Consumer durable major Videocon Group has bought out a housing society off Ashram Road, one of Ahmedabad’s prime business areas, for over Rs 50,000 per sq yard in a Rs 30-crore deal.
The housing society, Lotus Society, is located along the Sabarmati river – where the ambitious Rs 2000-crore riverfront development project is coming up – is spread over 6,000 sq yards. The group plans to come up with a commercial complex and a five-star hotel.

Earlier, a city-based developer had tried to acquire the Lotus Society. Subsequently, a couple of other local developers had jumped into the fray and negotiated for the same property. However, Videocon signed the deal around a month ago.

The deal was struck with the help of local builders. According to industry sources, Videocon has already made part payments to the flat owners, who have signed an MoU with the company as per which they have to vacate their flats within a stipulated time frame.

Videocon Group had identified the land keeping the Sabarmati riverfront project in mind. The group is venturing into grocery and lifestyle retailing space through cash-and-carry format across the country. It has appointed KSA Technopark, Earnst & Young and Price WaterHouseCoopers as advisers for its retail plan.

The group has already appointed Subir Ghosh, former CEO of Essar retail, as head of its Planet M business. At present, the company is looking for suitable land in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Aurangabad and Ahmednagar. The company intends to set up 40 stores across the country.

Each of these stores would be set up on an area ranging between 75,000 square feet and 1 lakh square feet. The group has plans to spend over Rs 5,000 crore on establishing its retail business in the next five years.