Higher, higher, higher

Bangalore-based Puravankara Projects has won a bid to develop 6.5 million sq. ft of luxury retail, residential, commercial and hospitality complexes at Hi-tech City, Hyderabad; the project will have unlimited floor space index (FSI). R-ADAG has, meanwhile, announced plans for India’s first 100-storey project in Hyderabad.

The debate Higher FSI generally means taller buildings Since allowing higher FSI can result in more construction per unit of land, it is believed to be a way of boosting the supply of commercial and residential space and bringing down real estate prices Almost all Indian cities suffer from poor planning. So, there is very little confidence in their abilities to provide for large expansion in infrastructure in line with higher FSI

Is this the shape of things to come? Indian cities, traditionally, have had low floor area ratios (FAR) or FSI—both terms expressing the permissible ratio of the total floor area of a building to the total area of the plot—of 1 to 2.5, resulting in buildings of comparatively low height. Cities like New York and Hong Kong allow FSIs of 20 and higher, resulting in many skyscrapers.

But Hyderabad has dared to be different. “(Hyderabad’s) Revised Building Rules 2006 allow for any FSI subject to certain conditions,” points out G.R.K. Reddy, MD, Marg Constructions, a Chennai-based developer.

There are other issues as well. Says Vivek Dahiya, Director, DTZ: “Increase in FSI must be preceded by improvements in power, water and sewerage-related investments and also safety-related services like fire tenders.” Meanwhile, other Indian cities have made a small beginning towards rising vertically. Chennai and Gurgaon allow FSI of 3.75 for developments by IT companies, Bangalore allows FSI of up to 3.5.

—Kapil Bajaj