Kef chronicles may 2016 spread

IN THIS ISSUEIssue #4, May 2016
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - 4
THINK TANK - 6
CONTRIBUTORS - 8
Columns
VISION & ACTION - 10
INNOVATION - THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE - 11
MAKE A DIFFERENCE - 14
Trendlines
START-Up - NEW EXPERIENCES - 16
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS - 18
BRAND BUILDING STRATEGIES - 20
Features
INSIGHTFUL JOURNEY OF SAW MILLERs - 22
SOOTHING NATURE'S FURY - 25
PORTFOLIO RETURNS - 28
LOOKING BACK - 30
Regular Features
AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME - 36
THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION - 38
ONCE UPON A STORY - 40
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING - 42
BRINGING POWER TO THE KEF INFRA PARK - 44
MARKET WATCH - 45
10
18
VISION & ACTION
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS
INSIGHTFUL JOURNEY OF SAW MILLERs
AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME
22
36

FROM THE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As this issue of KEF Chronicles goes into print, forests across the world are being ravaged by massive fires that seem
unstoppable, no matter the scale of efforts being put in. Canada, Arizona, Nepal and even Uttarakhand and Jammu &
Kashmir in India have suffered terrible loss of property, resources and life – both of humans & animals. These wildfires
are being caused by scarcity of rainfall and increasing temperatures across the globe – both clear indicators that climate
change is, in fact, a burning reality today in every sense of the word.
As inhabitants of this great planet, it is our responsibility collectively to do what we can to reduce the carbon footprint
and adopt a greener, more sustainable way of living. As for businesses, the responsibility is even greater. At KEF, we are
passionate about sustainability and conservation; this can be seen in the way we do things. Our Off-site Construction
Technology which manufactures buildings under controlled factory conditions also minimises the risks of air and noise
pollution, when the building parts are assembled on-site. From using greener building material to storing raw material
underground, to minimising wastage, we do everything in our power to ensure that we do things responsibly.
Another thing we are passionate about is building lasting relationships, be it with the environment, our employees or
with business partners and therein lies our difference. A lot of companies treat their working relationships as transactions
and as a result they have to grapple with people problems at various levels. At KEF, we take great pride in saying that
some of our key partnerships have lasted more than a decade, or in some cases even more than that, having endured all
the peaks and valleys that come with running an organisation and a business.
As a company, KEF has grown exponentially in the last few years and with us so have the people who have worked
with us & for us. This issue of KEF Chronicles not only looks at the achievements that we as a company have seen, but
also the achievements and learnings that our employees and business partners have experienced as they have grown
with us. You will read more about this in the features contributed by a key executive from APCO Worldwide - our
communications partner who, over the past fewyears has been involved in designing our strategic brand communications
and a contribution from a senior executive from Mosaic Live - our preferred event management company, who we turn
to for support on every occasion.
Being a dynamic organisation, we also have a constant influx of talent that has put their faith in the KEF vision and have
decided to join us. In this issue you will hear from a few of them, who have written their debut articles for the Chronicles.
Together as one team, today we are marching towards a better future - acquiring new learnings, while unlearning the old
ways of doing things. I hope you will enjoy this issue, which celebrates the spirit of diversity of experiences, learnings
and people.
Happy Reading!
Shabana Faizal
4 | KEF Chronicles May’16 | 5

THINK TANK
‘A good beginning makes a good end’
Time really flies. It seems like just yesterday when we started the year 2016; there was new hope
and new resolve to make this year the most path breaking in the history of KEF. By the time you read
this we would be touching mid-year...this is what happens when one is in the middle of high decibel
action – surrounded by a myriad of opportunities to start something new, a talented team and the
will to make a difference.
2016, by all means, has been an interesting year for all of us at KEF so far and it promises to continue
to be as interesting in the next few months, if not more. A lot of initiatives we began as novices in
the field of off-site construction are now coming to fruition. The world is always wary of newcomers
and their way of doing things. We too, have faced our fair share of scepticism, but the one thing
that helped us combat it, is the trust that our partners have put in us. As we work together with
prestigious names such as Infosys and Embassy, the world is taking notice of us. Our good work is
attracting attention and the range of recognitions and accolades we have received from both our
partners as well as the media indicate that KEF is on the right path.
Our vision to revolutionise the infrastructure industry in India will be realised when our Krishnagiri
factory gets officially launched by none other than the Honourable Prime Minister of India,
Mr. Narendra Modi, towards the latter part of the year.
We are also well on our way to transforming the way healthcare is designed & delivered in India, as
our PMHP Hospital in Calicut comes close to completion; it should throw open its doors to patients
by October this year.
October will also see us completing one of the most significant milestones for KEF Infra,
with the handover of the 1.5 million sq.ft. Embassy 7B project, in a short period of 13
months. Around that time, we will also be closing the prestigious project for Infosys with the
delivery of their 5.3 lakh sq.ft. project in Electronic City, Bangalore. The complex featuring
an expansive office block and multi-level car park, will be finished in a record 7 months.
Yet another important project for us, is the GEMS Modern Academy in SmartCity Kochi, for which we
are the design & build partners. Continuing with our promise of shorter build duration, we will deliver
this project, which happens to be the first GEMS Education project in Kerala, in just 5.5 months.
These are just some of the major milestones that we will hit in 2016, in between there will be a lot
more and we need to be ready for them. Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is progress; working together is success.” We are a high velocity company and each
of us needs to be proactive and agile in our thinking. As the year progresses, there is a lot that needs
to be done and we need to do it together as a team.
"Well begun is half done", they say and I have a feeling that 2016 will be a year to remember for us
at KEF.
THINK TANK
Faizal E. Kottikollon

Dr. Anas Bataw
BIM Manager - KEF Holdings
B.M. Ashraf
Managing Director - Mohiudeen
Wood Works LLC (MWW), Ajman
Farzana Kazemi
HR Director
Chartered Fellow CIPD - KEF
Holdings
S. Bala Gopal
General Manager Chairman’s Office
KEF Holdings
Elizabeth Sen
Deputy Managing Director
Arab Region - APCO Worldwide
Dr. Mani Arun
Board Member
KEF Health
Prashant Mehta
Vice President – Investments
KEF Holdings
Sreekanth Sreenivasan
Head – Business Development
KEF Holdings
Priya Nair
Investment Associate
KEF Holdings
Sumesh Sachar
CEO - KEF Infra
Gunjan Sinha
Corporate Communications
Manager - KEF Holdings
Jeevandas Narayan
MD - State Bank of Travancore
THOUGHTS FROM
CONTRIBUTORS
Hiten Bajaj
CEO - Mosaic Live
Dr. Joseph Sebastian
MSW, PhD - Head
Faizal & Shabana Foundation

Vision & action
columns columns
Joel Barker, the famous American futurist and author said
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without
vision only passes the time, vision with action changes
the world”.
I first witnessed Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon’s vision to change the world
in July 2011 when as the CFO for Tyco’s India business, I was selected
by its board to integrate the largest acquisition that Tyco had made
in the last decade. That acquisition of ETC Foundry and Gulf Valves,
part of KEF - was to own the Middle East region’s largest and only
integrated valve manufacturing company. The integrated business
model shattered all conventions and Tyco quickly captured on that
USP providing tremendous value to its customers, reducing time to
deliver and increasing quality. It is still the crown jewel of the business.
After having led that business and seeing the impact on our customers
in terms of technology, processes and integration, when Mr. Faizal told
me about his vision for India, I quickly accepted his offer and joined as
the CEO of KEF Infra, to turn this vision into action.
The vision he laid out for our company was to serve as a
conduit to improve lives and lead the way, for a progressive
India. Be it in education, healthcare, corporate infrastructure,
hospitality, convention centers, yoga centers or affordable homes.
If you have had the good fortune of visiting our manufacturing park
which one of our customers recently called a “spa for the construction
industry”, it is easy to grasp, just how KEF Infra is putting this vision
into action. What you will see is a combination of the world’s best
technology and the brightest and experienced minds in one location,
serving our customers with dedicated passion, very mindful of the
vision and the responsibility that comes along with it.
Our precast factory, joinery and aluminium glazing factories already
serve our customers in the region. We expect all of our manufacturing
units to be fully operational by June 2016. Our R&D center will
Sumesh Sachar
generate the best ideas to improve technology and serve our
customers better, our integrated project management teams will all
sit under one roof reducing time to build and cost to our customers
and our community center will allow our employees to relax, do yoga,
learn and teach. And, as the honourable Prime Minister of India,
Mr. Narendra Modi said when he met our Chairman, he will
make every effort to see the vision actually in action - one that
will change India!
Putting this vision into action requires a world-class team. I am proud
to be leading such a talented and dedicated organisation. As I visit
our manufacturing park and walk the floor, or visit our customer
sites, I see in our team tireless passion, clarity and focus on the tasks
at hand. Of course, we may not always get this 100% right - we are
after all growing, while we serve our customers. However, what I
have been thrilled to see is that we are transparent and proactively
come up with solutions to serve our customers. As our customers,
partners and well wishers, you should know that we have brought
in significant experience and reference through our majority owned
JV - Pepromeno for structural engineering.
We continue to invest in India’s brightest minds to inculcate the
experience of our partners down the line. Each one of our managers
and JV partner managers have young engineers who have been
picked from noted technical and management schools, such as IIT,
Great Lakes and IIM to name a few, reporting into them. All our
employees go through rigorous training programs and job rotation
regimes that lay the foundation for future leaders of tomorrow.
APJ Kalam said, “You have to dream before your dreams can come
true”. We are already living this dream, unfolding element by
element, factory by factory and with the support of our customers,
our employees, partners and of course the guidance of our
Chairman, we are going to show the world the reality of what India
can really accomplish!
Dr. Mani Arun
INNOVATION AS A
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
KEF Health, an integrated healthcare and technology company, is a
part of KEF Holdings. KEF Health under the visionary leadership
of Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon has world-class physician leaders and
executives as part of its team to implement its goal of making global
healthcare inexpensive and accessible to everyone.
Our flagship hospital project with 206-beds in Kerala is the first of
its kind that’s been built using off-site construction with precast
technology, Modular MEP and POD technology. With our strategic
partners and in-house expertise in the KEF TAHPI design studio, we
achieve the desired concept design, architectural design, engineering
details as well as construction. KEF Health also offers turnkey
information & technology solutions, medical equipment planning,
pre-commissioning and commissioning services.

Our unique KEF Health model embraces the emerging trends in
healthcare as well as uses evidence based approach to develop our
unique clinical care workflows to improve outcomes, reduce cost and
reduce the length of hospital stay. In addition, KEF Health’s unique
health system model emphasises a lot on patient experience by way
of co-ordinated care across the healthcare spectrum.
Our board of world-class physician leaders from Cleveland Clinic
and Silicon Valley have developed sustainable and scalable solutions
to embrace the unique challenges of the healthcare industry by
developing a healthcare model that is built to position KEF Health
as the regional leader and an Accountable Care Organisation
(ACO). This enables KEF Health to improve clinical outcomes,
administrative efficiencies and patient experience. In addition, KEF
Health has also developed some unique technology solutions to
offer risk stratification of population and disease management to
provide population health solutions. KEF Health offers a Unique
Clinical transformation and Care standardisation program, service
line planning, physician engagement and health system model. In
addition, KEF Health will be offering remote monitoring, second
opinion and other telemedicine services for both its own hospitals as
well as to a network of affiliated healthcare institutions.
• Innovation is the lifeline of continuous healthcare improvement.
KEF Holdings with its team’s presence in Silicon Valley has
invested and collaborated with organisations that have built
innovative solutions, technology and products that disrupt
the way healthcare was dealt with in the past. By staying at
the forefront of innovation, KEF Health will partner with such
organisations to gain access in these new frontier medical
technologies and products such as digital health, genomics,
personalised medicine and transformational technologies in
healthcare to GCC countries and the Indian Sub-continent
• United States in general and Silicon Valley in particular have
been at the forefront of innovation in healthcare. Hence it
was a conscious decision by our Chairman Mr. Faizal to stay
abreast of the current trends and advancements in healthcare
technology by forging relationships with physician leaders in
leading healthcare institutions in the United States as well as
with organisations in Silicon Valley that are disrupting the way
healthcare is being diagnosed, managed and delivered. KEF has
made strategic investments in dedicated healthcare focused
Venture Capital / Private Equity funds in Silicon Valley to gain
access to such technologies and make it available in Asia and
the Middle East
Digital health
Genomics
Personalised medicine
Transformational technologies KEF’s vision is to gain access to those disruptive technologies that offer scalable and sustainable solutions to improve outcomes, transform
healthcare delivery models and scale proven concepts and methodologies in the KEF network of healthcare institutions both direct and indirect.
KEF HEALTH - Impact
SPREAD TRANSFORM
Activities that solve problems
or improve a current process,
technology or clinical care
Through disruptive innovation,
help deliver health and
wellness in new ways for our
affiliates in the KEF network
Training, simulations or
re-enactment that enable,
spread or diffusion of
practices and ideas
o Digital health or Healthcare IOT (Internet of Things)
where multiple connected devices and technologies use
sophisticated algorithms and predictive modelling that
emphasise the importance of collaborative health across
the healthcare spectrum, preventive health, wellness,
telemedicine and remote monitoring
o Personalised medicine whereby cutting edge technologies
use non-invasive, non-intrusive diagnostic and therapeutic
services by way of genomics for personalised cancer
treatments. Using liquid biopsy as against painful biopsy
for solid tumors is an example. This technology uses
genomics data to identify individuals at risk, monitor them
for incidences, enhance diagnostic accuracies and develop
personalised treatment plans. This is a paradigm shift in
diagnosis, treatment and monitoring patients suffering from
solid tumors by making otherwise painful treatment process
acceptable with improved outcomes that enhance survival
advantage
o Non-invasive cardiac diagnostic methodologies for detecting
heart diseases such as Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD) with
high sensitivity and specificity, thereby avoiding unnecessary
invasive diagnostic procedures. Using a 64-slice or higher
resolution CT Scan to detect heart blocks as against invasive
coronary angiograms. In addition, treatment planning for
cardiac intervention with the right number and size of stents
can be carried out with precision
• Our experiences in the area of emerging trends in healthcare technologies have been mind-boggling. It is not just about product and
technology innovation but also innovation in healthcare business models. Some of the major areas of focus are:
PMHP, Calicut
IMPROVE

