DLF to build largest office campus globally for Standard Chartered GBS in Chennai

Realty developer DLF is building an office campus of 1 million sq-ft for Standard Chartered Global Business Services (GBS), at its upcoming office project christened DLF Downtown, in Chennai. Touted to be Standard Chartered’s largest office campus globally, this will have first its kind futuristic workspace with open, experiential offices in the post-pandemic era.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Monday laid the foundation stone for the campus.

DLF in a statement said the new office building is set to change the way people work and will set a new benchmark for future workspaces in the country by offering a unique office building design, a first of its kind in the country in a safe and sustainable ecosystem.

DLF Downtown Chennai is strategically located at the epicentre of business at Taramani in Chennai. It is spread over 27 acres as a multi-block campus of new age buildings and is being built in phases with an investment of over Rs 5,000 crore. DLF has entrusted the globally renowned architectural firm Gensler from the US to design this. Phase 1 will constitute new-age office buildings of close to 3.3 million sq-ft with a host of amenities including a food district, restaurants, cafes, wellness centre, gym, creche, and a medical centre.

Commenting on the unveiling of phase 1 of Downtown, Sriram Khattar, MD, DLF Rental Business, said: “Once DLF Downtown is completed and operational, DLF will have a footprint of close to 14 million square feet of commercial workspaces in the city, making it the second-largest market after Gurugram. We are optimistic about our investment in the state as Tamil Nadu is fast emerging as a leading global hub for IT/ ITES, manufacturing, and R&D. A development like DLF Downtown in a location like Taramani should generate an income of Rs 700- 750 crore when fully functional.”

DLF has been at the forefront of driving economic growth and IT/ITeS exports in Tamil Nadu for over 17 years and it operates the largest IT SEZ in the state. Its landmark development DLF Cybercity Chennai at Manapakkam is a 7.2 million sq-ft project and the largest IT SEZ in the state and has contributed a cumulative export revenue of around `84,000 crore since its inception.

Matthew Norris, global head, Standard Chartered Global Business Services said: “We envision that our largest campus globally at DLF Downtown Taramani will define the future of work with its people-centric design around hybrid work patterns, further enhancing employee wellness, engagement and productivity with sustainable measures.”