Vedic Village eyes Delhi

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Vedic Village eyes Delhi

 

Bs Reporter / Kolkata January 18, 2007

Sanjeevani Group, promoters of the Vedic Village in Kolkata, is

scouting for land near Delhi to set up a health resort on the lines

of Vedic Village.

The recce mission is on its last leg and the group plans to enter

into a partnership with a hotel chain or a realty developer for the

project.

"The scope for aurvedic and traditional treatment is great in India,

and health tourism is on the rise. Our centre in Kolkata has done

great business ever since we opened shop a year and a half ago. We

want to expand our centre in Kolkata and also look at capturing the

potential market in the north," said M J Robertson, chief executive

officer and director, Sanjeevani Projects Private Limited.

Expansion of the Vedic Village was also on the cards. The resort

would add another 50 acres to the existing 150.

On the cards were a Rs 5 crore convention centre with 60,000 square

feet of built-up area, along with 150 rooms, more bungalows, farm

houses, a swimming pool and a golf course.

The convention centre was expected to be completed by the end of this

year.

"Currently we do not have a full-fledged convention centre, but

smaller banquet spaces that are let out for corporate training and

meetings", he said. Although Vedic Village was situated some distance

from the main city, these spaces were booked almost every day of the

year. "Now, with the adjacent areas being touted as the next

corporate hub of Kolkata, there will definitely be demand for a

convention space in the city," Robertson said.

Room occupancy rates at Vedic Village varied between 80 and 85 per

cent with average room rates at between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,500 for

regular rooms and upto Rs 12,000 for a night at the top-of-the-line

villas.

Around 80 per cent visitors to Vedic Village were through corporate

bookings, while tourists accounted for the rest.

Sanjeevani Group had used in travel and tourism exhibitions in Los

Angeles and New York to promote Vedic Village as a naturopathy and

ayurvedic healing centre and spa in India.

This year, it would participate in the International Tourism Exchange

at Berlin, Germany and also showcase the Vedic Village in the United

Kingdoms. The group has set aside a marketing budget of almost Rs 2

crore for the project.

The funding for the project came from a mix of borrowings from

financial institutions that covered close to 60 per cent of

investments, and advanced payments made by those buying residential

bungalows at Vedic Village.

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