BANGALORE: Safina Towers, a software technology park on Ali Asker Road, does not take its name from the Arabic 'al-safin' meaning 'hidden'. Nor is it named after the sibling tennis stars. Hajee Abdul Sattar Sait, the managing director, coined the word 'Safina' himself. “I took the initials of all my family members — my own, my wife’s and childrens’ — and came up with this.” That was not the only moment of inspiration for Sait.
In 1955, when he inherited the land from his father, the word 'software' did not exist — or, if it did, it probably meant cushions. At first Sait built a house on the plot, then, in 1964, started a hotel there. And then a new idea came to him. “I attended a meeting organised by Software Technology Parks of India and suddenly I thought, this is the way to go. This will create employment opportunities for locals and bring foreign money to the city”. It was a well-timed decision — the software industry boom in Bangalore ensured demand for office buildings.
However, there were obstacles to overcome.
“It was a long process, but I was confident. I was also fortunate to get a loan from Canara Bank. They trusted me as their client of over 50 years”.
Eventually, everything fell into place.
All the approvals issued, Sait found an architect firm, M/S Thomas Associates, brought in contructors and landscapers.
On February 6 2006, a modern, bright building greeted its first tenants.
Today the 50-metre tall tower houses three global companies — Amazon, Atkins and Swiss Re. These are spread over seven floors. The remaining three floors, which, up until recently, were occupied by Lucent, are available to rent.
The building has been popular with international companies because of the high standards maintained. “We went for the best — ordered glass panes from Belgium, air-conditioners from France”, says Sait. There are generators to provide uninterrupted electricity supply and a reliable fire security system. The tower was designed with maximal efficiency in mind — indeed, 90 per cent is the highest figure in Bangalore.
The maintenance has been mostly outsourced to different companies — let the specialists do their work. One thing Sait insists on doing himself is looking after the gardens that surround the building — beautiful plants, ducks waddling around lawns and fountains livening up the scene.
Office workers start filling the grounds at lunch time, happy to be away from the traffic and noise of the city. Shubhangi and a couple of her colleagues from Swiss Re usually go for a stroll in the gardens during their break. “We like working here - it’s so quiet and green,” says Shubhangi.
Sait’s next project is to add a replica of the existing building to the site — to fully justify the name, Safina Towers. The foundation is already there, waiting for more permissions. Having applied a few months ago, the owner is hopeful: “I managed it last time, I should be able to do it again”. There seems to be no reason why the plans should not be given a green light.
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