Be different
Make a difference
Jeevandas Narayan
Precast technology in the construction industry is a relatively new
concept and is still at its nascent stage in India. Leading the way
is KEF Infra with its pioneering efforts in the field of precast and pre-
engineered construction technology.
I recently had the opportunity of visiting KEF’s Krishnagiri Park and
observing at close quarters the concept of off-site manufacturing. It
was indeed a transformational experience to witness and assimilate
how various components of an infrastructure project are literally
‘manufactured’ in a factory and transported to the site to create
a perfect fit. KEF’s precast and prefabricated / modular solutions
transform traditional construction methodologies into a modern
component-based assembly process. The critical components of a
building are designed, engineered and manufactured in an organised
factory environment, to be delivered to the worksite, as a finished
product. The precision of the assembly line production process, for
'manufacturing' building components must be seen to be believed.
We, at State Bank of Travancore and KEF Infra have over the years
built a strong relationship that transcends transactional banking. As
a banking institution involved in funding infrastructure projects, we
see a huge potential in KEF Infra’s business plans.
KEF Infra’s Krishnagiri Park has brought to India, international cutting
edge technology imported from Finland, Germany and Italy. With the
reverse brain drain of experts in this sector, KEF Infra has already
been able to deliver noteworthy results by erecting three 7-storied
buildings in Mangalore in a short span of just 7 months, in conditions
of inclement weather. I am also given to understand that KEF Infra
has recently bagged a contract to build the tallest clock tower for
Infosys in Mysore.
In line with the vision of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, viz.,
‘Housing for all’, KEF Infra has also collaborated with top architects
such as Mr. Hafeez Contractor and are pitching in to revolutionise
the affordable housing segment in India. During my interactions with
Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon, his focus on KEF Infra using technology &
products that are environment friendly, reduce overall costs and
save time, creating a positive economic impact on customers and
financing banks clearly came through.
The realty majors of India are increasingly taking to precast
technology in developing their current projects taking into account
its key advantages of enhanced quality, cost efficiency and shorter
project timelines. These advantages enable realtors to overcome
common issues of labour shortages as also time and cost overruns.
The use of precast technology has been estimated to save
around 50% to 60% of the time taken for similar projects using
traditional construction methodologies. In major infrastructure and
construction projects where time is money, this translates to sizable
savings in finance and interest costs every year. The modern precast
technology will thus help realtors in cutting project costs and earlier
realisation of cash flows from the project thus enabling sizable
savings in financing costs.
A lot of ingredients go into successfully running a business
conglomerate and achieving the set goals. I believe the key
ingredient is strong and farsighted leadership; the ability
to see bends in the road, before others. I witnessed this in
Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon - the Founder and Chairman of KEF Infra.
KEF’s think tank comprises of a panel of experts who bring with
them, years of experience, knowledge, execution skill sets and a truly
global perspective that is second to none.
The only certainty in these uncertain times is that the insatiable
demand for ever better quality products will continue to rise in a
scenario of constrained and ever dwindling resources. Our ability to
be ‘frugal innovators’, to do more with less, will be called to test. It is in
this context, I believe what Mr. Faizal is doing is truly transformational,
bringing in a revolutionary technology which will deliver more from
less. May not be so evident in terms of initial cost comparisons,
but definitely less if one reckons the time value of money and the
speed of execution which enables faster project implementation and
turnaround, bringing in an overall cost advantage. This indeed is frugal
innovation. Mr. Faizal believes that KEF Infra should be delivering
value and touching lives through a work ethic shaped around integrity,
excellence, innovation and above all, humility.
Knowledge combined with efforts packed with emotion - emotion
that one needs to be a contributor for the common good of society,
leads to fulfillment in one’s pursuits, goals and dreams.
Summing up KEF’s unique proposition in this
sunrise sector, I would like to paraphrase
the KEF acronym as:
The use of precast technology has
been estimated to save around
50% to 60% of the time taken for
similar projects using traditional
construction methodologies
Standing for
Knowledge
Standing for
Fulfillment
Standing for
Efforts and Empowerment
K
E
F
columns
On a visit to KEF’s Infra One Park
Inaugurating the KEF’s model of “House for Every Indian”
with the Faizals
I can confidently say that KEF Infra’s Krishnagiri Park project is a
silent revolution in the making and is well-poised to become one of
the leading off-site construction facilities in the world, in terms of
quality, capacity and technology.
I take this occasion to wish Mr. Faizal and Team KEF the very best in
all their endeavours.
The above is an excerpt from the speech delivered at the inaugural function of KEF’s Joinery
& Fit-out factory opening at Krishnagiri on 27th January 2016

A start-up, a newborn
and my experiences
TRENDLINES
Priya Nair
Icame back to work at KEF from my maternity break in mid-May
2015, after the birth of my daughter on 15th Feb 2015. And I was
still grappling with the realities of being a first time mother.
No one really tells you how hard being a mother can be. Nothing
can really prepare you to face the truth. No one tells you that
the first year with a baby will be the toughest. From being an
independent soul all your life, to being a mother to a child; it’s a
huge jump. Suddenly there is a life completely dependent on you
for everything. A mother really has to be a miracle worker!
Taking care of a newborn is quite similar to handling work in a
start-up, a phase that KEF was in, when I re-joined work. Just like
a mother, employees have a responsibility, to channel their inner
superheroes, to be able to combat many different work challenges.
Job descriptions are often, as blurry as a mother’s senses, when she
is rudely awakened by her child’s cries at 3:00 am.
Juggling is a skill that both new mothers and start-up employees
develop over a period of time. Imagine it’s time to leave for work, I
am all dressed up for work and my baby decides to present me with
a soiled diaper, which needs immediate attention. And there I am,
cleaning the baby, making sure my clothes don’t get soiled too and
off I go to change the world at work, with no trace of what I just
finished doing!
cloud of white over my head. And when I was home, numbers danced in front of me and I dreamt of deadlines.
Markets pretty much followed how I felt during the year. There were spikes and dips for no explained reasons,
much like my mood swings.
US Federal Reserve Chairperson, Janet Yellen and team had their fair turn of impacting the markets for better
or for worse. It reminded me of a pacifier, designed brilliantly to hush babies and reduce noise levels, it soothes
the baby momentarily. Yellen’s statements had the same effect. Peace returned to volatile markets mostly after
her statement. Her tone of speech, dovish as it is popularly known as, cooed the market into getting calmer. Just
like the effects of a pacifier.
People say that time is the greatest teacher and I have realised that it indeed is true. Gradually as I gained
experience of being a mother, I realised how much this is a part of me. With time, things got easier in between
all the toothless grins, cuteness overload and cuddly arms make it well worth it!
Now, I realise as I look back, that it’s been a year. I survived and my baby, did fine too. I guess I did not
goof up like I had feared I would, in the initial days of being a new mom. My baby looks healthy and seems to
like me. She turned one, this February and I look forward to witnessing how this little one, is going to grow
and be a revelation, every passing day. With her I will grow too, in ways beyond my knowledge, as a mother
and as a human being.
I realise how the Leadership Team must be feeling about KEF Infra, our
flagship venture in India.Yes, there were heartaches, sleepless nights and
moments of complete insanity, but today KEF Infra is at the threshold
of changing the way India builds. It is revolutionising construction
and infrastructure in the country. And being hailed as a harbinger of
innovation, must make all the heartburn worth it for everyone who
has worked in making the dream a reality. As the dream unfolds, it
creates in all of us a sense of belonging and pride to be a part of this
exciting journey!
Taking care of a newborn is quite
similar to handling work in a start-up
and juggling is a skill that both new
mothers and start-up employees
develop over a period of time
Meanwhile at work, I manage to stay afloat over piles of
data and pangs of guilt at having left my baby at home.
KEF headquarters in Dubai, was a travelling office for a good part of
last year.There was no one who I could victimise with my Postpartum
Depression and anxiety. So, Microsoft Excel & Word were my only
available outlets. I deleted rows, used bold, underlined things and
used formulas with such a zeal that sometimes I felt I was turning
into an Excel Ninja. There were days when sitting in a meeting, I
imagined flying diapers, milk bottles and my baby, all in a strange

