Faridabad
Waiting in the wings
Geetu Vaid

Selling a lifestyle: SRS Mall in Faridabad

It takes no rocket science to say that the Delhi-NCR region is a realty goldmine. While it is the ultimate dream of a home buyer to own a house in almost any area in the region, for builders and investors it is a move that will hardly go wrong as far as pocketing hefty returns is concerned. While the realty market in other parts of the country may blow hot and cold, NCR's gold rush continues unabated. Some pockets do witness a temporary correction, but a substantial fall in property prices is unheard of here. So golden babies like Gurgaon, Noida, Noida Extension and Greater Noida, and the extended family of Sonepat, Panipat, Kundli are all buzzing with construction activity with new projects being launched on regular intervals.

Lull in NCR backyard

In such a scenario it comes as a surprise to see Faridabad still struggling to find feet in the "golden" region. Faridabad is among the largest cities of Haryana and also a major industrial hub that sits at a distance of 25 km from Delhi and has locational advantage to be seen as prime property. But still it has not grown as Noida and Gurgaon in terms of the lifestyle and living conditions that it offers. This has made a major dent in its realty fortunes of late.

Though there is no dearth of projects launched here by big names in the industry and of several infrastructure-boosting projects, yet the city has, by and large, failed to put its 'Delhi's poor cousin' image behind, opine property consultants operating here. Rakesh Bharadwaj, owner of property portal zameen zaidad.com says the realty market has been stagnating in Faridabad for the past six months. "The area has not come up like the rest of NCR region mainly because of connectivity issues. Earlier, there was much stress on industry but of late no new industry has come up here as most of the industry is moving to Manesar which offers a lot of tax sops. Faridabad doesn't figure in the seven manufacturing zones of the state. These factors have put breaks on the realty boom here".

A strong industry base always promotes the growth of realty sector in a region but lack of infrastructure and power shortage are some of the key irritants for industries in Faridabad. The Faridabad Industries Association(FIA) had recently put up a case to the state government to invest a part of the revenue generated by the industries in Faridabad in improving the infrastructure of the city by laying sewerage, new roads and providing streetlights etc. The local industries contribute about Rs 15,000 crore as sales tax to the state exchequer each year and the FIA had demanded almost Rs 65 crore for infrastructure boost.

As per the NHB's Residex index for the July-September quarter also the residential housing prices in Faridabad have declined by 6 per cent in this quarter. As per Bharadwaj investors are very cautious in investing here in spite of several good projects by major builders like Omaxe, BPTP, Ansal Buildtech, Uppals etc. "While we get about 50 calls on an average each day about properties in Noida and Gurgaon and also about Kundli and Sonepat, there are not even five calls about Faridabad which shows investors' disinterest. Many investors like Delhi-based Ravi Goyal who had booked flats in Faridabad projects, are full of trepidation as the returns are not to their expectations. When Goyal bought an apartment in an up market project in the Neharpar area, he considered it to be a good investment, but three years down the line he is apprehensive about his decision. While on the one hand the development has been slow, on the other the project has been delayed by the builder. "I was getting offers for resale till a few months back but right now there are none", he says while adding that even the HDFC bank had stopped further funding for the project.

Future perfect

So, is it all gloom on realty turf in Faridabad? The scenario is not as grim if one takes into account the projects that will give a boost to the infrastructure in the city. Faridabad recently got Rs 2,500 crore from the government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). So this is likely to give a boost to infrastructural development in the city. The Badarpur flyover, which opened last year in November, has eased the traffic bottlenecks to some extent reducing the communting time from Delhi. And the third phase of Metro network that has recently been cleared with the extension of Badarpur corridor to YWCA Chowk getting a green signal by EGoM will improve connectivity with Delhi manifold.

The conversion of NH-2 (Delhi-Agra highway) which passes through Faridabad into a six-lane expressway and the conversion of Gurgaon-Faridabad road into a four-lane expressway are some of the steps that are likely to tackle the connectivity issues. The proposed FNG expressway will improve connectivity with Noida and Greater Noida, and KMP expressway passing through Palwal will improve connectivity with Gurgaon and other towns in Haryana and Rajasthan.

