India’s urban challenge and Modular Construction

“We must run as fast as we can just to stay in one place… and if you want to go anywhere we must run twice as fast as that.” (Alice in Wonderland).

As well as having an engaging smile, indeed sometimes only an engaging smile, the Cheshire Cat’s advice to Alice demonstrated wisdom beyond his nine lives. We would be well advised to remember it when considering the real estate challenge facing India’s economy as it comes to terms not only with the fastest growing population on the planet but also a radically increased urban population. Mumbai and the New Delhi Conurbation are already creaking at the seams, so staying in one place is no longer an option: now we need to run twice as fast to get anywhere.

And as we have commented previously on this site, when it comes to sheer speed of delivery Modular Construction will always have the upper hand over traditional construction techniques, making it singularly well suited to meeting the demands of India’s rapidly expanding population. Modular units are pre-built offsite in a controlled environment where the weather matters less and logistical barriers barely matter at all: think about building anything from scratch on site in Downtown Mumbai in the middle of summer and you’ll get some idea of the problem. Just in time supply chain efficiencies, including progressive stacking of modules on site, also then ensure maximum speed of final delivery without any of the “dead time” delays frequently associated with traditional construction methods.

But how does that all work out on complex construction projects? Using Modular Construction to create a small block of flats is one thing, but what about a 100-room Hotel?

Well, as it happens, that’s not a problem either.

The Marriott Hotel Group decided last year to adopt modular construction technology on some of their newest hotels and other major and mid sector hotel chains have been following suit with projects ranging from four star hotels through to boutique eco hotels. Marriott kicked off its initiative with a commitment to build 50 hotels using prefabricated guestrooms and bathrooms as well as a 97 room signature hotel entirely constructed with modular technology (and, take note, completed two months ahead of schedule). As their International Chief Development Officer, Eric Jacobs put it: “Construction is the next frontier for innovation and modular technology is leading the way…By working with our modular partners we can open hotels faster, put associates to work earlier and generate revenues sooner”.

Quite so…

And its not just hotels either: modular construction is currently being used across the subcontinent to deliver student housing, hospitals and public buildings of all shapes and sizes. Getting just where India needs to be… by running twice as fast.

Red Ribbon played a key role in setting up Modulex Modular Buildings, recognising the company’s outstanding potential to deliver above market rate returns for investors through its ability to tap into high demand levels in Indian real estate markets. The company provides an exciting opportunity for investors to take advantage of this key trend in the fastest growing large economy on the planet.

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Red Ribbon CEO, Suchit Punnose said:

I was interested to read about the Marriott Hotel initiative because it deals with a misapprehension that I sometimes come across, that modular construction is appropriate only for smaller scale projects. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. From my own work on behalf of Modulex on the subcontinent, I know that this fascinating and innovative technology is equally at home on major construction projects as well including, as the Article says, Hospitals and Schools. I’m convinced the technology has a major part of play in meeting the huge challenges currently facing India’s real estate markets.

And as a matter of interest, Marriott certainly wasn’t the first company to enter the market with a modular construction hotel: Red Ribbon’s own Eco Hotels have been doing that since the company’s inception and I’m very proud of the part we’ve played in its growth: because at Red Ribbon we don’t just believe in the theoretical value of modular technology, we’ve been using it for years.

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