CREATING
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SUCCESS
Hiten Bajaj
KEF Holdings has built a culture of opening doors, not only for
their people, but also for companies like Mosaic Live who they
partner with for their events. By the opportunities they provide,
they motivate us to grow, evolve, improve and take risks, making
them not only an enterprise but an experience to service to.
Mr. Faizal and Mrs. Shabana Faizal have an eye to identify the right
people for the right job. They can clearly see the passion within
people thus giving them the right opportunities to grow. Mosaic
Live was identified by Mr. Faizal and Mrs. Shabana and hence,
we were privileged to do some of their biggest events over the past
ten years.
Opportunities are not only about growth and motivation
but they also involve many other factors. KEF Holdings challenges
individuals and companies to their maximum potential, therefore,
pushing them to newlimits. Forinstance, in 2014, Mosaic Live created a
one–of–a–kind 120-metre projection surface, which had never been
attempted before in the UAE or the Gulf. The 270
O
projection’s
resolution was 9 times the resolution of full high definition films
which made creating and rendering graphics extremely challenging
and making content changes seldom possible. The aspect ratio on the
projection screen differs greatly to that of a normal computer screen,
with the latter displaying the content as flat strips.
Mr. Faizal and Mrs. Shabana's ability to visualise how the content
would project on the massive screen made its creation less
challenging for Mosaic Live.
Not only was the event a massive success, it also allowed Mosaic Live
to be a pioneer in such events that involved extravagant projections.
This is how KEF Holdings has impacted companies and lives, guiding
them like a mentor and recognising their strengths and abilities.
Another exceptional quality about Mr. Faizal and Mrs. Shabana
Faizal, which no one will disagree with, is that they create lifelong
relationships with their suppliers and partners. They have built a
circle of trust with their network of partners, who have been working
with them for decades. Hence, they are allowing these partners to
contribute and take pride in the company’s success.
KEF Holdings has grown at an exponential rate over the last few
years and has evolved from being a manufacturing facility to a giant
powerhouse. They have provided a platform to millions of individuals
who guarantee success. However, it is important to state that
success will only follow if one can continue to keep pace with their
continuous growth model.
Lastly, as many may have heard, the real opportunity for success
lies within the person and not the job and that is very true for
KEF Holdings as well. The real opportunity lies within its founders,
Mr. Faizal and Mrs. Shabana Faizal, who are an inspiration to all.
TRENDLINES
Performance by students of AR Rahman’s Music Conservatory at KEF Experience launch in Dubai
The 270o projection screen

Building a brand
through strategic
communications
Elizabeth Sen
As a communications agency that brings a global approach to local
clients, APCO Worldwide assigns a great deal of importance on
building brands that have universal appeal.At the core of this approach
is our effort to help analyse and understand the various factors that
come together to make a brand relevant, and therefore a ‘champion’
in their individual contexts - whether it is in the Government space,
among corporates or amidst the general public.
We have, for several years, studied the factors that make a brand
successful as part of APCO’s Champion Brands initiative. We see this
potential to become a champion brand among every client we work
with – through targeted, strategic communications. KEF Holdings, for
example, speaks a very unique language of process-driven operations
with a clear social impact. The very intent for social enterprise, puts
KEF, amidst some exclusive group of companies that understand the
importance of the ‘people, planet & profit’ approach.
With the business essence already in place, the expectations from
KEF’scommunicationistofosteraconsistentdialoguethatemphasises
the need and relevance for a socially responsible business. APCO
has been driving this agenda ever since we started our partnership
with KEF Holdings in 2014. Through our collaborative efforts in
communication and KEF’s genuine initiatives on-ground, today KEF
is known as a company that is making a positive difference.
The importance and impact of a Champion Brand
The degree of intimacy between corporations and the community
is growing greater day by day. It is widely believed that in the
future we will be much more intimate with corporations and their
brands than ever before. We will evaluate corporations more like
neighbours and will have relationships with them that meet critical
material, intellectual and emotional needs. This increasing intimacy
shows why and how the strength of the corporate brand is critical in
marketing efforts and what you can do to strengthen your corporate
brand to become what we call a Champion Brand.
Brand Vs Reputation
There is a lot of debate around the definition of a brand -
it is more or less the enduring essence of the company and all it stands
for. Reputation is a subset - it is the ability of the company to meet
the rational expectations of its stakeholders. The fact is, building a
strong reputation, as opposed to a strong brand, is that rational
expectations can be missed from time to time. As Warren Buffett
says, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to destroy
it”. Clearly, it does not make sense then to invest substantial resources
in reputation alone; every attempt then, has to be made to invest in
the ‘doing’ as opposed to pure-play communication awareness.
We live in an environment where stakeholders can mobilise opinions
and allies in minutes. We see through experience that some brands
weather bad news better than others. These brands are more
enduring because they are based on, much more substance than
just rational expectations. These brands build more fundamental
emotional connections; they have a history and motive.
Implications of Intimacy
There is an upside and a downside to greater intimacy between
people and companies. The upside is greater latitude to meet
needs - KEF can leverage its business model and has the
ability to ‘make a difference’, its USP to target customers.
The potential downside is greater expectations - KEF’s position as a
change-maker will consistently warrant, proof of the claim.
A Champion Brand is defined by its people and their coherence
with the company’s values. It may be worthwhile considering some
of the proof-points that make a Champion Brand, such as:
1. What is the aim of your business? What is the end benefit of
your business to society and to all your various stakeholders?
2. Do you have a clear picture of what matters most for you to be
doing and why you are effective in doing it?
3. Do you have an advocacy mindset? Do people in your company
think of themselves as empowered to work on behalf of your
stakeholders? How is this tangibly infused in your customer
services, incentives, values, etc.?
4. What are you already doing? Are you taking advantage of
existing initiatives, business priorities, etc., to express them as
advocacy?
5. Is there clear expression of your purpose across the organisation
that is clearly communicated to both internal and external
stakeholders?
We are living in an incredibly exciting time for people
interested in the management of dialogue between people
and companies. At KEF, this approach is apparent in the
company’s ability to balance profitability and purpose.
What comes next is how KEF goes beyond its everyday, to becoming
exceptional in the eyes of its stakeholders.
It takes 20 years to
build a reputation and
5 minutes to destroy it
Warren Buffett
TRENDLINES

The timeless allure of
timber, a rare insight into
three generations of saw
millers
B.M. Ashraf
We are all intrinsically linked to Mother Nature, from time
immemorial, we have drawn our strengths from her precious
natural resources, we owe our wealth and the progress of our
civilisations to the bounty of natural resources spread over our vast
planet, says B.M. Ashraf, Managing Director of Mohiudeen Wood
Works LLC (MWW), Ajman, as he reflects on his family’s success
over three generations. Evolving with the times is a key factor to
remain successful, while forging ahead Ashraf ensures that he always
stays true to his roots and eloquently states, “Stemming from our
early underpinnings in the timber business, it is only natural with the
passage of time that my family’s business interests have gradually
diversified into various other sectors, I on the other hand, have to
this day remarkably clung onto timber, which still serves as the core
foundation, to many of our activities”.
A brief history
Ashraf is extremely passionate about his work and equally
proud of his lineage, “My family has traded in logs and timber
for over sixty years, and I grew up surrounded by wood”.
He paints a portrait of his family’s history in the timber industry,
which dates back to the days of his grandfather, the late
Mr. Yenepoya Moideen Kunhi and his father
Mr. Bolar Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen, who are renowned personalities in
their own right and are well recognised, for promoting and developing
their businesses, in the then struggling South Indian timber industry
during the mid-20th century. Therefore, it was only natural when
Ashraf decided to follow in their footsteps and joined the family
business, after completing a diploma course in Timber Technology
at the prestigious Forest Institute in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
In the early 1980s, Ashraf leveraged new opportunities created by the
Open General Licence Act, implemented by then Prime Minister of
India, Rajiv Gandhi, which enabled private companies to import timber
from overseas, into India. And by doing so he successfully placed the
BA Group among the first and leading importers of timber and logs
into India, at that time.
Al Haji Yenepoya Moideen Kunhi, at the inaugural ceremony of his first
sawmill in Mangalore, in the early 1950s
Creating a new paradigm - The basis and founding of MWW
Through his extensive travels in early 1980s to source timber from
remote corners of the globe, Ashraf established numerous supply
chains and simultaneously gained invaluable knowledge about the
characteristics of various timber species and their applications.
According to Ashraf, “This unparalleled insight gives MWW a leading
edge and also helps in the overall conservation of precious natural
forests, since alternatives can be utilised depending on the end use,
preventing any one species from being over-harvested to a point of
commercial extinction.” It is this pioneering spirit to lead and prowess
to advocate the usage of alternate timber species that differentiates
MWW from other run of the mill timber suppliers who continue to
be influenced by commercial factors alone.
Earlyoninhiscareer,AshrafwasdrawntotheUAEbyitsgreateconomic
potential and thus decided to set up MWW in the Emirate of Ajman,
withkeysupportfromthelocalRulingFamily.Indoingso,Ashrafcreated
a new paradigm by setting up a sawmill in what was then a virtual
desert, since sawmills were normally located in close proximity to raw
material sources.
Ashraf was quick to identify the need for a localised sawmill in the
Gulf, since prior to 1992 all special sizes of timber had to be imported
into the region, with prolonged lead times spanning months, which
did not suit the blistering growth that the Gulf region was about to
experience from the early 1990s. Establishing such a sawmill to cater
to specialised needs therefore made perfect sense and MWW has
never looked back ever since.
B. Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen commissioning his sawmill at Thumbay, Mangalore in the early 1960s
FEATURES
We are all intrinsically linked
to Mother Nature, from time
immemorial, we have drawn
our strengths from her precious
natural resources, we owe our
wealth and the progress of our
civilisations to the bounty of
natural resources spread over
our vast planet

