Faizal & Shabana Foundation establishes a new R&D centre at Manipal Institute of Technology

Faizal & Shabana Foundation has instituted a research and development (R&D) centre at Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) in India driven by the foundation’s commitment to enhance creativity, encourage development and innovation in smart construction.

To commemorate the launch, Faizal E Kottikollon, Co-Founder, Faizal & Shabana Foundation, and Founder and Chairman, KEF Holdings, along with Dr HS Ballal, Pro Chancellor, MAHE, Manipal and Dr Narayan Sabhahit, Registrar, MAHE, Manipal, inaugurated the new centre recently. The key was handed over to Dr Purushotham GS, Head of Department, Civil Engineering, during this prestigious launch ceremony.

On the heels of recognition as a leader in offsite building manufacturing, Faizal & Shabana Foundation’s contribution in the new R&D centre is a strategic step in continued innovation and product development in fast-forwarding infrastructure efforts in India. The new centre has grown the institute’s team to a number of employees across engineering, sales, IT services, customer support, HR, and finance.

The development centre will have core competencies in civil engineering and architecture and will cover aspects like offsite manufacturing, structural engineering and research on precast joints. The new centre has a floor space of approximately 60,000 square feet featuring innovative, inclusive, future-ready workstations, sound-proofed booths and collaborative discussion pods, to name a few. The interior of the building also boasts natural lighting and wide-open spaces to create a stimulating work environment.

Speaking on the occasion, Faizal E Kottikollon, said, “The new Research and Development Centre developed by Faizal & Shabana Foundation at Manipal Institute of Technology in India will provide young and promising engineers with practical experience in offsite manufacturing. Engineers will be working with the best faculty and minds to repeatedly improve the design, build and assemble techniques of offsite manufacturing. My vision is that this centre becomes a Centre of Excellence for all things related to offsite manufacturing, and we emerge with innovations, patents, and worldwide recognition. Most importantly, I want this centre to be the founding stone for furthering progress through infrastructure for the nation.

“At the Foundation, we believe that we must constantly seek to improve our knowledge. In an endeavour to achieve this, we partnered with Manipal University.”