Talk about setting trends and showing the way forward, DBS introduced the business centre concept to the twin cities when it set up a centre in Secunderabad as early as 1984. Moving to their present location at S P Road in 2004 while most of their market counterparts switched to Hitec city over time, they continue to attract an impressive number of clients ranging across startups, SMEs and freelancers. The USP of the five-storey centre is catering to a crowd that prefers to stay in the heart of the city without compromising on workspace aesthetics.
Spread across 10,000 square feet, their lounge featuring eclectic art works, antique objects and furniture makes way to a spacious work space that fits right for anything from a solo workstation to a startup accommodating 15 people. What lends class in the spatial language of business centres in comparison to co-working spaces are the range of visual patterns that cabin entrances form across various levels. Art works that represent the Mughal era (perhaps a bid to add a local touch) besides modern art contribute to the workspace appeal here.
The cabin interiors are flexible according to client needs. Sarosh D Vatcha, DBS’s General Manager explains, “We offer clients the option of customizing their offices according to specific needs and provide offices that are professionally managed. It’s to keep in step with worldwide trends in office design and make changes and adaptations as required.” The fact that they own all their properties makes their transformation quick and easy. The glass facades ( with the best views for the manager cabins) offer a visual treat; there’s a sense of completeness in it with the impending metro station at Yatri Nivas, the old-world architecture (in the building beside DBS house) besides a dash of greenery around. Amid all the buzz on the busy S P Road stretch, there’s still something very calming and quiet about the workspace’s positioning.
As the interior design is critical to business centres, they desire an ambience that is both aesthetic and inspiring. Sarosh adds, “The moment you enter you know you are in a DBS centre. The centres are designed to look inviting, with a mix of common and local design elements contributing to the overall look.” Given the emergence of new wave SMEs and startups, DBS’ progress is helped by its flexibility in design, adapting to new technologies and communication advances.
DBS, spread across seven centres in the country, is particular about reserving most of its facilities to members only, be it the conference, training or meeting rooms; exceptions arise only in select situations. Beyond the country, their presence with ABCN (Alliance Business Centres Network) ensures member access to 650 locations across the globe. Some of their famed clients in the Hyderabad centre include Singtel, Toshiba, Cisco and Verizon- a few have stayed with them for about 20 years now.
DBS
What: Business centre
Where: DBS House, S P Road
Area: 10000 square feet
Pay: ₹15000 per workstation (per month)