However, developers like BPTP are upbeat about the area. The group was among the first major groups to make substantial investments in this area in anticipation of its "golden" growth, it has almost 16 current residential and commercial projects here. BPTP Parklands project on Delhi Agra highway, which is spread over 1,700 acres will have residential and commercial spaces, IT parks and ITSEZs along with schools, hospitals, clubs etc.

"Faridabad is the city of future and these ups and downs in prices should not be taken seriously. The urban landscape is seeing transformation with many high-rise building coming up here. The real estate scenario remains highly attractive with premium on projects set to rise substantially. The city's vicinity to Delhi makes it as viable as its sister cities like Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad" says Omaxe spokesperson. The group has six projects in the city with most being in Greater Faridabad (Neharpar area), a region that is seeing maximum real estate development. The group has already started possession for two-bedroom units at Omaxe Heights project.

The Neharpar area was incorporated into the new masterplan around six years back and is a cluster of over 20 sectors spread over roughly 3,000 acres. BPTP, Omaxe, SRS, Vipul Group, Piyush Group, Puri constructions, RPS etc have affordable category as well as premium residential projects here. The area already boasts of broad roads, shopping malls educational institutions etc and is a preferred location for investors because of its proximity to Delhi and Noida.

The advantage of buying a home or investing in Faridabad is that the prices are in the affordable range here still. Residential plots are available in the range of Rs 10,000 and 15,000 per sq yd and flats are available in a price range of Rs 1,800 to 2,000 per sq ft. in most of the projects. Ansal Buildwell has a project in Sector 80 offering 2, 3 and 4 bhk apartments and pent house with the starting price band of Rs 29 lakh.

However, the city also has a lot to offer to the HNIs and those looking for luxury projects. Omaxe's Forest Spa project in Surajkund which is a luxury project having ultra luxury apartments and penthouses is in the price band of Rs 6,500 per sq ft.

Faridabad has close to a dozen malls with Ansal Plaza, Crown Interiorz, SRS, Pristine etc getting good response from international retail chains. The presence of all these malls bodes well for the quality of lifestyle that this city will offer to those who decide to set up home here.

The Taj Group's 5 lakh sq ft five star property presenting a unique business model is another flagship project that the area has to boast about while promoting a high lifestyle.

It will provide a complete package to the business community in particular, the property will have a three-floor business tower having retail outlets and swank office space.

Thus in spite of doubts about delivery time, infrastructure once all the systems are in place five years down the line Faridabad will be a prized possession.

Cement price may go up

The average price of cement, which stands at Rs 280 per bag of 50 kg, may go up by between Rs 3 and Rs 6 per bag in the current month on increased construction activity, according to report by Crisil Research.

“Post the festive season, the construction activity and consequently cement demand will gain traction, which could lead prices to rise by 1-2 per cent, on a month-on-month basis, in November, 2011,” Crisil Research Head Ajay D’Souza said.

The average retail price of cement in the country rose by about six per cent month-on-month to Rs 280 per bag in October 2011.

“Notable price hike in the Northern region in October, 2011, largely supported the pan-India price increase,” he said, adding that on a yearly basis, the average pan-India retail cement price recorded an increase of almost 15 per cent during the month.

D’Souza said the domestic consumption of cement in October remained almost flat resulting in just three per cent increase in demand during the April–October period of the current fiscal.

“The subdued pace of construction activity in real estate and infrastructure segment is largely instrumental for this lacklustre demand,” he said.

India’s total consumption of cement in October this year was 18.1 million tonnes, just 0.6 per cent up over the same month last year. It consumed 123 million tonnes cement during the April-October period of the current fiscal. — PTI

Tax tips
Shared tax liability
S. C. Vasudeva

Q. A plot was purchased in the name of my wife in 1987. The title of land is in the name of my wife. From 1987 to 1989 we constructed on the above mentioned plot. While my wife has contributed two-thirds of the construction and land cost, I have contributed the rest amount towards the cost of land and construction. But I have not claimed any interest for my contribution. After the completion of construction work we rented the above mentioned premises.

