Hyderabad: Ikea, the Sweden-based world’s largest furniture retailer, has offered to purchase land in Raidurg, on the city’s outskirts, for a record price of Rs 19.21 crore per acre, to set up its retail outlet in Hyderabad, the first in the country.

At a time when companies are seeking land from the government at subsidised rates, Ikea’s decision to purchase land at market rates has surprised the Telangana state government and its officials.

The government is upbeat about this development and says that this is proof of the demand for Hyderabad and its realty sector from across the globe. Ikea India, a subsidiary of Swedish furniture retailers Ikea AB, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Telangana government in September last year to set up its first store in India in Hyderabad with an investment of Rs 500 crore.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had appointed the commissioner of industries as a single contact point to ensure a speedy, transparent process for all applications, permissions and licences, which encouraged Ikea to speed up its operations.

The company had sought 50,000 sq. metres of land for the purpose and the government had directed the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) to identify suitable land. The company selected land in Hyderabad Knowledge City, which falls under Raidurg limits.