Timber specialists to the core and catering to a niche market
On account of its expertise built on decades of experience and
the ability to cater to rising demands of this niche market MWW
has become synonyms with wood in the region. Growing from
strength to strength, MWW’s portfolio of clients currently includes:
top Government entities, the largest oil and gas field development
firms, leading ship building companies, the biggest marine dry docks,
renowned multinational heavy construction fabrication yards and
landmark infrastructure development contractors.
Sourcing and supplying timber for highly specialised requirements
is one of MWW’s many unique strengths and its ability to supply
exotic species of timber for many historic landmark projects and
traditional dhow builders in the Gulf, is second to none. These core
strengths coupled with Ashraf’s hands-on, personal approach has
been instrumental in the growth of MWW over the years and shows
Ashraf’s deep rooted involvement in the company’s activities.
Building key synergies and paving the path ahead
Over the years, a key focal point of MWW’s business strategy has
been to develop and maintain long-term supply partnerships. For over
fifteen years, MWW has been the preferred supplier of timber and
allied material to Emirates Techno Casting, located in Hamriyah Free
Zone, Sharjah. Emirates Techno Casting manufactures valves to the
highest standards, wherein their perfectly cast valves are molded in
patterns made out of timber supplied by MWW and are then shipped
worldwide in wooden freight boxes supplied by MWW. It is this level
of service and supply integration that was a driving force when KEF
Holdings decided to partner with MWW to source timber and allied
material for KEF Infra, who operate a state-of-the-art timber joinery,
which will cater to various commercial and residential projects in the
Sub-continent and the Middle East.
Ashraf is not one to rest on his laurels, even though it is evident that
MWW has a clear lead and a substantial share of the sawmill market.
“Success is not a destination but a journey, we still have a long way
to go and much work to accomplish”, he says while pondering the
future of his company and the ever-altering dynamics of regional
economics. It is evident that with such visionary stewardship at
the helm, Mohiudeen Wood Works LLC will certainly remain Gulf’s
premier sawmill company for yet another generation.
B.M. Ashraf in the background, with H.E. Sheikh Majid bin Saeed Al
Nuaimi, Bolar Abdul Salam and Faizal E. Kottikollon at the inauguration
of MWW in 1993
L to R: Faizal E. Kottikollon - Chairman, KEF Holdings, B.M. Ashraf
- Managing Director, Mohiudeen Wood Works LLC & P.K. Moidu -
Managing Director, P.K. Steel at KEF Infra, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu,
India, January 2016
Soothing Nature’s fury
Dr. Joseph Sebastian
The annual North-East monsoon is a regular natural phenomenon
in the southern states of India occurring in November-
December every year. 2015 was different, bringing in the highest
downpour affecting Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry
- resulting in vast areas being flooded including the South-East
coast. Tamil Nadu was the most affected with Chennai receiving
over 3 times the average annual rainfall within 48 hours (Chennai
recorded a mind-boggling 345 cms of rain in 24 hours on
1st December 2015).
The impact was such that the estimated loss was over 10 billion
USD, more than 1.8 million people were displaced leaving over 500
people dead. The loss to livelihood and livestock was indescribable.
The impact of the flooding was magnified by underlying factors
such as poor shelter structures, damage to livelihood and agriculture
and the vulnerability of marginal population groups. Five districts of
Tamil Nadu were impacted the most - Chennai, Thiruvalur, Cuddalore,
Kanchipuram and Villupuram. From 30th November to 15th
December 2015, the city of Chennai looked more like small islands.
It was during this time of need that the Faizal & Shabana Foundation
stepped in with much-needed help and support.
The intervention by the Faizal & Shabana Foundation was done in
three phases:
• Phase 1 – Rescue and immediate relief
• Phase 2 – Intervention by the Foundation through local partners
• Phase 3 – Intervention by the KEF Team and Foundation
FEATURES
Success is not a destination
but a journey, we still have
a long way to go and much
work to accomplish

Phase 1 - The team from Faizal & Shabana Foundation reached the
most affected areas of Chennai in less than two days of the impact
and started coordinating the rescue and relief work. The initial focus
was on locating and checking on all the direct family members of
KEF Holdings; most of them were not contactable for past several
days. Wading through water, day and night and with nothing to guide
them except their instincts, humanity and a deep desire to help,
the team from the Foundation went from home to home - most of
them in pitch darkness. Thankfully all the KEF Team and their family
members were found safe.
Selection of Beneficiaries
• Need assessment
• Identification of the vulnerable groups
• Area targeted for intervention
• Community’s involvement in selection of beneficiaries

Priority
• Matriarchal families affected
• Elderly people
• Most needy and affected families
• Socially excluded
• Differently abled
Phase 2 – This phase saw the intervention by the Foundation
working through a Partner – ADRA India. The area selected was
Thiruvalur District. With their ground presence and volunteer
support, the team negotiated with the identified vendors in order to
increase the support rendered from the earlier 750 families to 890
without compromising on the quality of aid material. These materials
were procured considering the minimum standards of Sphere for
Humanitarian Assistance.
The selection of the right beneficiaries had to be handled and dealt
in a very sensitive manner. It was one of the major challenges.
Participatory approach was followed - involving the village chief
and village leaders of each village and through them appointing a
committee. The appointed committee was a gender balanced team,
consisting of 5-10 members, with representation from all vulnerable
groups, where group discussions were held to select the affected
and vulnerable households to receive assistance.
Phase 3 – This included the involvement of the KEF Team members
who generously contributed towards the relief work. On an appeal
from the Foundation, the employees of KEF donated more than
three times the targeted amount.
This phase was implemented in Cuddalore District of Tamil
Nadu, which as of December 9th 2015 was still inundated
with about 30,000 people languishing in relief camps and
over 1.25 lakh accessing food at 71 Government centres.
The Foundation along with volunteers from KEF and a group of
youth from the local villages in Cuddalore, provided support and
relief materials to 366 families.
The work done by the Foundation can be summed in what an elderly
man from the remote village (Athamanjeri SC Colony in Ponneri
Taluk of Thiruvalur District in Tamil Nadu) said, “You have come so
far searching for our village to support us. Thanks a lot”. It was a
very emotional moment, but signifying how humanity rose beyond
all barriers and fought united against nature’s fury.
Lending a helping hand to those in needTamil Nadu, inundated by floods
Relief material distribution in Tamil Nadu

