The 218-unit property, to be named Citadines Hyderabad Hitec City, is Ascott’s first serviced residence in Hyderabad.

The Ascott Group said yesterday that it has signed a joint venture agreement with the Rattha Group to acquire its fifth serviced residence in India.

The 218-unit property, to be named Citadines Hyderabad Hitec City, is Ascott’s first serviced residence in Hyderabad. the group will pay about S$15 million for a 49 per cent stake in the property. Indian partner Rattha will hold the remaining majority stake.

Ascott said that the deal is part of a master development agreement it signed with Rattha in August 2006. The aim of the agreement is to acquire and develop seven serviced residences with a total of at least 1,000 units in India by 2010.

Ascott president and chief executive Jennie Chua said: ‘The addition of Citadines Hyderabad Hitec City puts the group ahead of the target set out under the agreement with Rattha. Ascott now has five properties with more than 1,100 units under development in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.‘

The group will continue to seek business opportunities in other cities including New Delhi and Mumbai, she said.

The proposed Citadines Hyderabad Hitec City is in the heart of Hitec City, a major high-tech township where the Hyderabad International Convention Centre is located.

When completed, the serviced residence will cater to the business traveller market, particularly people from the IT and biotechnology industries. The opening is scheduled for the first half of 2010.

With this latest addition, Ascott now has 1,178 serviced residence units in five properties under development in India. The other four properties are in Bangalore and Chennai, and are slated to open between 2008 and 2009.

Source : Business Times - 11 Dec 2007