour Magazine has no doubt that in the coming years, this new luxury commercial plaza will be directly responsible for adding India to this prestigious list and wouldn’t that truly be the greatest gift of all?