BALANCING THE SCALES OF
PORTFOLIO RETURNS
Prashant Mehta
It was late 2011. I had joined the KEF Group to head the investments
team and was in the process of helping set up our DIFC office.
As we opened our first private banking relationship, meetings with
bankers to establish what we were looking forward to from the
portfolio, became common.
“What is your risk profile?” asked my banker sitting across the coffee
table at Dome, a popular café in DIFC.
“We are very conservative in our approach and would like to stay away
from risk. We would like to take calculated risks wherever possible,” I
replied.
“Oh, so you run a wealth preservation mandate,” he said.
“Sure, wealth preservation is among my key objectives in this portfolio,”
I said.
“Hmm, and what are your return expectations?” he questioned.
“I’d like to see high single digit to double digit dollar returns on a per
annum basis.” I replied.
He turned pale, though he continued, “But that’s growth, equity
returns. So do you have capital that is set aside for growth?”
he countered.
When I asked him what he meant, he said, “Well, to achieve double
digit returns in today’s financial environment you must be willing to lose
some capital. You must set aside some capital for bets that won’t pay off.
You need to be prepared for that. You may lose money.”
I understood what he was trying to say. All decisions would not
go right always, but how much money were we going to set aside
towards achieving higher returns?
As I walked out of that conversation, having established
with the banker that we’ve not set aside any capital to lose,
I was left thinking whether growth of capital can be achieved without
preservation of capital.
I reflected on this question for weeks before I made my first
investment decision. When I spoke about this dilemma to KEF’s
investment committee, Mr. Faizal gave me clarity of purpose. He
said, “Prashant, the banks can classify it in whichever way they like, you
should know that you need to maximise returns, by taking lowest risks.
That is your mandate.”
It’s been over 4 years since that day, when I had that conversation
with our Chairman, Mr. Faizal and we have been on course with the
clarity he provided.
We’ve taken convinced calls on currencies, equities and interest
rates. We have judiciously leveraged on sound credits. We have
mitigated risks by hedging wherever possible. While there have been
times where we have faltered, we have still managed to achieve our
dual mandate of preservation of capital while enjoying returns akin
to equity investments.
When I look back, the key decision that we made was to not allocate
growth capital because I believe that the day you set out money to
lose, you will end up losing it.
FEATURES
When I look back, the key
decision that we made was
to not allocate growth capital
because I believe that the day
you set out money to lose, you
will end up losing it
The banks can classify it in
whichever way they like, you
should know that you need to
maximise returns, by taking
lowest risks

November 28, 2015: Foundation stone was laid for the MIT-KEF R&D Centre for Off-site Construction at the Manipal University.
The historic occasion was also marked by a plaque being unveiled by Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon, Mrs. Shabana Faizal and Dr. Ramdas Pai - Chancellor
of Manipal University in the presence of University officials, the media, KEF and Foundation delegates
November 20, 2015:
Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon graced the
21st Convocation of Manipal
University, his alma mater,
as the Chief Guest
November 28, 2015: A sapling was also
planted by Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon and
Mrs. Shabana Faizal on the MIT campus to
commemorate the visit
FEATURES
LOOKING BACK
December 7, 2015: Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon, was awarded the prestigious ‘Construction Innovation Award’ at the Indian Innovation Awards, held at
Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai by the Consul General of India, Mr. Anurag Bhushan
December 17, 2015: The newest addition to the prestigious B.K.S Iyengar Yoga Retreat Centre located in the village of Bellur in Karnataka, India.
The accommodation block consists of 10 rooms and can accommodate 40 people. The project was completed in a short span of 5.5 months and
offers a tranquil, spacious and comfortable residence to Yoga practitioners from around the world
January 25, 2016: For the second year in a row, KEF-TAHPI participated in the Arab Health Expo organised in Dubai between January 25th and
28th. Held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, the Arab Health Expo, is the Middle East’s largest healthcare exhibition and
conference that brings together more than 4,000 exhibitors and attracts over 130,000 healthcare professionals from 163 countries

March 19, 2016: Recognising her commitment to responsible business in the UAE and India, Kairali TV conferred the NRI Woman Entrepreneur
Award to Mrs. Shabana Faizal, Chief Corporate Officer (CCO) and Vice Chairperson of KEF Holdings at their first-ever Business Excellence Awards.
Famous Malayalam superstar, Mammootty, who is also the Chairperson of Kairali TV, presented the award to Mrs. Shabana Faizal
January 27, 2016: Three new facilities were unveiled at KEF Infra One Industrial Park in Krishnagiri. The facilities that were unveiled included,
a state-of-the-art Visitors’ Centre, the Joinery & Fit-Out Factory and an early prototype of the ‘House for every Indian’
March 17, 2016: Indian Business & Professionals Council (IBPC) recently acknowledged Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon’s, vision by awarding him with
the Business Excellence Award 2016. The award was presented to Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon by H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, UAE
Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development at an event conducted at Dubai World Trade Centre.
April 12, 2016: Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon, along with his father, the noted industrialist, Mr. P.K. Ahammed unveiled the well-appointed room, at PMHP
Calicut on 12th April 2016. Featuring plush interiors in classic colours, this room is luxurious, fitted with a patient bed, couch, desk and chair. Most
of the interior elements, including the fixtures and furniture have been produced at KEF’s Joinery factory; the room also is equipped with an ensuite
bathroom which is produced at our Modular POD unit at Krishnagiri

April 15, 2016: KEF Infra has been chosen as the Design & Build partner for Infosys' latest project in Electronic City – Phase II, Bangalore.
The Infosys' new office complex totals 5.3 lakh sq.ft. of area and features an office block, multi-level car park and a service building
Groundbreaking ceremony for the project was attended by Mr. Ramadas Kamat – EVP (Infrastructure), Infosys, Mr. K.P. Nagaraj – AVP Infrastructure,
Infosys and Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon, amongst other key executives. Work on the project has already begun and KEF Infra is set to complete it in a
short span of 7 months
April 13, 2016: In the first construction milestone in the Embassy 7B Project, we handed over two completed basement levels to our partner,
The Embassy Group. Capitalising on our off-site construction technology, we completed two basement floors of 2,06,800 sq.ft. in two months,
compared to the average six months that traditional construction methods would require

AN IDEA WHOSE
TIME HAS COME
REGULAR FEATURES
Sreekanth Sreenivasan
Victor Hugo once said “Nothing is stronger than an idea whose
time has come”. And KEF’s technologically driven, integrated, off-
site construction is that very idea.
The fact that our infrastructure company, KEF Infra, is currently
executing more than 3.6 million sq.ft. in complete buildings, with
another 27.5 million sq.ft. in our project quotation funnel is a wake-up
call to the industry. This is less than 2 years since our KEF Infra One
Industrial Park was established in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu.
The concept that the space that you live in or work in could be
manufactured in a remote location and transported to site and
assembled like blocks is not a new one. But the way in which it is
being approached by KEF Infra is. We have removed the notion
of brick and mortar construction, with its myriad of complexities,
challenges and stakeholders, and literally redesigned and rebuilt it into
a new form. And that form is a manufactured product designed on
a BIM (Building Information Modelling) platform allowing us to plan,
design and construct every phase of a building life cycle starting from
concept to execution.
There are, of course, the already well known and proven benefits
for off-site construction. With real estate the world over becoming
scarcer and hence costlier, the idea of stacking modular components
vertically thereby creating living spaces makes a whole lot of sense.
This idea is even more appealing in a country like India where over 78
million people are homeless.
Nothing is stronger than an
idea whose time has come
Victor Hugo
Villa La Coste, France
Naoshima in Japan
Prefab also checks all the boxes for those who are environmentally
conscious since far less material and manpower, goes to waste during
the design and assembly process. The most powerful argument for
this method of construction is the significantly reduced timeline for
construction – usually up to 50% - thereby reducing operating costs
which means a much earlier return on revenue and a much higher
industrial-quality product. Hence, our success in securing orders with
Embassy Group and Infosys, two of the biggest corporate names
in India.
Hospital and hotel facilities are already primed for
off-site construction especially with their complex MEP and
coordination challenges. Our pilot hospital project in Calicut,
scheduled to open at the end of 2016, will be a successful case study
in an end-to-end healthcare product – fully loaded with a unique
clinical transformation, care pathways, service line planning, physician
engagement and health system models. The hospital will also offer
remote monitoring, second opinion and other telemedicine services.
As the middle and upper middle-class in India are as discerning
as any, there will soon be a trend for homeowners to demand
a personal space that connects them with the world outside.
A fully pre-engineered and prefabricated product will allow you to do
just that, provided you have the expertise to do interior and landscape
design as well, which is another unique proposition with KEF Infra.
Homes will no longer be viewed only as living quarters but as objects
of art which can then be seen in a larger context similar to Naoshima in
Japan or Château La Coste (http://chateau-la-coste.com), the French
winery and sculpture park that showcases structures designed by
Tadao Ando and Frank Gehry.
KEF’s technology and reach will give us the ability to scale up from just
beyond a few and our integrated structure, MEP, interior design and
landscaping capabilities will put these collectibles, the KEF Home, into
the hands of tens of thousands.
Château La Coste

