25/04/2012
Ranked the second-best city in India to reside in, considering parameters such as health, education, environment, safety, public facilities and entertainment, Kozhikode has some of the best infrastructure.
The Calicut Medical College is the second-largest of its kind in Asia. The district also houses one of the six campuses of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-K), the country's premier institute of business and management.
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Kozhikode is one of the most-renowned engineering institutions in India. The Cyber Park, an IT initiative of the Kerala Government, will soon be launched here, which is expected to provide employment to an estimated 25,000, in phases.
Calicut (Beypore), known for shipbuilding from ancient days, is once again gaining importance in this sector, this time in defence-related shipbuilding.
The foundation stone of NIRDESH (National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding), which will function as a ‘National Design Centre', was laid by Union Defence Minister A. K. Antony recently.
HILITE PLAZAS
The citizens of a town of this richness and vibrancy will need a living environment equally good in quality, wherein comes the role of HiLite City, an initiative of HiLite Builders, which is progressing fast, for completion by 2013.
HiLite Builders is the firm that introduced to the people of Kerala the concept of community living (HiLITE METROMAX) and shopping plazas.
Spread across 15.6 acres of land, the proposed HiLite City provides space for residential (400 luxury apartments), commercial and retail shopping requirements.
With an estimated project cost of Rs 600 crore, HiLite City and HiLite Mall, put together, will form a major attraction in this part of Kerala, wherein its spin-off effects are to be seen to be believed, according to HilLite Builders Chairman and Managing Director, Mr P. Sulaiman.
The plaza would be the right blend of retail and entertainment spaces that include 60,000 square feet hypermarket, 50,000 square feet of department store, 35,000 square feet gaming zone area.
The plaza would have a total built-up area of one million square feet, with 200-plus branded retail outlets, 3-star business hotels, 8-screen multiplex, food courts, convention/expo hall, and much more would find place in this complex, he said. HiLite City will be providing the people with international quality services and products.
HiLite Mall will introduce brands such as Lifestyle, Spar, Cinepolis and Ameoba for the first time in Kerala, he added.
TOURIST DESTINATIONS
According to Mr Sulaiman, the real estate sector has witnessed heightened activity in the Kozhikode region in the recent past, due to perceptible demand in all sectors; hospitality, residential, retail and office space.
Traditionally, the demand from leisure travellers to tourist destinations in Wayanad and northern Kerala has been fuelling the growth and development of the hospitality industry as well.
In future, the growth of IT/ITES sector, medical tourism, and other development projects are expected to drive the demand for business hotels.
The Cyber Park initiative of the State Government is expected to speed up infrastructure and social development of the Malabar region in the form of various infrastructure projects, general business investments from the NRI groups in the next 3-5 years.
