Sattva: Transforming India’s Landscape

A front-runner in commercial spaces

There’s something special about Hyderabad. Be it the Charminar or the Golconda Fort, the city of Pearls has a vibe that’s all its own. Today, this buzzing metropolis has transformed itself into an established Hub for IT & IT Enabled Services companies that are second to none. West Hyderabad is where it’s all happening, in areas like Madhapur, HITEC City, Kondapur, Gachibowli, and Kokapet. This is where the world’s leading MNC’s are rushing to set up shop to savour a piece of the Indian pie. And it’s never looked better.

Enter Sattva group, with its far-sightedness to set up IT parks in this thriving metropolis. With its foray into Hyderabad a decade ago, it is a front-runner in setting up awe-inspiring commercial buildings that are arguably the best in Asia. Be it the flagship project Sattva Knowledge City at HITECH City, with 11 million sq ft of built-up area, and 70% open space, which is a sterling example of innovation. The Park boasts of sustainable green measures with hi-tech workspaces, spread over 30 acres. It is globally recognised for its futuristic design and construction; the project is one of the largest IGBC-certified, platinum-rated green buildings in India and was named the ‘Project of the Year’ by ET NOW. Another astounding tech park Sattva Knowledge Park, built on 5 million sq ft, and Sattva Knowledge Capital comprising of 3 million sq ft are also located in the Financial District. These mega projects are the headquarters of eminent global majors and have set the Sattva Group firmly on the horizon of leadership in commercial spaces.

The Image Tower – an architectural marvel, an emblem of contemporary Hyderabad that, alongside the neighbouring start-up incubator, T-Hub, and prototyping centre, T-Works, will form the world’s largest innovation campus. The renderings of the Image Tower are astonishing: The ultra-chic façade and unique design seem almost otherworldly—as if belonging to a period that time hasn’t touched yet. Expected to be home to several animation, gaming, and entertainment professionals, the building has generated plenty of buzz, with citizens eager to welcome 1.6 million sq ft of sophisticated engineering to their city. Small wonder that Sattva is a leading player with a portfolio of over 25 million sq ft in the region making it South India’s leading commercial office space developer of high repute.

Leading the way in sustainability

Sattva’s commercial buildings are developed with LEED-certified, IT/ITES buildings as per the IGBC rating system, exemplifying its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. In its endeavour to establish green practices and pave the future of Tech Parks, solar panels and solar hot water systems are used across all its IT Parks. The use of solar PV Panels generates electricity, which ensures the reduction in overall electrical consumption of the projects, making Sattva a futuristic builder in this space.

Sattva is also a leader in the space of rainwater harvesting. Runoff rainwater is harvested 100%, treated and reused. The surface runoff from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, podiums, roads and landscape areas, connects to the site stormwater drainage network, allowing recharge of the groundwater table. ETFE roofing technology used at the podium levels reduces the temperature by 4 degrees thereby making the common area more combustible. Performance glass in the facade and glass windows ensures that the outside heat is absorbed and only 20% of the heat enters the building. Add to that, integrated facade lights and timer-based lighting equipment powered by IBMS software for a harmonious lighting effect. A front-runner in the ‘zero waste’ concept, Sattva ensures that wet waste is also accounted for, in its futuristic projects. Organic waste converters (OWC) are used to recycle food waste and compost are profound to be used in the garden area.

Residential success in tandem

The company did not lag behind in the residential arena. Buoyed by its success, it set up some of the best residential apartments of its time in just a decade. These include Sattva Luxuria, Sattva Magnificia, Sattva East Crest and Sattva Anugraha to name a few. Strategically located at prime locations, these homes were soon sought after by discerning customers. The company would turn its attention to other markets like Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Goa with premium homes around the same time, increasing its portfolio, just as these regions were transforming into sizable urban markets. Sattva Greenage, the flagship residential project of the group was set up to offer over 100 amenities in the heart of Bengaluru and is renowned as one of the most popular gated communities. More recently the Group launched Sattva Aqua Vista, Sattva Exotic, Sattva Signet and Sattva Misty Charm in Bengaluru. Sattva Magnus in Hyderabad and the newly launched uber-luxury Sattva LakeRidge overlooking the famed Husain Sagar Lake in Neopolis, Hyderabad, are testimony to the group’s growing strength in the residential space.