The Emotional
Connection
Farzana Kazemi
Employee engagement appears to be a topic doing the rounds
again, when it comes to employee satisfaction in businesses
today, however the school of thought on what employee engagement
actually does, varies depending on who one speaks with.
Employee engagement is not just about whether an employee
understands their role and responsibilities and are remunerated well
with a competitive salary and benefits package (although these go
a long way to meet their basic needs); but it’s also about whether
they are happy and are fully-utilised in that role too. In addition to
an employee being satisfied in their role and given the tools and
resources to deliver their objectives, it is also about whether the
employee feels the urge to go the extra mile.
to go the extra mile and going beyond the call of duty to achieve the
organisations broader vision.
Therefore, if an organisation has engaged and emotionally connected
employees, this leads to increased service levels, which leads to
increased customer satisfaction, which in turn leads to increased
sales, which leads to higher levels of profits; which means reaching
the organisational vision, which for KEF, is reaching its 2020 Vision.
At KEF, Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon, Chairman and Ms. Shabana Faizal,
Vice Chairperson of KEF Holdings, are very passionate about their
people. And hence pioneered the development of a strategy for
people way-back in 2013, that is being disseminated across all of
its businesses across the globe through the corporate policy on
employee engagement led by the Corporate HR function, with a
vision of creating engaged employees through many interventions
and initiatives, from the time the employee is attracted to KEF, to
the time the employee leaves the company, for whatever reason.
At KEF, we are conscious that employee engagement is not a
topic, just for the stakeholders and the HR function, but also for
all managers and leaders to take into consideration when managing
their employees.
in various forms, paid time-off to work on community and charity
initiatives such as the Tamil Nadu Floods in 2015 through the Faizal
& Shabana Foundation. Paid maternity and paternity leaves, annual
performance rewards linked to employee and business objectives,
catering services to employees based in remote locations as well as
at our technology hub, KEF Infra One at Krishnagiri in India.
Communication and connection tools have also been implemented
such as open door policies, weekly team meetings, team lunches,
personal thank you notes to employees. Employee birthdays are also
communicated and celebrated, local KEF Team members visit sick
employees, support (financial and/or time) is provided to employees
during difficult times such as health/family emergencies. Employee
celebrations such as child birth and marriages, employee recognition
awards, employee awaydays, brainstorming workshops, annual staff
events and ‘checking in’ systems for affected employees and their
families during emergency situations etc., are a way of life at KEF.
Learning and growth initiatives offered range from opportunities such
as employee mentoring schemes, promotions, customised training,
development and recognition, clear objectives for performance
and accountability, clarity on the vision of the organisation, the
organisation values, transparency on company projects, financials
and targets we need to meet to achieve our strategic goals, clear
systems, processes and procedures with communication and
training across the organisation on acceptable and unacceptable
conduct and behaviour, to ensure that we maintain the confidence
and credibility of internal and external stakeholders.
KEF is ambitious when it comes to employee engagement, although
we have developed and implemented many initiatives already, there
is still much to be done and with planned employee engagement
feedback for 2016, leading to a greater insight into employee needs,
KEF is definitely setting itself apart from the rest.
After all, at KEF, we know that our employees are our family and if
you look after your family members, they will look after you and your
customers. The KEF Family, is surely different and making a difference.
REGULAR FEATURES
To motivate employees to go the extra mile, employees need to be
connected with both the manager and the organisation. They need
to be connected to their manager, department, organisation and
understand how their role and objectives fit into the broader vision
of the organisation. Employees will need to see, feel and believe that
their manager and organisation cares for them and their well-being,
that they are trusted to do their job efficiently and effectively, that
there is open communication and transparency, that their manager
is open to new concepts and propositions and that they are valued
in their role.
In addition, where genuine care and compassion are provided,
and the employee is regarded as a person and not just as an
employee, it demonstrates to the employee that there is genuine
concern for their well-being and this is now where the connection
between an employee and the organisation starts changing into an
‘emotional connection’.
The emotional connection between employees and the organisation
is therefore an important element for any organisation to succeed.
The emotional connection an employee feels for the organisation as
a result of the care and compassion received by their manager and
organisation, will also be reciprocated by the employee, where they
are not just working for their salary, but also for the organisation
and its objectives too. In essence, an engaged and emotionally
connected employee is using their discretionary effort i.e., ‘choosing’
KEF Holdings and AGT Staff Party at Dubai Kartdrome
Employees participate in team building activities with
Mr. Sumesh Sachar, CEO KEF Infra at the India Employee Event
Mr. Amit Singh of AGT receiving the Best Employee Award from Mr. Faizal
The KEF employee engagement initiatives and interventions range
from enhanced benefits to rewards such as comprehensive group
medical health insurance for all employees and their families,
company accommodation and transportation for all its employees

If there is one universal truth that transcends all boundaries of age,
gender, culture or nationality, it is that human beings love a good
story. Be it the ones you heard at bedtime, or the ones your read or
watched in a book or a movie, stories have the power to fascinate
people and transport them into a different world. But why do stories
captivate us so? This can be for a variety of reasons; stories can heal,
make believers out of sceptics, give hope to people and even bring
them together. So when stories and storytelling can be this powerful,
shouldn’t businesses be looking at them as an important marketing
tool?
The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’! For a communicator or a marketer it
is becoming increasingly difficult to get their message across to their
stakeholders – be it the general public, customers or even their own
employees. People’s attention span is short, the pace of life is too
hectic and everyone is getting bombarded with different messages
wherever they go; getting someone to pay attention to what you are
saying in this noise is indeed a tough job. And this is exactly where the
art of storytelling comes in.
Once Upon a Story
Gunjan Sinha
As the editor-in-chief of Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, once
said, “People think in stories, not statistics, and marketers need to
be master storytellers.” Today, brands are constantly experimenting
with different ideas to engage with the people they are talking to
– it could be in the form of a video, blogpost or even a new game –
considerable marketing monies are being spent to make new content
stick with the public. And there is no sweeter success in a marketer’s
life today than to see their content going viral. In the era of social
media, with feeds for channels like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and
Instagram updating every second, when people pick up a piece of
content and circulate it amongst their friends and followers, it is
nothing short of an endorsement. It indicates that the brand’s story
has struck a chord...people have invested their faith in it.
Coca-Cola, Google and Apple are a few such brands that have
repeatedly made waves in the world of advertising & communications
by way of their storytelling. I believe, at KEF, we too have a story
worth sharing. It’s not just the premise of businesses we are engaged
in that’s interesting, it’s also the larger vision of how we see our
businesses impacting the society that can form a compelling story.
Business and community are intrinsically linked, and the inclusive
way of working that KEF adopts can aid us in identifying real human
interest stories.
Take the students of GVHSS, Nadakkavu School – the school that
the Faizal & Shabana Foundation helped rebuild. Many of them
came forward to share their stories of how the new infrastructure in
their school has imbued them with confidence and turned their lives
around. The fact that we helped build the school is not the story, but
how what we built impacted the lives of the students, is.
Our line of business is technical; engineering, construction and
manufacturing.These are not typicallythings thatyouwould associate
with a great story. But, it takes one interaction with our Founder
& Chairman, Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon to change that thought. He is
a great storyteller; his passion and enthusiasm are contagious and
when he starts to tell people the scale of what we do and how we do
it, in simpler terms, using examples from things they are familiar with,
it becomes easier for them to understand. His brand of storytelling
helps people visualise and visualising helps them believe and invest
in his thoughts.
Stories make presentations more interesting. Stories are a great tool
when you want to persuade people, and hence work very well as a
sales tool. But storytelling should not be limited to just that. As the
old Native American Proverb goes “Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell
me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my
heart forever.”
People think in stories, not
statistics, and marketers need
to be master storytellers
Arianna Huffington
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May’16 | 4140 | KEF Chronicles

