Work kicks off on Google’s campus in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Search engine giant Google on Thursday launched construction works in Hyderabad on its largest campus outside of its headquarters in the United States.

IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, who took part in the event, said that he was excited to break the ground for Google’s largest campus outside of their headquarters.

He said a 3.3 million square feet building will come up at Gachibowli on the 7.3-acre site that was allotted in 2019. The company also unveiled the design of the campus on the occasion.

The building prioritises sustainability and energy efficiency throughout its design. Upon commissioning, it will offer a highly-skilled tech workforce a healthy, collaborative workplace that is both resilient and adaptable, designed to serve the city for years to come, Google said.

“I am pleased that Google is deepening its roots in Hyderabad through this landmark building, which incorporates sustainability into its design, keeping in mind Hyderabad’s large and future-focused talent pool,” said Rama Rao, while unveiling the building’s design.

Google currently operates out of a leased facility in Kondapur and employs about 7,000 people. The new campus, which was earlier expected to be ready in 2019, is likely to nearly double the headcount.

The leased facility in Kondapur — from where Google operates currently — was built by Bengaluru-based real estate developer Salarpuria Sattva on the land that the state government allotted to Chennai-based IT firm Megasoft Ltd.

In a regulatory filing on May 26, 2015, Megasoft had said: “Out of 15.61 acres originally allotted at Nanakramguda, Hyderabad (acquired through the amalgamation of VisualSoft Technologies Limited in 2006, allotted by erstwhile APIIC or currently TSIIC), as per the directions of government of Telangana the company surrendered an area of 7.29 acres and retained the balance land.”

The company on August 7, 2016, had announced that it was in the process of setting up a large IT facility in its property at Nanakramguda (registered in the company’s favour in May 2015 by TSIIC through a conditional sale deed) with a developer.

On November 9, 2018, Megasoft announced that it has received approval for this joint development agreement from Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) and will receive and retain approximately five lakh square feet as its net share (to accrue in three phases).

On being asked if Google had received any special approval from the government to operate from the land allotted to Megasoft for the construction of its own facility, a Google official said the company has entered into a lease agreement with Salarpuria Sattva after conducting due diligence and the company does not have anything do with Megasoft. The official also added that Salarpuria Sattva must have done its own due diligence before entering into a development agreement with Megasoft.

Typically, state governments allot land to any company for building its facility so as to provide employment in the state and do not allow IT companies to lease out the developed facility mimicking a real estate firm.