Embassy REIT and ANZ Join Forces to Build a Third Government School in Bengaluru

2024-05-06 08:44:39 Education

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Bengaluru, India, November 28, 2023: Embassy Office Parks REIT (NSE: EMBASSY / BSE: 542602) ('Embassy REIT'), India's first listed REIT and the largest office REIT in Asia by area, together with ANZ Bengaluru, are pleased to announce the construction of a third government school in Thanisandra, Bengaluru. The new school building will benefit 1,240 students from grade 1 to 8 and comprises 20 classrooms, a staff room, 24 toilets, a handwash, clean drinking water, and a playground. Additional planned projects include rooftop solar installation and a multipurpose lunch hall, as part of a comprehensive approach to school infrastructure and sustainability.

This is the third school building by Embassy REIT and ANZ under the Embassy REIT Corporate Connect Program. The other completed schools include Government Kannada Model Primary School and Government Urdu Model Primary School in Hegdenagar in Bengaluru. All three schools, including the newly built one, benefit over 3,000 students, and have been project managed by Embassy REIT.

S V Venkataraman, Managing Director, ANZ Group Capability Centre, Bengaluru, said, "We are proud of our six-year partnership with Embassy REIT in enhancing the educational system for the under-served communities. Education is a priority area of our sustainability framework, as we believe that investing in education is an investment in the future. Providing accessible, conducive learning environments is essential to nurture learning and potential. By constructing basic amenities like toilet blocks, library plus computer labs, and providing clean drinking water in Government Kannada medium schools, we've seen a significant rise in enrolments and elevated the quality of education. Education is the cornerstone for a brighter future, which aligns seamlessly with our purpose to shape a world where people and communities thrive, and we remain committed to the cause."

Shaina Ganapathy, Head of Community Outreach, Embassy Group, who manages CSR programmes at Embassy REIT, said, "We're delighted to partner with our corporate connect partner, ANZ, on another important initiative, and would like to thank them for their continued support over the years. This project is part of Embassy REIT's ongoing commitment to providing quality education and essential infrastructure to uplift government schools in the communities where it operates. The partnership includes not only the construction of the school, but also curriculum support, infrastructure development, and other aspects that contribute to the overall educational experience."

Embassy REIT's Corporate Connect Program is an impactful initiative that brings together office park occupiers with aligned Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandates and experienced non-profits to address diverse challenges faced in the education sector, particularly in Government schools across India. Since the inception of the program, Embassy REIT has partnered with over 40 corporates for 70+ projects aimed at addressing educational, health and infrastructure challenges, contributing to the holistic development of local communities.

About ANZ

ANZ has a proud heritage of more than 186 years. It provides banking and financial products and services to around 8.5 million retail and business customers. ANZ employs around 39,000 people worldwide and operates in 30 markets globally with representation in Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, America, and the Middle East. ANZ is one of the top ten largest listed companies in Australia by market capitalisation, one of four major banks in Australia (by total assets), the largest bank in New Zealand (by total assets) and among the top 50 banks in the World.

In India, ANZ has branches in Mumbai, Gurugram and Bengaluru, The ANZ network is supported by its Group Capability Centres located in Bengaluru and Manila. ANZ Bengaluru is the largest Banking Operations and Technology Capability Centre of ANZ outside Australia with more than 8,000 employees. ANZ Bengaluru supports and embraces the transformation initiatives of the ANZ Group. It is widely known for its culture of Growth Mindset, learning, innovation, diversity and inclusion.

About Embassy REIT

Embassy REIT is India's first publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trust. Embassy REIT owns and operates a 45.3 msf portfolio of nine infrastructure-like office parks and four city‑centre office buildings in India's best-performing office markets of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and the National Capital Region ('NCR'). Embassy REIT's portfolio comprises 35.3 msf completed operating area and is home to 240 of the world's leading companies. The portfolio also comprises strategic amenities, including four operational business hotels, two under‑construction hotels, and a 100 MW solar park supplying renewable energy to tenants. Embassy REIT's industry leading ESG program has received multiple accolades from renowned global institutions and was awarded a 5-star rating both from the British Safety Council and GRESB. Embassy REIT was also recognised as the world's largest 'USGBC LEED Platinum-Certified' office portfolio (v4.1 O+M) by Green Business Certification Inc.