We are paying income tax on the rented value as two-thirds by my wife and one third by me as per Section 64 of the IT Act.

We are also claiming benefit under Section 24 of the IT Act.

Now we want to sell the above mentioned property. If we purchase a residential house in the name of my wife by selling the property, then would the tax on long-term capital gain be saved as per Section 54 as my wife is the owner of the house because the title of plot is in her name?

Also inform if the purchased house is also rented out, the income of the same will be taxed as in the case of the present property (I mean Section 64 will continue to apply).

— Dev Raj

A. It has been clarified by you in the query that two third of the construction and land cost was contributed by your wife and one third was contributed by yourself. It has also been clarified that the rental income from the letting out of the house is being taxed in proportion to the contribution made by each one of you. In my view, therefore, the capital gain arising on the sale of the residential house would be taxable in the same proportion in which contribution towards the cost of land and construction was made by each one of you.

The fact that the land stands registered in the name of your wife should not make any difference to the taxability of the capital gain arising on the sale of the residential house. It will be possible for you to save the tax payable on the capital gain arising on the sale of the residential house provided a new residential house is purchased within one year before or two years after the sale of the old residential house. The new residential house will have to be registered in the name of both of you clearly indicating that your wife has contributed two third of the total cost and other one third has been contributed by you. The new residential house can also be let out. The income there from will be chargeable to tax in the same proportion as stated hereinabove.

Best way to buy house in Canada

Q. I am a government pensioner. I have a plot in my home town Sangrur (Punjab). The market value of the plot is about Rs 2 crore at present. I will be migrating to Canada in 2013. I want to sell this plot and purchase a house in Canada worth about $ 4 lakh (Canadian). How can I convert the sale consideration got in India into Canadian dollars without paying long-term capital gain tax? My daughter is in Canada, can I purchase a house there with her as a co-purchaser?

— G.S. Sohi

A. You have stated in the query that you intend to utilise the proceeds of the sale of plot towards the purchase of a residential house in Canada. However, the purchase of a residential house in Canada may not enable you to save the tax leviable on the capital gain arising on the sale of the plot in India. This is in view of a decision of the Income-Tax Appellant Tribunal in the case of Lena J. Shah vs. Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax (2006) 6 SOT 721 (ITAT Ahmedabad D. Bench).

It would be advisable to purchase tax saving bonds by utilising the amount of capital gain arising on the sale of plot of land. These bonds have to be purchased within six months from the date of sale of plot of land and have a lock in period of three years. Since you intend to migrate to Canada in 2013, the amount on the maturity of the bonds will be deposited in your Non-Resident Ordinary Account. The amount so deposited can thereafter be utilised for purchasing a house in Canada as foreign exchange regulations permit remittance of $ 2,00,000 dollars every year for the said purpose. It is a possibility that after three years this limit may also increase.

Purchaser would want clear title of property

Q. In your column (dated November 5, 2011) you had advised a reader that the Perpetual Lease meant that there was no time limit as to the tenure of Lease, which to me means that it is almost a Sale but you get some sort of rent from the lessee.

In the case of "Sale", you have to pay the Stamp Duty which is sometimes up to 8 per cent of the Sale amount, as compared to the almost nil amount for the Lease Deed.

What do you suggest? Should I go for Perpetual Lease when I want to sell my property which is worth Rs 2 crore in value at present?

— Nripander Parkash Khanna

A. A Perpetual Lease is normally granted by a government authority so as to keep a check on the use of the land. In case of transaction between two private parties, purchaser may not be agreeable to acquire the land on leasehold basis especially where the land otherwise is freehold. It would, therefore, be advisable to execute a sale deed in favour of the purchaser so that the purchaser would have a clear title to the property acquired by him. I may add that the stamp duty will be payable even in case a lease is granted and registered in favour of a person. The quantum of stamp duty would differ from state to state.

