GIFT CITY, INDIA - GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City), abounding with its high-rise towers and futuristic infrastructure, has been included in the Smart City Mission Statement and guidelines as a Model City. GIFT City is moving towards becoming the smartest city in the country with development rights for more than 15 m sq. ft. of built-up area. Out of this, two m sq. ft. is already operational and another three m sq. ft. is under development. GIFT City is also home to the first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) coming up in India. It has been making headlines lately with some of its mega projects going live of late. Foremost among them is the BSE’s International Exchange which has earned for India a place on the global capital markets map.

GIFT City being the most ambitious project in Gujarat competes with the best of international financial centers. With mega projects like BSE’s International Exchange, Jamnabai Narsee School, SBI’s local headquarters and World Trade Center, it has already become an exemplary name in the Smart Cityscape.  The presence of such reputed names and mega projects in GIFT City have significantly contributed in giving a business-led perspective to an infrastructure-led project. More than 100 companies are operational at present in the city though most, awaiting completion of their own premises, are operating from the plug and play incubation facilities being provided by the administration.

Mr. Ajay Pandey, CEO of the R78,000-crore GIFT City project for almost two years now, says: “The fundamental difference between GIFT then and now is that while earlier it was an infrastructure-led project, it is now a business-led one. Henceforth our focus would be on augmentation of existing capacity.” With a total of six high-rises expected to come up in the next two years, he also predicts “a whole new skyline” for GIFT.  Mr. Pandey also informed that the first phase of infrastructure development is over. This includes 45 lane km of roads, a 3-km utility tunnel, a 3 MLD water treatment capacity, a 66 KVA dual supply power station, district cooling centre, and a 50 TPD water treatment plant. To monitor all operations, there is a city command and control centre.

World Trade Centre (WTC), an eminent name in the business infrastructure sector is a major stakeholder in GIFT City. WTC GIFT City aims to provide high quality physical infrastructure coupled with the pride of being a Mainstream Green Architecture. WTC GIFT City, one of the main projects of GIFT City, is being developed on approximately 986 acres of land. WTC GIFT City offers spaces for commercial, financial and technical firms coupled with high quality structure and eco-friendly maintenance and thus is attracting a lot of the big tycoons for developing their workspace. 

Ms. Khair Ull Nissa, Executive Director of WTC GIFT City says: “GIFT City aspires to cater to India’s large financial services potential by offering global firms world-class facilities. It aims to attract the top talent in the country by providing the finest quality of life. WTC GIFT City in its contribution will ensure all steps are aimed at providing unparalleled business infrastructure services to the occupiers along with facilitating the emergence of a truly global Smart City experience at GIFT City.”

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