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Madhumathi D.S.

Shapoorji Pallonji, L&T, IVRCL in the fray

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Bangalore Feb. 4 Big names, including Shapoorji Pallonji, L&T, DLF, IVRCL Infrastructure, Nagarjuna and Mahindra GESCO figure among the 16 developers that have bid for Bangalore's biotechnology park Helix.

They have bid alone or in consortium for the 106-acre project that will need an investment of at least Rs 350 crore over the next 18 months, according to the IT Secretary, Mr M.N. Vidyashankar. Companies from across the country responded to the project and the department recently issued request for proposals (RFPs) to 16 of the 24 companies that sent in expressions of interest since the bids were called more than a month ago, he told Business Line.

Those who have bid as consortia are the US-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc and TCG Urgan Infrastructure Holdings (of The Chatterjee Group); L&T Prangya Fund 1 and Bharath Biotech International; the Hyderabad-based Ramky Infrastructure Ltd and Ramky Enviro Engineers; and Brigade Enterprises Pvt Ltd with Tandem Allied Services. Among the solo aspirants are Soma Enterprises, DLF, Gammon Infrastructure, Ganon Dunkerley and Punj Lloyd.

Mr Vidyashankar said the plan was to finalise the contract on March 20 and issue the work order in April.

The first pre-bid meeting would be held on February 20.

The State Government wants Helix to be the beacon for the biotechnology industry, just as the International Tech Park became the magnet to global IT companies in the late 1990s. It has also obtained SEZ status for the biotechnology park and has contributed the land as its equity on 35-year lease.

Attracting Companies

Karnataka already houses 160 biotech companies. Helix, when completed, will have 7,00,000 sq ft of built area to accommodate biotech companies, research entities, start-ups with an incubation centre and common facility, besides the Institute of Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology, and the Centre for Human Genomics with their hostels.

Helix will be located at Electronics City phase 3 on the Hosur Road towards Chennai. Going by the current market value for the land in Bangalore, the investment in it is expected to go well above Rs 350 crore. "This is a public-private partnership meant to attract the best biotech companies in India and abroad, and will not be a real estate proposition," Mr Vidyashankar said.

More Stories on : Real Estate & Construction | Bio-tech & Genetics | Infrastructure | Karnataka

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