Mumbai: CNBC-Awaaz successfully concluded its first zonal awards, West Zone of the 14th Real Estate Awards & Conclave, presented by RR Kabel. The West Zone edition of the initiative took place in Ahmedabad on 30 September 2023. During the conclave, prominent leaders in the industry, real estate developers, policymakers, experts, and influential figures came together to discuss the latest trends impacting the real estate sector’s future and to seek ways to expedite its progress in the coming years.
The event commenced with a welcome address by CNBC Awaaz & CNBC Bajaar editor Anuj Singhal who set the tone for the evening. He said, “This is the first-time post-pandemic that we are on the ground celebrating the achievements of our real estate industry members. This award ceremony is one of the most trusted in the nation, and this can be justified by the amount of support and participation it receives from the real estate fraternity. A well structure process is followed in identifying winners. This year we received more than ten thousand entries across India.”
The welcome address was followed by a special address by RR Kabel MD Shreegopal Kabra. He commented, “The major objective for initiating this award was to give builders their due share of respect that they deserve. We had faced tremendous amount of struggle in the initial phase. The journey started specifically on the national level, later it moved to Gujarat and other areas of the country. Now, people aspire to receive this award but for the same one needs to work hard in the industry and prove their worth. The journey moved from class to mass, taking into consideration all the zones of the nation. We hope that the award and celebration continue for ages resulting in revolutions in the real estate industry. I would like to congratulate all the winners. I am thankful to everyone associated with us for these many years for making this award a lifetime achievement.”
The awards & conclave also featured several panel discussions comprising esteemed industry personalities. The first discussion, titled ‘India’s Real Estate: Fastest Growing In The World’ brought together industry thought leaders including Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) chief executive authority D P Desai; NAREDCO Gujarat president Suresh Patel; CREDAI National president-elect and Ganesh Housing MD Shekhar Patel; RR Kabel MD Shreegopal Kabra; and Knight Frank India executive director Gulam Zia.
The subsequent discussion centred around ‘West India: Leading the Future of Urbanisation’ hosted panelists such as Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s deputy municipal commissioner, Mihir Patel; Gujarat Housing Board’s deputy commissioner, K S Jhala; CREDAI Ahmedabad-GIHED’s president, Tejas Joshi; CEPT University’s adjunct professor, Prof. Vatsal Patel; Surat Diamond Bourse’s CEO, Mahesh Gadhavi; and RR Kabel’s MD Shreegopal Kabra.. Talking briefly about the topic, K S Jhala said, “Gujarat Housing Board is the initiative of the Gujarat Government, which was established in the year 1960. With the core objective of affordable housing, the board has constructed all in all two lakhs plus houses. Redevelopment is of utmost importance due to the duration of the construction of those houses. With that, we ensure sustainable development and make the optimum use of land. The Gujarat Government already has 30 redevelopment schemes in the process with 125 in the pipeline and 48 tenders have already been floated. We have also created a Trust that will cater to the major areas of the state for the redevelopment.”
The concluding panel for the evening was around an insightful theme, ‘Preventing Electrical Fires: Innovations in Fire Detection and Suppression.’ The panel featured Ahmedabad Fire & Emergency Services (AFES) chief fire officer, JN Khadia; Fire and Security Association of India (FSAI) presidential member, Pankaj Dharkar; and RR Kabel’s MD Shreegopal Kabra.
Preceding the award ceremony, the chief guest of the evening Harsh Sanghavi, Home Minister, MoS Home & Industries, Youth, Sports & Culture addressed the audience. Speaking on the topic, Gujarat’s role in the growing Indian realty industry, he said,” In Gujarat, people often pray for a dream home. I would like to thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister for making this dream come true for the citizens of India. He fulfilled this dream by the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana providing a home to all the citizens. The due support of our real estate builders is crucial for the same. I believe members of the real estate community from other parts of the nation should study projects in Gujarat. The state has always been a trendsetter with regards to accomplishing a dream it thinks of.”
The evening ended with the award ceremony, where the Hon’ble MOS Harsh Sanghavi, Anuj Singhal, Shreegopal Kabra, and other esteemed guests felicitated the real estate projects from the West Zone of India. This event was presented by RR Kabel, associate partner – RR Parkon, and knowledge partner – Knight Frank India. The national awards ceremony is scheduled for December 2023, which will be preceded by Awards in the East, North, and South Zones.
