Crossing swords with eco-terrorists

Ranjit Hira
29 October 2003

Providing affordable and suitable housing for the bulk of the population should be given utmost importance, asserts Hiranandani group MD Niranjan Hiranandani

Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government recently announced a Rs 2,000-billion plan to convert Mumbai into a world-class city. There is nothing wrong with this ambitious and timely plan. But the reality is that even if the funds were to be made available there are precious few construction and development organisations in India capable of implementing such a gigantic project and even fewer with a proven track record in designing, developing and maintaining world-class townships.

Here is where the relevance of the Hiranandani group of Mumbai comes to the fore. Set up in the early 1980s by Niranjan L Hiranandani and Surendra L Hiranandani, this exceptional organisation has already built one of the largest integrated townships in India, spread over 300 acres, at Powai in Mumbai.

Their father is the world-renowned ENT surgeon, Dr L H Hiranandani, winner of the Padma Bhushan award and the SAARC Doctor of the Millennium award, among many others. At the age of 86 he is still active and works vigorously every day.

The Hiranandani group has also diversified into retail, entertainment, hospitality, infotech, education, horticulture and healthcare. The group's construction activities were launched in 1981. Recently the group announced its entry into the healthcare segment with the Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, at Powai in Mumbai, which will be a multispecialty hospital, the only one of its kind in the city and is expected to be commissioned in December 2003.