Press Releases

05/12/2024: Updated Land Sourcing Information for Our Self-Sustainable City  

Primary Area of Focus:  

Our next attempt in sourcing land for our self-sustainable city will focus on areas located along the left and right sides of the main road from Kothavalasa to Shrungavarapukota. These areas fall within 50 km of Visakhapatnam city, and we will explore locations perpendicular to the main road, extending 10 to 20 km inward. This strategy increases the likelihood of finding better lands within a 70 km radius of Visakhapatnam at reasonable costs.  

Alternate Locations (If Customer Budgets Are Limited):  

If the prices in the aforementioned areas exceed our customers’ budgets, we will consider exploring further interior areas within Vijayanagaram district, such as:  

- Left Side: Vepada, Devarapalli  

- Right Side: Jami, Andra, Salur, Bobbili  

Excluded Areas:  

1. Southern Areas of Visakhapatnam:  

   - Locations such as Atchutapuram and Elamanchili are excluded as these areas are heavily industrialized and lack appeal for sustainable living.  

2. Srikakulam District:  

   - Although well-connected by national highways, land prices here are exorbitantly high. Furthermore, Srikakulam is over 100 km from Visakhapatnam. Searching further interior (20 km perpendicular) would result in a total distance of 120 km, making it unviable for our project.  

3. Parvatipuram Area:  

   - Despite slightly lower land costs, this area is distant and poses challenges due to Naxalite activity. Additional political support or security measures would increase overall expenses, making it unsuitable for development.  

4. Alluri Sitharama Raju District (Including Araku Valley):  

   - Lands in this region are legally restricted to tribal ownership. Non-tribals are not permitted to buy land here, eliminating this area from consideration.  

Final Considerations:  

Given these factors, we are primarily focusing on sourcing land around Shrungavarapukota and within Vijayanagaram district. These areas are more viable due to their proximity to Visakhapatnam, better water resources, and a relatively cooler climate, as they are near hill stations.  

04/12/2024: We recently visited Kurmagram and nearby areas in Srikakulam to explore land for our self-sustainable city. Unfortunately, most of the land is SC/ST-owned and not purchasable, and the area's narrow roads and remote location make it unsuitable. Despite discussions with local swamis, we couldn’t find viable options. Our search for an ideal location continues, and we’ll keep you updated. Thank you for your support!

18/6/2024: Our project commences upon achieving one of three crucial factors: securing the right investor who shares our vision and can provide initial funding for acquiring the necessary land, attracting a reasonable initial number of customers who believe in our project and offer support, or forming a conducive partnership with a landowner who shares our commitment to sustainable initiatives and can provide initial and ongoing support as we bring in more customers. We believe in letting opportunities come to us naturally, whenever they may arise.

18/6/2024: We reached out to over three thousand venture capital and angel investing firms specializing in real estate, seed funding, sustainability, and related sectors. Our approach included contacting them through their LinkedIn company pages, sending instant messages about our self-sustainable city project, providing our pitch deck, visiting their websites, sending emails, and filling out contact forms.

In response, we received several replies from these firms and individual investors. Some indicated that their investment focus is outside the real estate sector, while others specified that they invest in different categories within the sustainability sector. A few mentioned that they could not invest at our current stage and suggested we reconnect at a later, more advanced stage. Some firms appreciated our project concept and connected with us on social media, while others expressed reservations about the project's viability. Additionally, some firms mentioned they only invest locally rather than internationally, and some have been silently monitoring our progress without direct communication. A number of firms indicated they would closely observe the project's development over time and might participate when the timing is right.

This initiative supports a sustainable, self-sufficient future. We believe that, in time, the project will gain traction and progress as conditions align favorably. Please stay tuned for further updates as we continue our efforts.

18/6/2024: Effective June 18, 2024, the booking fee (registration fee) has been reduced to Rs. 500/-. A refund of Rs. 1,500/- has been issued to all existing and previous customers who initially paid Rs. 2,000/-, including those who withdrew from the initiative. 

24/5/2024: We are actively forging strategic alliances and expanding our clientele. The commencement of on-site operations hinges on the collective confidence of all stakeholders—investors, customers, developers etc. Whether it begins today, tomorrow, or in the coming months or years, rest assured, it will only proceed when every party is assured of its realization in alignment with our envisioned future for the Self-Sustainable City. Your patience and support are greatly appreciated as we navigate this journey. 

20/5/2024: We have information from sources indicating that abundant lands are available surrounding Srungavarapu Kota. These land parcels range from 14 to 50 acres, either under single ownership or within the same family. The land costs range from ten lakh rupees to forty lakh rupees or more per acre. Land sourcing is a time-consuming process. Once we have a sufficient number of customers for our Self-Sustainable City project, we will visit each village in the surrounding areas, inquire at the Gram Panchayat, gather information, check the documents, and have them verified by competent lawyers. Additionally, we will consider other aspects such as the proximity of the land to Visakhapatnam city, the availability of reasonable infrastructure such as electricity and good roads, soil condition, and the temperament of the villagers and local people and many more. We will then discuss with our customers and collectively make a unanimous decision on where to buy the land. 