Tax on LTCG to be paid by seller

Q. I had purchased a plot for the construction of a residential house in 2001. I could not construct a residential house because of the limited resources available with me. I intend selling the same and purchase a plot at Gurgaon in the name of my son who is settled there. He will be able to get loan from his employer at a very low rate of interest and for that purpose the plot is intended to be purchased in his name. Will the capital gain arising on the sale of the old plot exempt in case the new residential plot is purchased in my son's name?

— Atma Ram

A. In accordance with the provisions of Section 54F of the Income-Tax Act 1961, (The Act), the amount of net consideration from the sale of a long-term capital asset is required to be utilised by the assessee for the purchase of a residential house within a period of one year before or two year after the date on which the transfer of such capital asset took place or for the construction of a residential house within a period of three years after the date of the transfer. The net consideration for the purposes of the section means, the full value of consideration received or accruing as a result of transfer of the capital as reduced by any expenditure incurred wholly and exclusively in connection with such transfer. The essential requirement of this Section is that the acquisition or the construction of the residential house has to be in the name of the assessee. Therefore, in case the residential house is purchased in the name of your son, the tax on capital gains would be payable on the sale of the residential plot purchased by you in 2001.

Family arrangement not transfer of property

Q. In case of a joint family assistance property is going to be transferred to the brothers by way of family arrangements. Please let me know whether such arrangement amounts to transfer as per the Income-Tax Act and would attract any capital gains tax liability.

— Ashmit

A. A family arrangement is an agreement between the members of the same family intended generally and reasonably for the benefit of the family by compromising doubtful or disputed rights so as to preserve the family property and the peace and security of the family by avoiding litigation. The family arrangements are covered by the principles which are not applicable to dealings with the strangers and the family arrangement amongst the members of the family is for the interest of the family for a harmonious way of living.

The realignment of interest by way of family arrangement among the family members is not construed a transfer. No liability of capital gains tax should arise in such cases. It is a settled law that the validity of family arrangement is not to be judged with reference to whether the parties who raise disputes or claim right of certain property had in law any right or not (CIT vs. A.L. Ramanathan 245 ITR 494, Madras).

REALTY BYTES
Discount deals

Crazeal, the India unit of group buying site Groupon, has partnered with real estate developer RCL Homes to offer discount on purchase of a property in Karjat in Maharashtra.

“This is the first time any bulk-buying website is offering a deal which offers a discount of Rs 1.02 lakh for a for a property in Karjat, which is a popular weekend getaway destination near Mumbai,” Crazeal CEO Ankur Warikoo said.

To activate the real estate deal, subscribers have to purchase a Crazeal voucher valued at Rs 999 to get the Rs 1.02 lakh discount for a studio apartment priced at Rs 10.5 lakh, he added.

While the deal will be available for Crazeal subscribers in Mumbai, the company plans to open up the offer to the other parts of the country as well.

“We think there would be people not just in Mumbai but in other parts of the country, who would want to invest in property. So, we will open it up to other parts of the country too,” Warikoo said.

On the purchase of the deal, the investor gets 60 days to visit the site or sales office to redeem the discount. “This deal comes with a full refund policy of the ticket amount of Rs 999 if the buyer decides not to purchase the property for any reason after the site visit,” Warikoo said. — PTI

Delhi approves e-registration for property transactions

The Delhi Government has approved e-registration of property transactions to cut down on the time taken in such deals and integrate data from various registrar’s offices.

“In order to achieve wider goal of computerisation of sub-registrar offices, the Cabinet has decided to implement e-Registration Fees Project which is highly secured with proper audit trail and cross verification system,” Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

The registration fees are levied on various instruments of transaction of property presented before registering authority for registration under the provision of Registration Act, 1908. — IANS

Kolkata's largest commercial property acquisition

In one of the decade’s largest real estate deals in Kolkata, Ambuja Realty has acquired the RMZ block of Ecospace Business Park in New Town, Rajarhat, Kolkata. The project, which is 80 per cent complete, encompasses about 9 lakh sq ft. India’s largest and leading International property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle facilitated this deal, which once again throws the spotlight on Kolkata’s happening satellite city.

Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Realty, says, “RMZ and Ambuja Realty had got two adjacent plots of land in Rajarhat. Even our architects and structural consultants were the same. Therefore, we decided to call the entire property Ecospace Business Park. Their end was called the RMZ campus and ours was called the Ambuja Realty Campus.

The opportunity to acquire Millennia Infrastructure Private Ltd. Came our way as RMZ and AIG, who were managing the RMZ Campus, wanted to exit. Given that we are already housed at Ecospace and have part of the campus, we responded affirmatively to acquiring the other part, as well.”

With this acquisition, Ecospace becomes one of the largest non-SEZ office spaces in Kolkata, offering nearly 19 lakh sq ft of ultra-modern and environmentally sustainable business space, together with a unique business club ‘Ecohub’ to help foster superior work-life balance. — Agencies

Omkar Realtors raises 250 cr for Mumbai residential project

Omkar Realtors and Developers recently announced the closure of Rs 250 crore funding by the private equity real estate firm Red Fort Capital for its premium residential project in the suburban Malad. The current transaction is Omkar’s second deal within a span of three months.

Earlier this year, Omkar raised Rs 200 crore from India Reit, making the firm one of the few developers to successfully raise multiple tranches of the private equity capital in 2011, a company statement said here.

“Our association with FDI investor such as Red Fort Capital is a testament to institutional confidence in our firm. We believe in crafting better lifestyles as well as providing value for customers and investors.” Omkar Realtors Managing Director Babulal Varma said.

Omkar Alta Monte project coming up in Malad (east) has been designed by Callison, an international architecture firm based in the Seattle, USA. Full-scale construction is currently underway, with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) — India’s largest construction firm — serving as general contractor, he said.

Omkar is developing projects with an area of approximately 20 million sq. ft. in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with specific focus on the island city and the suburban districts over the next five years. — PTI

Living with vaastu
Gateway to bliss
Madan Gupta Spatu

The entrance of a house very truly reflects the status of owners. In ancient times the entrance gates and doors of forts, temples, havelis and residences of important people were huge and majestic made of iron or strong wood. An attractive front door of a haveli reflected the personality and status of the family.

• The front door is considered as the mouth of the “Vaastu Purusha”. So the front door in a home should be large and inviting. The ideal height for a door should be approximately three times its width. The main door should be larger than the other doors opening into a house.
• Vaastu recommends more open space in the north and east to enable the pleasant morning light and constant light from the northern side to permeate the house. Thus it is advisable that the main entrance is either in the north or in east. But it’s not a hard and fast rule.
• Designing and placing the main door and frame is an essential part of a building construction hence adapting the right dimensions, material and position ensures that the house is not deprived of good energy which would in turn affect the occupants over a period of time.
• The fourth side of the door frame which rests firmly on the floor represents the element composed of fulfillment, wholesomeness and stability, so a main door frame which is four sided is considered very good and is even better if it has windows on either side. But nowadays due to even marble flooring, only three sided frames are fitted instead of old type of Chokhat.
• The main door should have two shutters and open to the inside of the building. Teak is a good material for the entrance door. It is best to have two entrances to a house. The exit door should be smaller than the entrance, and it should have only one shutter. If there are two external doors for the house, they should not be set in a straight line.
• The main door of the house should not be below ground level. Neither should the main door be in the centre of the house, nor in the extreme corners. The main door should not be situated across from the main door of another house. The entrance doors of two houses should not be exactly opposing one another. Neither should two houses share a common entrance.
• If the entrance of the house is to the south, there should be no balcony or verandah in front of the door.
• It is good to set gates to both the property and the entrance to the house on the north or east sides. It is also better to have the main door on the west wall. It is not advised to have the main entrance on the south side.
• There should not be any abandoned, wrecked buildings in front of the main entrance. Avoid having an underground tank, septic tank under the main entrance because in case the tank has to be opened or cleaned, it can be very inconvenient if it is right in front of the main door.
• It is pleasing to decorate entrance with pictures or statues of Laksmi, Ganesh or Kuvera and auspicious signs such as OM or the Swastika or the any religious icon as per one’s faith and religion as it is better to see some pleasant images instead of just a plain door. Inauspicious pictures like sword or dogs should not be on the door.
• The main door should have a threshold as it will prevent ants and other pests from entering the house. Shoes should not be kept in front of the door, but towards one side.
• The door should not be slanted, sliding, or circular.
• It is preferable to have two doors, an entrance and an exit door. However, the exit door should be smaller than the entrance door. The fresh air entering into the house through the entrance, will go out through the exit and thus be forced to pass through the rest of the house, thus allowing the house to breathe.
• Doors should be planned to ensure good circulation of air but three doors in one straight line should be avoided.
• The main door should open inside and clockwise. If the door swings open in a clockwise motion, you use your left hand to open the door for the guests, thus enabling you to guide them in with your right hand.
• Doors that creak indicate bad workmanship and that the door hinges are not well oiled. The main entrance door should be fixed on an auspicious day as per Muhurat after performing Vaastu puja. Traditionally the labour or contractors still demand yellow laddoos from the owners while installing the main door of the house. Sweets bring happiness in labour and yellow symbolises auspiciousness.

