Panattoni enters India; to invest $200 mn on building 4 logistics parks

US-based Panattoni has forayed into India and will invest USD 200 million to develop four industrial and logistics parks as it seeks to tap the growing demand for warehousing spaces across major cities.

Panattoni, a global leader in industrial & logistics real estate development, has debuted in the Asian market with its entry in India. Indian venture, Panattoni India Development Pvt Ltd, is headquartered in Bengaluru.

In an interview with PTI, Sandeep Chanda, Managing Director India, Panattoni, sounded bullish on the long-term growth of the industrial and logistics segment of Indian real estate as demand for quality spaces rises from third-party logistic, e-commerce and manufacturing sectors.

The company is holding discussions with land owners to purchase around 250 acres of land in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune to develop four projects in the first phase of the India venture.

'We will be investing USD 200 million (around Rs 1,597 crore) for the development of initial four industrial and logistics parks comprising 6.5-7 lakh leasable area," he told PTI.

The proposed investments include land, construction and other costs. Chanda said the company would also rope in global institutional investors to develop these four projects.

The fund will be raised at the special purpose vehicle (SPV) level to be created separately for the development of each project.

Asked about the minimum size of land required for the development of logistics parks, he said any size between 50 acres and 100 acres would be a sweet spot.

However, the company is not averse to developing small 25 acres parks.

Chanda, formerly head of strategy & acquisitions at Embassy Industrial Parks, said 75-80 per cent area in the projects will be earmarked for warehouses and the rest for the establishment of industries.

The company will also follow its global strategy to exit from each project after development and complete the lease out of spaces to tenants.

Robert Dobrzycki, CEO & Co-owner, Panattoni Europe and India, highlighted that the global firm has established itself as a major industrial and logistics real estate developer in North America and Europe.

"I see no reason why the institutionalisation and dramatic growth of the industrial and logistics markets in North America and Europe cannot be repeated in Panattoni's Indian bridgehead and beyond into other Asian countries and on a faster, greater scale in the years ahead," said Robert.

The company will facilitate investors' access to these assets and support the sustainable growth of India's economy and employment.

Panatonni feels that India's aim of becoming a global manufacturing hub, supported by global firms' growing interest in diversifying their dependence on China and its supply chains, is expected to be a key demand driver.

The fast adoption of e-commerce in India is also fuelling demand for warehouses.

"In the last 9-10 years, since 2013, we have been developing on an average 35 million square feet every year globally. India's total leasing stood at 27-28 million square feet last year. So that's the scale at which we operate," Chanda said.

Panattoni will bring Group's latest design and construction technology to India.

"Our access to global institutional capital and an extensive international occupier network will supplement the strong core demand for modern sustainable industrial and logistics real estate we are seeing from domestic Indian companies," Chanda said.

Greater supply chain efficiency, rapid e-commerce growth, and consolidation among third-party logistics providers are all fundamental market drivers that India increasingly shares with its counterparts in the U.S. and Europe, he added.

Panattoni India Development Pvt Ltd is a part of the Panattoni Group one of the largest industrial real estate developers in the world. On average, it invests around EUR 8 billion a year globally.

With 46 offices across the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, Panattoni has developed 544 million square feet of space for over 2,500 global clients.