16/5/2024: In certain areas like Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, land prices are as low as two to three lakh rupees per acre. Conversely, within a 100km radius of tier 1 or tier 2 Indian cities, land prices soar exorbitantly, reaching forty lakh to one crore Indian rupees or more.

Wherever cities exist, land prices skyrocket because many landowners either benefit from land productivity or government subsidies, reducing their urgency to sell.

Globalization and industrialization have bolstered the income of certain groups, particularly the salaried class, sustaining high demand for real estate investments, especially in tier 1 or tier 2 cities. This demand is fueled by funds from IT professionals, NRIs, or even locally evaded taxes.

Two key factors influence land prices: the government rate, obtainable through a valuation certificate from the local Registrar's office, and the ask price set by the landowner. Often, the ask price far exceeds the government rate. For instance, if the government values land at five lakh rupees per acre, landowners around tier 1 or tier 2 cities may demand as much as seventy-five lakhs per acre.

Some landowners quote prices arbitrarily, detached from reality. This trend contrasts sharply with the slim profit margins of builders, contractors, and labor suppliers, who face tough competition.

Our Self-Sustainable City project aims to replicate a typical city while prioritizing affordability, natural resource abundance, and customer value. We seek to support educated, skilled individuals willing to contribute to sustainable economic growth while protecting the environment.

As we continue our search for land outside Visakhapatnam, we actively engage with customers and investors through online social media channels.

Alternatively, we undertake housing projects within Visakhapatnam city itself. Interested buyers can contact us for sustainable homes equipped with features like solar systems, rooftop gardens, and recyclable furnishings, benefiting from immediate access to city infrastructure and competitive land prices.

10/5/2024: We are thrilled to share exciting news about our Self-Sustainable City! In our commitment to foster a vibrant community with a shared vision, we are planning to create job opportunities for our residents. As a resident, if you have proven expertise or skills that can benefit our community, we encourage you to reach out. We will assess how best to utilize your talents in exchange for compensation.

This opportunity is exclusively for residents of Self-Sustainable City and is not available to outsiders.

Currently, we are looking to employ structural engineers, civil engineers, skilled labor such as masons, bar benders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, and general construction workers. Additionally, we need lawyers, doctors, and technical experts in renewable energy such as solar and wind. We also require permaculture designers, natural farmers, and edible landscape designers to further our sustainable initiatives. Sales and marketing enthusiasts to promote sustainable initiatives like ours are also in demand.

If you believe your skills can contribute to the growth of our community, please send your updated CV or resume to selfsustainablecity@gmail.com. We will contact you when we identify an opportunity that aligns with your expertise and our city's development phase.

25/4/2024: We are adopting a strategy to find single landowners who own large land parcels of 30 acres or more in slightly interior locations. These areas must be accessible by proper roads. This approach gives us strong negotiating power with landowners who may feel pressured to sell their land, especially if it has been passed down from their forefathers and they are eager to move to cities.

Some of these landowners may be farmers whose lands are dry and unproductive, or locations making it challenging to transport produce to cities for sale. Our goal is to acquire these lands at lower costs and develop them ourselves using natural farming and permaculture methods.

Once we establish connections with these large land parcels and landowners, we will enter legitimate agreements with them and begin land development and construction work. This approach allows us to work with our existing customers, and the necessary clauses documented in such agreements will also enable our society to acquire more land from the same landowner in the future as our self-sustainable city initiative attracts more customers.

22/4/2024: We have been surveying the lands surrounding the highway from Visakhapatnam to Srikakulam. Although the government price per acre is around Rs.11,00,000, the selling prices set by landowners are much higher, ranging from one crore rupees to even as high as one crore sixty lakh rupees. Prices increase for lands within one kilometer perpendicular from the highway, while the costs decrease as the land location moves further away, up to 8 kilometers inside.

Further interior lands are priced around sixty lakh rupees, but these areas often lack proper infrastructure such as electricity poles and tar roads. The rural roads are typically narrow, curvy, and can pose potential dangers during travel, so caution is advised.

The real estate scene in these areas consists mainly of plot projects funded by Tax-evaded income or individuals from salaried classes treating them as investments under a Ponzi scheme model. There is little visible growth in terms of proper infrastructure, housing development, or economic advancement. The lands are often dry with extensive chemical farming, and landowners' asking prices remain exorbitantly high.

As a result, we have decided to halt our land sourcing efforts in this area. We are now focusing on areas around Araku that are not part of agency areas and where lands can be legally purchased by non-tribals without any legal complications. We will provide further updates on our progress soon.

21/4/2024: We are actively working on sourcing a suitable strategic location along the Visakhapatnam to Srikakulam highway. Our focus is on finding a site in close proximity to the Bay of Bengal beach that aligns with our project's goals and vision. We aim to find a location that supports our self-sustainable city initiative and offers an ideal setting for our future community.