Housing prices up in Mumbai, Chennai and Pune in Q2: NHB

Prices of residential properties shot up significantly in six cities, including Pune, Chennai and Mumbai, while there was a decline in nine during the second quarter 2011-12 year-on-year, the National Housing Bank said.

As per the NHB’s Residex index for the July-September quarter, residential housing prices in Pune went up by 13 per cent year-on-year, followed by an increase of 9 per cent in Chennai and 7 per cent in Mumbai.

NHB is the housing finance regulator.

Among other cities where prices of residential properties appreciated during the period were Delhi (5 per cent), Jaipur (2 per cent) and Bangalore (1 per cent).

On the other hand, there are nine cities which have shown decline in prices year-on-year with Kochi recording the maximum drop.

As per the Residex, which tracks property prices movement in 15 cities, residential property rates in Kochi fell by 9 per cent, followed by Hyderabad (8 per cent), Bhopal (7 per cent), Surat (7 per cent) and Faridabad (6 per cent).

Prices in Ahmedabad and Lucknow dropped by 4 per cent in the second quarter, while Patna and Kolkata saw a decline of 3 and 2 per cent, respectively.

The index has taken into account the price trends for residential properties in different locations and zones in each city as per classification devised for the purpose, NHB said in a statement.

The index seeks to provide a “better understanding” of the trends in the residential property market and is helpful for consumers, property dealers and other stakeholders.

As the Residex evolves, it is expected to bring greater uniformity and standardisation in the valuation of properties across the industry, NHB said. — PTI

Ground Realty
Add strength to steel
Jagvir Goyal

Proper covering with concrete blocks For steel reinforcement adds strength to structures, be it high rise buildings or independent homes.

Providing adequate cover to steel reinforcement embedded in concrete holds paramount importance for protection of steel from corrosion and rusting. While investigating the failure of structures, non-provision of concrete cover has often been noted as one of the major causes of the failure. Steel reinforcement, if exposed to weather, gets corroded very quickly, first leading to appearance of cracks and then the failure of structures.

Negligence factor: What has been observed in the field is that the importance of concrete cover to reinforcement has been well realised by people but arrangements for its provision are not done properly. Often, small pebbles of irregular size are inserted below the steel bars to provide cover to them. Whenever the concrete is poured inside the forms, these pebbles get displaced from their position due to multiple reasons like pouring of concrete, application of vibrator for compaction or due to the movement of labour over the shuttering plates or steel. Later when shuttering is removed, exposed steel is noticed and is often covered by a thin layer of plaster. This plaster never serves the same purpose that concrete cover would have served.

