Leela Group to invest Rs 500 cr in Kerala

The group has earmarked about 11.1 lakh square feet of IT space in Kerala. At Kochi, the group would invest about Rs 180 crore (Rs 1.8 bilion) to provide IT infrastructure.

It has already invested in a IT complex, which houses Outsource Partners International, a BPO company. OPI occupies about 137,000 sq feet space, Venu Krishnan, executive director, Leela Group said. Another property is expected to be completed within one and a half years at Kochi. Once the building at Thiruvananthapuram is also ready, new IT players would come to Kerala, he said.

While the group would be investing Rs 180 crore (Rs 1.8 billion) in the Kochi park, in Thiruvananthapuram, the investment would touch Rs 80 crore (Rs 800 million).

Leela is also looking at investing in hotel projects at Kochi and Kumarakkom. At Kochi, the plan is to set up a business hotel, Krishnan said.

In the textile sector, the group would be expanding its existing facilities at Thiruvananthapuram. On the Kannur airport project, he said the Leela group was interested in it and would participate through the tendering route.