Building Information
Modelling
Dr. Anas Bataw
There has been significant progress in the use of Building
Information Modelling (BIM) around the world, with several
countries adopting the practices of BIM especially in the last decade.
In the Middle East, there is a rapid but uncontrolled demand for BIM
with growing interest from Governments and private sectors.
We at KEF Holdings, have recognised this progress and are
determined to implement BIM processes and technologies as BIM
represents both an enhanced technology and a process change for
the manufacturing-architecture-engineering-construction-facilities
management industry.
As the BIM Manager at KEF Holdings, I will be adopting the BIM
Strategy and Execution Plans to incorporate BIM throughout
all projects to build virtual models that represents the actual
components, interactions and performances of buildings (structurally
and thermally) therefore resulting in significant improvements in
safety, waste, cost, time and quality. While providing clients with an
integrated state-of-the-art solution from design to handover within a
controlled environment.
There are numerous lenses through which one can understand BIM;
it is indeed an ambiguous term that has different definitions for
different professionals. BIM is sometimes confused with being just a
software rather than a way of working; no doubt this way of working
is concentrated around creating and using a computable information
model to build and control projects but there is a lot more to it.
BIM is a contemporary industrial transition from the traditional 2D
standard drawings to providing a rich information model consisting
of multiple data sources and elements of which can be shared across
all stakeholders and maintained throughout the life cycle of a building
from inception to demolition or recycling. However, BIM requires
contributions from a variety of parties involved within the project to
work collaboratively and provide a well-managed bond of information
throughout all project stages.
Using BIM in early stages will allow all stakeholders to see and
visualise the model, which represents the actual building components
I am committed to drive the
organisation and our partners to
work with BIM as effectively and
efficiently as possible, while focusing
on the integration of BIM processes
and methodologies within our
delivery requirements. My mission is
to deliver higher values and maximise
the performance of buildings to
support KEF’s mission to deliver
affordable & quality infrastructure
and healthcare solutions
that are used to construct the building virtually before it is actually
constructed on site. However, BIM was developed to be much more
than just a tool to see what the building might look like before it
is built; the BIM model contains data and information from spaces
and geometry, to costs, workforce programming and planning,
quantities, specifications, suppliers and other information types.
This information is contained in a manner, where it is all related
and built on each other to help provide the best solutions, enhance
decision making, improve production to a high level of quality,
enhance prediction of building performance, save time and control
the budget in a safer environment within an organised collaborative
environment throughout the project.
Dr. Anas Bataw is a Chartered Member of the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) with proficient industrial and academic
experience in Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the UK, Middle
East and Asia. Dr. Anas Bataw has joined KEF Holdings as the
BIM Manager, where he is implementing and managing BIM processes and
techniques throughout the organisation and its partners.
BIMBuilding
Information
Modelling
Enhance Collaborative environment
Improveproduction
decision making
Enhancedecision making
Save time
Save time
Savetime
Control
the budget Control
the budgetEnhance
Collaborative
environment
Control
thebudget
Collaborative
environment
Improve
Improve
production
production
decision making
Enhance
decision making
Enhance decision making
Enhancedecisionmaking
Save time
Save time Control
the budgetControl the budget
REGULAR FEATURES

Prashant Mehta
2016 started very eventfully and the next couple of quarters
are likely to take the volatility a couple of notches higher. June
seems to have a recipe for the perfect storm:
Interest rates
Will the Fed act or not? How much will interest rates rise? As we
head into the next Fed meeting in June post the low jobs report
in May, the chances for a hike remain high in my view, contrary to
street expectations. That being said, we are in a low interest rate
regime and are unlikely to see short term rates rise very high in the
near to medium-term. Lower unemployment numbers will push up
wages and lead to rise in inflation by the end of the year. The 10
year yield is expected to be at between 2.15% & 2.45% by the end
of the year.
Brexit - Will they / Won’t they?
Will UK sacrifice their short-term equilibrium for a shot at long-
term growth? As pressures run high and TV channels air opinions
on who’s in and who’s out, the volatility is set to spike. The chances
for a Brexit are low and I would be underweight equity by the time
the event unfolds. Attractive entry points in the European markets
are expected. Greece will also raise volatility in July as their loan
repayments are due to fall in July.
To Trump or not?
It’s the election year for one of the largest democracies in the
world. The race for the most powerful man in the world will heat
up and add fuel to fire by June this year. As Trump throws political
correctness out of the window and speaks his heart, the unlikely
presidential candidate is here to stay.
And in India, as RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan’s term at the helm of
the central bank enters its last few months, all eyes are set on whether
he will get and accept another term at the office. The INR is expected
to weaken but outperform other emerging market currencies.
BRINGING POWER TO
KEF INFRA PARK
S. Bala Gopal
The state-of-the-art KEF Infra Park located in Krishnagiri,
Tamil Nadu, is about 90 kms from Bengaluru.
This manufacturing unit is the brainchild of Mr. Faizal E. Kottikollon
and is a one-stop shop for precast concrete, prefabricated bathroom
pods, joinery and aluminium glazing along with a stone plant, all in
a 6,50,000 sq.ft. campus. With around 500 employees at present,
this park can produce around 5 million sq.ft. of buildings every year.
This parkwas setup in an areawhere therewas no poweravailable and
had to run operations initially by using diesel. This was a costly affair
and not a feasible long-term alternative. So when the Government
issued a directive to build a substation in the Krishangiri-Hosur belt,
we sprang into action and made an action plan under the guidance
of our MD.
The first step was to make sure that the substation was ideally
located to supply power not only to us, but to various SIPCOT
units which hadn’t yet taken off due to power shortage.
So the Industries Department collaborated with the Power
Department and selected a village in Kurubarapalli very close to
SIPCOT and our park to house the substation on a Government
owned land.
The next step was to get approvals and plan out the infrastructure
required for power distribution once the substation was up &
running. With the combined efforts of the Government and our able
management, the development in this regard started picking up pace.
Although we experienced some resistance from the neighbouring
villages in our endeavour to set up the substation, we were able
to overcome this with the help of the local authorities. The locals
realised that the substation would be beneficial to them.
The substation was finally completed and started its power supply on
27th December 2015, thus transforming the KEF Infra Park and its
neighbouring areas. Our success in building the substation was only
made possible through our mission to ‘Be different, make a difference’.
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MARKET WATCH
Disclaimer: The world is flooded with various data points. Every time an economist connects
different data points, a new picture emerges. The dots I connect today, give me the picture
that I paint today. I am always wiser tomorrow.

KEF HOLDINGS
Regus One Raffles Place,
1 Raffles Place Tower 1, Level 24,
Singapore 048616
Email: info@kefholdings.com
THE KEF COMPANY LTD.
Office 501, Precinct Bldg 5,
Dubai International Financial
Centre (DIFC), Dubai, UAE
Email: kef@thekefcompany.com
FAIZAL & SHABANA FOUNDATION
No.34, Ground Floor, Embassy Diamante,
Vittal Mallya Road
Bangalore, Karnataka - 560001, India
info@faizalshabana.org
+91 80 4902 7000
KEF INFRASTRUCTURE INDIA PVT. LTD.
No.34, Ground Floor, Embassy Diamante,
Vittal Mallya Road,
Bangalore – 560001 Karnataka, India
KEF MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY FZE
Shop No. S-3, Hamriyah Free Zone,
Sharjah, UAE
KEF INFRA ONE PARK
231/A, 232/A Kurubarapalli Post,
Vinayakapuram Village, Krishnagiri Taluk,
Krishnagiri-635001
Tamil Nadu
KEF TAHPI Design Studio
407, 4th Floor, Building 25,
Dubai Healthcare City,
Dubai, UAE
CONTACT US

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