Reliance Infocomm opens Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai
By Our Corporate Bureau | 27 Dec 2002
Navi Mumbai: Concurrent with the launch of Reliance Infocomm Ltd, the new-age initiative at the convergence of information technology and communications, the Reliance group has unveiled a new campus - the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC). This is the largest new economy campus in India. A brainchild of Nita Ambani, the president of the Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation, DAKC is a world-class campus that showcases the spirit of the knowledge age in its layout, architecture and character.
Set amidst a picturesque 140-acre plot in Navi Mumbai, DAKC is the heart of Reliance Infocomm. DAKC houses the national headquarters, Internet data centres, call centres, applications development laboratories and the national network operations centre of Reliance Infocomm.
With 2.2-million sq ft of office space spread over 14 buildings, DAKC has a capacity to house 10,000 people. To address needs of this magnitude, DAKC is fully equipped with several food courts, all utilities, ATM machines and business centres.
The architectural style adopted in DAKC is functional and elegant with extensive use of glass and granite for exteriors of buildings, interspersed with extensive landscaping to provide visual relief. Signage, reflecting the blue and green colours of Reliance Infocomm, complements the visual identity of the campus.
Reliance Infocomm has a very young employee profile with an average age of 32 years. This aspect lends character and charm to DAKC, and resonates the faith that Dhirubhai Ambani had in India’s youth.
The highlight as well as the nerve centre of DAKC is a spectacular 110,000-sq ft national network operations centre (NNOC). From here the entire network of Reliance Infocomm, covering 60,000 kilometres of optic fibre that connects 90 per cent of India’s population and reaching 600 towns and cities, is monitored and controlled.
The concept of one control centre for an entire network is unique and is unprecedented in the world. Unlike most other network operations centres around the world, which are designed to support a specific product, service or geography, the NNOC of Reliance Infocomm is unique in the sense that it controls a range of products, services and geographies.
The main control room with a seating capacity for 200 has two large video walls, each 100-feet long and with 80 screens each. A hanging bridge running across the control room is part of the visitors’ experience and an integral part of NNOC.
A picturesque lake on campus reflects the serenity of a temple on one side and the activity of the national headquarters building on the opposite side. In a sense it contrasts the tradition with the modern.
Reflecting on the conceptualisation and development of DAKC, Nita Ambani said: “DAKC is a homage as well as a reflection of the vision, enterprise and creativity of Dhirubhai Ambani, one of the greatest sons that India has ever produced.”
