A “five or seven-star luxury hotel, designed and developed at par with international standards”, integrated township projects, comprehensive shopping malls and strip malls housing top international and domestic brands…

Emaar MGF Land Pvt Ltd, which made a big-bang entry into Calcutta’s real estate market by quoting a never-before price (Rs 33.6 crore an acre) for the 6.24-acre plot on the EM Bypass near ITC Sonar Bangla, is “actively exploring large real estate projects in the state”.

The luxury hotel on the Bypass square, bagged in a CMDA tender, however, is clearly the jewel in the crown. “Our commitment to Calcutta and Bengal is strong and our hotel will introduce a novel concept in the hospitality sector,” Shravan Gupta, executive vice-chairman and managing director of the group, tells Metro.

A joint venture between Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai, and MGF Developments, the company has aggressive plans for the hospitality sector and plans to build 10-15 luxury and 20-25 business hotels with an initial investment of $1 billion in the next three to five years.

“Providing a seamless integration of spectacular design, cutting-edge technology and world-class service, our property in Calcutta will be unsurpassed in quality, innovation and service and internationally recognised as among the finest in lifestyle-oriented hotels and resorts,” pledges Gupta.

While he refuses to comment on the likely hospitality partner for the Bypass address, the trade buzz is that Four Seasons might be on its way in. With J.W. Marriott and Intercontinental already committed to Bengal Unitech Universal and Bengal Srishti, respectively, the city looks set for a spectacular star war.

Emaar MGF also plans to develop townships with commercial spaces, along with other infrastructure and civic facilities. These townships will include residential plots, town houses and villas along with landscaped gardens.

“The group is moving to cities and states where it believes there is a huge potential for growth and Calcutta features on the priority list,” the MD asserts.

Besides the CMDA site, the company has recently acquired two hotel sites in Delhi for construction of business/ luxury hotels.

It has also received approvals from the government to set up 10 SEZs in the country. Emaar MGF is planning to develop these SEZs in a phased manner across various product categories.

Emaar Properties, the joint-venture company’s Dubai constituent, has “practically built modern Dubai”.