With an unwavering desire to provide homes for all, Bijay Agarwal ventured into the affordable housing arena with the launch of three new projects in 2021-22, in this space. Sattva Aeropolis close to the International Airport met with tremendous success. Going strong in the residential sector, strategic marketing efforts combined with innovative schemes, paid rich dividends with sales of residential units booming. In accordance to the Government of India’s plans for ‘Housing for All’ the group set up its first project Sattva Ashraya in Bidadi, on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway and Sattva Kaveri Siri a plotted development project in Mandya. Today, the residential formats of the group include luxury, premium and affordable homes, with a mix of plotted development, villas and mixed-use developments.

1993-2023 – Three outstanding decades

Rewind to 1993, when the group set up its very first commercial building, Money Chambers of a mere 20, 000 sq ft—in Bengaluru, followed by Mona Lisa, its first residential project. With Bijay Agarwal at the helm of the business, and ably backed by his team that has steadfastly been his support system for over 3 decades, Sattva would grow and burst into the new millennium as a real estate developer to watch out for.

Having earned a foothold in the industry, Sattva in 2006 would unveil Bengaluru’s first IT Park—GR Tech Park a landmark state-of-the-art commercial property in Whitefield. The site, at 1.5 million sq ft was a statement by Sattva—the company meant business; the cogs were already turning, and real estate in India would change. Sattva increasingly developed IT parks and commercial properties throughout the 2000s, besides being involved in select residential projects. Bijay Agarwal’s vision for the Real Estate business saw him maintain the highest standards of construction quality and delivery with marquee projects across various segments of real estate. Soon, in the early 2000’s the group established itself as a best developer of great repute with renowned global conglomerates working out of its IT parks. In hindsight, it was an inspired decision backed by sharp precognition: Bijay Agarwal envisioned a future where traditional office spaces would be reinvented into areas for people to not simply work from, but inhabit. He believed that the ‘new’ office space would be an integral part of a professional’s life. The company built the Softzone IT Park at Bellandur in 2010. Accolades and awards would follow, most notably being rated as a ‘CRISIL A-Stable’ company a distinction that it has achieved year on year, since then.

To diversify is to fortify

Apart from cutting-edge homes, the group diversified into the co-working and co-living arenas. In 2018, the Company acquired 50 percent stake in the Flexi-office space player, Simpliwork in Bengaluru. Simpliwork is operational across Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad and it is also entering the Chennai market. With the growing demand for Flexi-space by corporates, the 2018-founded firm has added close to about two million sq ft, during the pandemic. Simpliwork now plans to expand its business in India and enter into overseas markets like Singapore and Hong Kong. In April 2019, the Sattva Group invested in the Bengaluru-based, technology-driven Co-living space provider Colive, for a majority stake. Founded in 2016, the firm now has an inventory of 30,000 beds in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune. The Group kicked off its data centre business around three years ago and now has a portfolio of 140 megawatts in different stages of development. It has built 2 Data Centres, one in Mumbai and the other in Bengaluru and has plans to enter Chennai and Mumbai. In the hospitality sector, plans are underway to set up a resort project for the Taj group in collaboration with the Indian Hotels Company and will offer branded villas as part of the complex. Several more projects are on the anvil and diversification is making Sattva a well-rounded player.

Building credibility

Above all else, Sattva Group builds credibility. In 2016, the Sattva Group and Apollo Asia RE Singapore set up a development platform to acquire 100 percent stake from a group of offshore investors in two projects in Bengaluru and Vadodara. In Bengaluru, the plan is to build a 1.8 million sq ft IT Park, which is expected to be operational in the near future. Just before the pandemic in 2020 Sattva Group and the Blackstone Group jointly acquired a 3.3 million sq ft office space the ‘Global Village Tech Park’ in Bengaluru, owned by Coffee Day Enterprises. The fact that PE groups like Blackstone and Apollo joined hands with this successful real estate company, is a validation of the credentials that it enjoys in the market.

Commercial projects amounting to 25 million square feet in Bengaluru alone are also in the works. In 30 years, Sattva has transcended mere business-speak—it is now a legitimate Empire, one held together by faith, prescience and just good old values. Clearly, the Sattva empire is here to stay. Sattva’s ethical business practices, devotion to quality, a culture of trust, customer satisfaction and constant desire to innovate and use technology inventively, have only consolidated Bijay Agarwal’s vision, as firmly rooted as one of his project’s foundations. Above all, Bijay Agarwal advocates financial discipline and transparency—two aspects crucial to Sattva’s progression as a trusted brand that people love to work with. But never one to be content with what’s accomplished, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Group pushed the boundaries even further. There’s much more to see over the horizon.

(A marketing initiative by Open Avenues)