Right cover blocks: The concrete cover to reinforcement should be provided by inserting cover blocks below the steel bars. The cover blocks should have thickness equal to the thickness of cover to be provided. The cover blocks should not be round in shape as these are likely to slip. Rectangular or cubicle cover blocks should be used. These should have proper base and shouldn't get displaced on application of load on the steel bars.

Minimum cover: Reinforcement bars in concrete should have a clear concrete cover varying from 15 mm to 40 mm depending upon the type of structural component and the size of the steel to be provided in it. Clear cover to steel bars in slab should be 15 mm or more. In beams, it should be at least 25 mm. In columns, the vertical steel bars should have a clear cover of 40 mm. The cover requirement can be tabulated as under:

Sr. Item Minimum Cover

• RCC Slab 15 mm
• RCC Beam 25 mm*
• RCC Column 25 mm*
• RCC Footings 40 mm
• RCC Lintel over doors 25 mm
• RCC Walls(Basement etc) 25 mm

Many cement and steel suppliers provide these covers on complimentary basis to house builders, if asked for. The house owner should use these even if he has to pay a nominal cost.

(This column appears fortnightly)

DECOR TREND
Pure grace
Subodh Shah

Marble has remained the favourite choice of home owners due to its versatility, excellent finish and durability. Gaining precedence over other materials, natural and engineered marble (manufactured from marble powder in quarries) share a high percentage of usability across the globe. Engineered marble is now fast gaining popularity in the country because of advantages like unlimited supplies, consistency in material, timely supply of material in huge quantities etc.. The most important advantage of engineered marble is that it is an eco-friendly material and because of this it is being used extensively in green buildings.

Engineered marble is ideal for the traditional as well as innovative application and is a good option for commercial as well as residential spaces.

Traditional role

Flooring: Marble floorings have been widely used in bathrooms, kitchens and foyer. The exquisite finishing of marble floorings look quite stunning and are capable of making an indelible impact on the viewer. Engineered marble is available in several finishes that makes them a perfect option to be used in bathrooms and kitchens.

Walls: Due to their elegant luster, marble walls have been extensively used in bathrooms, firepalce, splash, foyer or wine cellars.

Counter tops: Due to subtle textures and attractive finishes of marble counter tops, these can easily be cleaned with less efforts. Marble counter tops are long lasting, durable and impervious to heat, due to which these have been gaining immense popularity in patronage of increased market demand.

Table Tops: Marble table tops add elegance and bring innovation to the appearance of any establishment.

Innovative application

Due to the ever increasing efforts of new-age developers to provide something better to their customers, search for newer materials that can be used innovatively is constantly on. And this is when pioneers from an industry come in the picture. Engineered marble is now being used on window panes, inner section of wardrobes, so on and forth.

Window panes: With changes and ever evolving trends in architecture, the window panes have not just remained the squarish boring elements. With loads of material and designs to choose from, the windows now form an integral and important part of the architecture and interior designing. Engineered marble has gained momentum in its application bit in the window panes as brands like Kalingastone (available in marble & quartz variants) have enormous varieties to offer, thus providing the liberty to choose a material which fits in sync with the interiors, is aesthetically appealing and the best of it all - environment friendly.

Wardrobe inner counters: Wood will soon be a passé - modern architecture has taken to marble for the inner sections of the contemporary wardrobe. Be it the walk-in closets or the separations in the wardrobe — engineered marble is proving best in durability, germ free as they are not prone to infections due to use of appropriate material and strength.

Be it window panes or wardrobes, innovative usage for engineered marble have just arrived. Due to multiple factors of long lasting, termite proof, strength — engineered marble is gaining significance with every passing day and this is just the beginning. To top this all the feeling of not having caused harm to the environment, having got few trees down for your furniture is the invaluable essence of using a material that is manufactured from stone powder — preventing air and water pollution - all in all a perfect product who can proudly claim to be "The Environment Friendly Material".

— The writer is Director, Classic Marble Company which markets Kalingastone engineered marble