Connectivity Is The Universal Touchstone

When you look for a single, unifying decision driver that remains relevant across the real estate spectrum, only one word comes to mind: connectivity. While identifying the right location for a residence, the first question asked before shortlisting a project, is how quickly it provides access to how many shopping, healthcare, education and leisure facilities.

The same rationale applies when an entrepreneur is setting up shop; be it a merchant offering sweet and snacks or a hairdresser, they want to know how strong the connectivity factor is and tend to opt for centralised locations.

Similarly, connectivity holds the key even for mega businesses. When this query is posed in the context of finalising the location for setting up a manufacturing facility, especially one that could have anything to do with exports, perhaps remotely, even possibly in the distant future, it takes on a different significance altogether, but it continues to be the one constant concern and with good reason.

Connectivity is a decisive factor that can sway critical negotiations of this nature either way because of the extremely far reaching implications. It is said that accessibility holds the key to business profitability and rightly so. After all, we live in an era where the response time is measured in nanoseconds and the term ASAP has been extended beyond the original ‘as soon as possible’ to ‘right away.’ In a scenario where time is money and management strategy inevitably incorporates just-in-time (JIT), being able to transport goods as quickly as possible is no longer an optional advantage but a necessity.

So which mode of transportation should one consider ideal? Since most raw materials and manufactured goods are transported in large quantities, sending them across the nation or overseas by air would be prohibitively expensive, with the exception of high value, miniature sized items like precious gems and jewellery or wafer thin electronics sector-related components. Road and rail transportation are more of last mile connectivity modes. Water-based transportation, therefore, has been the preferred mode, which is why access to sea ports can make or mar the growth prospects for a destination.

This is probably among the primary reasons why the Dholera Special Investment Region (Dholera SIR) has been witnessing a great deal of interest from large business houses, looking to set up manufacturing units that will be scripting their success stories going forward. The recently announced news that Reliance will be manufacturing the eagerly anticipated JioPhone Next in Dholera, effectively conferred the seal of approval and positioned the Dholera Smart City Project as the place to watch out for when it comes to business deals with mega implications.

According to business analysts and real estate experts, a possible decision driver for many such announcements is the fact that Dholera SIR is connected to major ports such as Pipavav, Mundra, and Kandla, assuring timely delivery and shipment of goods and materials to those setting up units here. It has given the region a ‘preferred’ tag and made it particularly attractive to those investors having a ‘Property Ahmedabad’ orientation.

Another factor, which is also providing impetus to such choices, is that the essential infrastructure at Dholera SIR is already in place. Moreover, Dholera officials have allotted 3 plots measuring 152 acres for industrial, commercial, residential and utility purposes to industry giants such as Tata Chemicals, Torrent Power and HPCL. Private players have been given the requisite permission to start their development work inside the Activation Area by the Dholera authority.

Many of the major infra-related projects have already commenced operations whereas others are at varying stages. The ABCD Building is ready for use; plus the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, Solar Park, Artificial River with development of Riverfront area, Water Treatment Plant, Sewage Treatment Plant and Power Plant, are ongoing with a substantial portion of the set work targets accomplished as well. With the Dholera International Airport and Ahmedabad-Dholera Monorail connectivity set to get underway, it is clear that development is taking place at an extremely accelerated pace.

The smart business brands are busy booking plots while the land rates remain at reasonably competitive levels. As the months pass and this influx continues to ramp up exponentially, the scope for benefitting from value appreciation will start to gradually reduce proportionally as property prices begin to shoot up. It is said that the biggest regret one can have in life are missed opportunities. Those who defer their decision to purchase a plot of land at Dholera SIR during this transitional stage will surely regret it for a lifetime.

CA Ramesh Gurav
Director
Dholeraplotbooking.com