MARG INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, SWARNABHOOMI (MIDAS) LAUNCHED AT MARG SWARNABHOOMI

~Inauguration by Shri Thotta Tharani, one of the most sought after art directors in Indian Film industry~

~ First of its kind Institute for Design and Architecture in India ~

~ Students from all over the country enrolled in the first batch ~

~Core faculty from both India and overseas~

~Alongwith ‘Interior Design’ and ‘Architecture’ , career opportunities also in the fields of ‘Retail design’, ‘Lighting design’, ‘Exhibition design’, ‘Event and set design’ and ‘Ergonomics’~

Chennai, August 22, 2011 – MARG Limited, India’s leading diversified infrastructure development company, today announced the launch of MARG Institute of Design and Architecture, Swarnabhoomi (MIDAS) at MARG Swarnabhoomi, the city of education, research and innovation. The inauguration was done by Padma Shree Thotta Tharani in the esteemed presence of Prof. Jayashree Deshpande, Director I/C,National Institute of Advanced Studies in Architecture (NIASA),Center for Development Studies & Activitites (CDSA) Campus, Pune & Ex- India Cricketer cum current Mumbai Indians coach Robin Singh.

MIDAS is poised to address the global need for high quality architects. With an aim to provide excellence in architecture and design, it will focus on nurturing, inspiring and equipping students with the best of knowledge, tools and training. MIDAS is approved by the Council of Architecture (COA) and is affiliated to Anna University.

The courses that are offered in MIDAS are 5 years Bachelor Degree Program in Architecture Studies (B.Arch - Architecture Studies) and 5 years Bachelor Degree Program in Interior Designing (B.Arch – Interior Designing Studies). Both the programs are offered in both day scholar and residential modes. All the approved seats are filled and students from all over the country have joined the first batch of MIDAS. The curriculum and teaching methodology follows international standards of delivery and assimilation.

The core faculty at MIDAS is both from India and world over and comprises of practitioners of repute with double masters in various fields of Architecture, ID, Urban Design, Urban Planning, etc. Practicing architects registered with COA having professional experience ranging from- 8 - 30 years and post graduates from prestigious overseas and domestic institutions like NUS & SAP , gold medalist from IIT & Madras University will all add value to provide quality & world class education. Students will gain extensive knowledge on international architectural standards and global exposure.

Speaking on the occasion, MR. GRK Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, MARG Group, said, “Considering the huge demand for the best in class Architects and Interior Designers in the country, we are very proud to launch MIDAS in MARG Swarnabhoomi which is fast emerging as an education cluster for a new economy. The institution will not only cater to the needs of the budding talents in the country but also to the aspiring young talents from abroad as well. The course program is designed in such a way that the students get maximum domestic and international exposure keeping in mind the new trends in the field of design and architecture. The philosophical foundation of MIDAS is its commitment to complex symbiotic relationships of education, research, theory, practice and a broad spectrum of creative endeavours relevant to significant architectural development.”

MIDAS is administrated by a management team which comprises of eminent academicians and industry veterans. The management team is responsible for planning and monitoring of all academic and administrative activities of the institute. The Advisory Board of MIDAS includes an eminent board of erudite advisors from both India and abroad. Prof. Jaffer AA Khan is the Director of MIDAS has more than 25 years of experience in architectural practice. He graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning UCL in 1985, specialising in Environmental Design and have several accolades from the industry.

The graduates who complete the courses in MIDAS will have a compelling career as specialists with Interior Design and Architecture firms. They also have huge career opportunities in other disciplines such as Retail design, Lighting design, Exhibition design, Event and set design and Ergonomics. Plans are on anvil for association with global educational institutions & professional bodies. The course is approved by council of Architecture India and Affiliated to Anna University of Tamil Nadu. Eligible and deserving candidates will be recruited for MARG and efforts will be made for campus placements as well.

MARG has a number of knowledge centric enveloping education research and innovation initiatives. MIDAS is one such education initiative set up by Swarnabhoomi Academic Institution (SAI), a section 25 nonprofit company. Swarnabhoomi Academic Institution (SAI), a MARG Group initiative aimed to Address the global needs towards creating a equitable society by enabling young individuals to bridge the socio economic divide. In addition to MARG Institute of Design & Architecture Swarnabhoomi (MIDAS), SAI manages the following:

• Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) – A unique institution for contemporary music education.
• Exlemplarr (EXCEL) – A Finishing School aimed at making individuals INDUSTRY READY professionals.
• MARG Navajyothi Vidyalaya – A school focused on holistic Education

MIDAS is situated in the serene environment of a self-contained campus at MARG Swarnabhoomi located strategically in the new Growth Corridor near Chennai on the East Coast Road (90 minutes drive from South Chennai and 45 minutes from Puducherry). The campus is spread over 7 acres with an exclusive built-up space of 43,000 sq.feet. Facilities provided to the students are Internship in India and abroad, Futuristic studio, 24/7 computer access, 1000 acre campus environment, World class Library, High end residential accommodation facilities, swimming pool and play ground, etc.

To know more details about the institution, please visit - www.midas.ac.in

ABOUT MARG SWARNABHOOMI

MARG Swarnabhoomi, the flagship project of MARG is being developed as an inclusive and integrated new paradigm city based on the principles of new urbanism with unique offerings for education, research and innovation. This integrated city will house a R&D hub and an innovation led futuristic Science Park supported by an educational, commercial and residential framework. MARG Swarnabhoomi has been designed to be an aspirational habitat based on the principles of ‘new urbanism’ where Education, Research and Innovation will coexist in a stress free atmosphere.

Christened as the “Land of New Thinking”- the global city of education, research and innovation that brings together educational institutions, manufacturing & research companies, IT services firms, housing and healthcare facilities all under one roof. It has already roped in several companies including the likes of Grundfos India, Polyhose, Van Spall Associates, Virgo, Sumeet Machines and TVS Kwikpatch in the engineering category. Strand Bioprocesses and Micro Therapeutics Research labs have been tied up in the Research & Innovation domain.

MARG Swarnabhoomi has also partnered with Virginia Tech, the U.S. based university to setup a campus. Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) and MARG NavajyothiVidyalaya are already operational. MARG Swarnabhoomi has been shortlisted by IGBC as a pilot project for “Platinum” rated city in India. This is a unique rating system by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and MARG Swarnabhoomi is privileged to get be IGBC’s pilot project for the first Platinum rated city in India.

ABOUT MARG

MARG Limited (BSE: 530543), incorporated in 1994 and headquartered in Chennai, is an infrastructure, real estate development and services company. The Company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and its shares are traded on the NSE under the category of ‘Permitted Security’. The holistic regional development undertaken by the group is unlocking economic prosperity and creating inclusive & sustainable growth models.

With over two decades of reassuring presence and the credit of pioneering the development of economic growth centers, MARG's portfolio spans across the entire infrastructure value chain - urban and industrial infrastructure, urban residential clusters, marine infrastructure & services, malls and EPC division. The group is expanding its sectoral presence with airport projects in Bellary and Bijapur and Multi-level car park projects. Listed by Dun & Bradstreet among “India’s Top 500 Companies 2010”, today MARG Group has projects worth more than Rs. 5000 crores under execution, a seasoned human capital of more than 1000, global partners in the Infra space and offices spread across India, Singapore and China. The MARG CSR brand – MARG Parivarthan complements these business verticals

More information on MARG is available on http://www.marggroup.com

For further information contact: