Dubai firm helps India in carrying out low-cost building projects

Contractor-architect Hafeez, KEF Holdings vice-chairperson Shabana Faizal, KEF Holdings founder-chairman Faizal Kotikollon and Y. Yenepoya University chancellor Abdulla Kunhi. - Supplied photo

KEF Infra, the infrastructure arm of the Dubai-based KEF Holdings, recently announced it had delivered India's first wholly factory-made residential project.
KEF Infra, which is setting up in Jebel Ali the Middle East's first plant to design, pre-engineer and manufacture every element of a building, said the project for Yenepoya University of Mangalore, comprising three eight-storey residential buildings covering an area of 100,000sqft, was completed in a record nine months.
Faizal Kottikollon, founder-chairman of KEF Holdings, said the India project marked the successful initiation of a game-changing offsite construction technology that helps significantly reduce the duration and cost of construction.
"With the commissioning of our building factory in Jebel Ali, the Gulf region is set to witness a revolution in offsite construction technology that helps reduce cost and time of construction significantly," said Kottikollon.
He said instead of nine months taken for the Mangalore project, conventional construction methods would have taken anywhere between 24 and 36 months to complete a project of similar size. Kottikollon said the KEF Infra One Industrial Park in Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu is the only company in the world to design, pre-engineer and manufacture every element of a building, ranging from wall panels, hollow core slabs, bathrooms, facades and windows to doors.
"In a few months, we will have such a plant in Jebel Ali that will ensure perfect finish, superb construction quality and speed of delivery."
The KEF Krishnagiri facility is the only plant in the world to design, pre-engineer and manufacture every element of a building - wall panels, hollow core slabs, bathrooms, facades, windows, doors, etc - at a single location.
At a recent event, Kottikollon handed over the complex to Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi, chancellor of Yenepoya University, in the presence of Karnataka ministers U.T. Khader and Ramanath Rai, and Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament.
Kottikollon  said KEF is committed to creating a socio-economic impact in the Gulf and India by introducing path-breaking technologies.
"Our initial focus is on three key sectors - infrastructure, education and healthcare. In line with the Indian government's vision of  'Make in India', our primary focus is on infrastructure development by bringing in the best global practices, technologies and processes and integrate them to ensure enhanced quality benchmark and a significant reduction in time and money spent," said Kottikollon.
"KEF Infra has delivered what was initially considered to be a mission impossible. [This] is a proud moment for Yenepoya University to take delivery of India's first factory-made residential project. The project is definitely a game changer in India's construction sector because of the use of offsite technology in its entirety. We are extremely satisfied with the quality of construction, the planning and superlative delivery," said Abdula Kunhi, university chancellor.
issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com