Biggest electronic shopping mall to open in Pune

Pune-based Pride Housing is launching a Rs 20-crore electronics shopping mall at the Pride Silicon Plaza, a complex which

houses IT companies such asPace Software, Fusion Technologies, iFlex Solutions, OceanConnect,

Persistent Systems andSiemens among others. Touted to be the first of its kind in the country, the shopping mall - Pride Circuit Citi - will be

operational in March 2003.

Arvind Jain, MD, Pride Housing claims that this is the country's biggest IT and electronics mall spread over an expanse of

30,000 sq ft. "With the launch of Pride Citi Circuit, the hub of IT and electronics market in Pune

will definitely change," he asserts. According to Jain, Pune is a test market for this project. Should it take off, there are plans to replicate

similar malls at other cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Chennai. 

Pride Circuit Citi will house more than 30 showrooms of leading electronics majors such as Sony, LG, Samsung, Videocon,

Philips (in the home appliances category), Nokia, Airtel, Motorola, BPL, AT & T, Reliance (in the telecom

and mobile phone category), Microsoft, Compaq, HP, Intel (in the computer hardware and software category).

These showrooms will be available in sizes right from 300 sq feet to 3000 sq feet. According to Jain, talks were on with 60

leading brands for the booking of showrooms. "Of the 55 odd players, atleast 30 have shown

interest," he says. Showrooms would be available either on lease or outright purchase.

The entire project has been conceptualized by Pentagon Inc, and is being implemented alongwith Pride Housing. Pentagon is a

Pune-based businessconsultancy firm offering customized solutions in acquiring space based on

requirements as well as assisting in finalizing franchisee opportunities. 

NANDA KASABE