THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 8 September 2007 — The UAE-based retail major EMKE Group which recently opened an International Convention Center (ICC) in Thrissur is expanding its presence here with an International Business School (IBS) and a Rs1.5 billion five-star hotel.
The construction of the 150-room hotel at the LuLu ICC will begin in December and the IBS early next year, the EMKE Group managing director M.A. Yusuffali said. This is in addition to the a 1.2 million sq ft mall LuLu, the flagship supermarket and hypermarket brand of the Indian-owned conglomerate which runs 58 stores in the Gulf, has lined up for 2009 launch in the port city of Kochi.
It is targeting sales of $2.4 billion, an increase of 125 percent from the 2006 figures of $1.07 billion, by 2010. Currently the group operates supermarkets and hypermarkets in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Yemen and plans to launch its operations in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by the yearend. It plans two more stores in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai within the next six months. In 2008, it will open nine more hypermarkets in GGC countries at an estimated investment of Rs.31 billion.
Yusaffali said acquisition of land is almost complete for the proposed IBS in Thrissur, being set up in cooperation with universities abroad. There would be waivers on fees for poor students. The state
chief minister and MPs should take the initiative to set up the NRI University, proposed by the federal Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry, in Kerala.
“We have 4.5 million Malayalees working in foreign countries. Providing quality education to their children and others is the responsibility of the government. With this aim in mind the federal government should come forward and set up the proposed NRI University in Kerala,” he said.
Yusuffali said better infrastructure should also be developed to attract more foreign tourists, adding, “Lack of world-class infrastructure facilities is a big hindrance to developing tourism. The situation will change soon as the government has already established a company, with participation by nonresident Keralites, to improve infrastructure including roads and bridges,” he said in Thrissur.
Yusuffali, who is also a director of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), said the center was causing difficulties for the company’s low-cost airline project, Air Kerala, by raising objections despite the fact that the state government is the single, largest stakeholder.
He called on the people’s representatives, including MPs from the state, to exert pressure on the federal aviation authorities to make the airline project a reality.
Yusuffali also wanted the state government to take up the proposal for Kerala Airlines, the low cost airline proposed by the state government with the sole aim of providing cheap flight service to Gulf countries.
“The center wants all formalities to be adhered to before granting permission. According to the current rules, a company should have five years of domestic flying experience and a fleet of 20 aircraft with the company for applying for permission to operate on international sector,” he said. Kerala should be allowed to start operations to Gulf countries with a fleet of five aircraft.
