Amaravati, Jan 10 (IANS): Taking the first step to kickstart development of economic hub of the upcoming Andhra Pradesh capital, Amaravati Development Partners (ADP), a joint venture between the Andhra Pradesh government and a Singapore consortium, on Thursday commenced the work to build the Welcome Gallery.

An exhibition-cum-community centre, it is being developed by Singapore Amaravati Investment Holdings (SAIH) and the Amaravati Development Corporation (ADC).

SAIH is a wholly-owned joint venture company of Ascendas-Singbridge Andhra Investment Holdings and Sembcorp Development India.

The commemorative plaque was unveiled by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Singaporean Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations, S. Iswaran.

Naidu described it as the beginning of efforts to turn the plans for Seed Area development to reality. He said things were happening to make develop Amaravati as one among the top 5 capital cities in the world with the help of Singapore. He said trunk infrastructure was being developed at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore.

The Welcome Gallery is coming up on 2.6 hectares of land, will showcase what is happening in Amaravati, the initiatives being taken by the government, development of infrastructure and the opportunities for the investors, said Iswaran. He said this would be a significant landmark which will bring international attention to the capital city.

With a built-up area of 4,080 square metres, the Welcome Gallery can accommodate at least 2,000 visitors daily. Benjamin Yap, CEO, Amaravati Management Services, said the Welcome Gallery would come up in 6 to 7 months with an investment of Rs 50 crore.

It will consist of exhibition, community and engagement zones as well as co-working spaces to house start-ups.

Besides serving as a one-stop information centre for all visitors, it will also be a focal point for companies to showcase their sustainable urban solutions concepts, as well as function as a business promotion platform, through the hosting of various national and international level events and exhibitions.

The Welcome Gallery forms part of the larger Catalytic Development Area and will play an integral role in generating economic activities in the region, which will spread across the entire Start-Up Area over time, said Sreedhar Cherukuri, Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA).

The 20-hectare Catalytic Development Area is developed as part of the Phase 1 of the Start-Up Area, and will comprise 75,000 sq m of office, residential and retail spaces.

The Start-Up Area has a total development land area of 6.84 sq.km, which will be developed in three phases over the next 20 years.

The ADP also announced that 15 companies and institutions from Germany, India, Japan and Singapore have entered into Memoranda of Understanding with it as partners in the areas of smart buildings; smart energy; smart environment; and smart collaborations.The companies include AGC, GioSenz, Anchor, Gush, Mobotix, Toto and Innosparks.

"These companies and institutions are leaders in their respective fields, and we believe that they will add significant value to the development of the Welcome Gallery," said ADP Chairperson Nina Yang.