Smart City Kochi to Be Launched in July
Kochi, the financial capital of Kerala is an important port city in the western coast of India. It is expected to be developed as a smart city by the Kerala government, in accordance with the centre’s ‘100 smart cities’ dream project. The dream of developing the Kochi smart city will soon be realised with the Phase-I of Smart City Kochi (SCK) set to be launched in July this year.
Smart City Kochi (SCK)
The first phase of Smart City Kochi (SCK) is jointly promoted by TECOM Investments, which is a subsidiary of Government of Kerala and Dubai Holding. SCK has setup an IT/ITeS SEZ (special economic zone) in a built-up area of about 13 million sq. ft. This houses offices of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, finance, media, research and innovation clusters. The first phase will bring out a supply of about 6,50,00 sq. ft. of built-up area and a floor space of more than 1,00,000 sq. ft.
SCK is expected to be the single largest job provider in Kerala with about 90,000 jobs by 2020. The first phase is expected to generate about 6,000 jobs in the IT sector. The project is conceived as an integrated digital smart city.
Other factors supporting smart city development
Apart from being a port city, Kochi is a key contributor to Kerala’s economy. It is also home to the International Pepper Exchange and Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command. IT and ITeS sectors have been driving the growth of the city in a significant way. Several business parks are already present in the city. They include Cochin SEZ, KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park and InfoPark. The InfoPark houses nearly 120 major IT companies, with more than 30,000 professionals working here. Kochi also has other thriving industries.
Kochi has great connectivity with other Indian cities as well as Sri Lanka. Several national and state highways run through the city. Kochi houses an international airport. The first phase of Kochi metro connecting the length and breadth of the city is already under way. The state government is also working on improving the city’s infrastructure.
Real estate scenario
Kochi currently offers several multi-storeyed apartments in Kochi, independent houses and builder floor apartments. The city also witnesses regular launch of apartment projects due to its continued growth and growth in demand for housing. Approximate property prices in Kochi are in the range of Rs 3,700-5,900 per sq. ft. Edapally has been continuously witnessing growth in property prices owing to the upcoming metro. With the emergence of SCK, the demand for housing and hence, the real estate prospects in the city are sure to go up.
Kozhikode May Miss Smart City Bus
Kozhikode, an important city in Kerala and a proposed smart city by the government of Kerala may miss the ‘Smart city’ bus. This is majorly due to the failure of the civic body to make efforts to meet the criteria laid down by the central government for selecting a smart city and send the report. The government of Kerala has also chosen Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Thrissur Corporations as well as Malappuram and Kannur municipalities. Malappuram has already submitted a report in this regards. All these towns and cities were selected by the state government as their development has been showing continuous urban character.
