MALAYSIA'S Emkay Group and Bangalore's Embassy Group plan to build low-cost houses in India, the second foray overseas for the local company.

The first venture abroad for Emkay, controlled by businessman Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal, was in 1993 when it built houses in Namibia.

Embassy chairman Jitu Virwani said the company wants to build low-cost houses in Indian states such as Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune with Emkay to fast-track developments and meet demand.

"He (Mustapha Kamal) is an expert in low-cost housing. We are exploring the opportunities to work together. We already have a good working relationship and now want to build on each other's strengths," Virwani told Business Times in Kuala Lumpur.

The partnership between Embassy and Emkay dates back to 2005 with the development of MKN Embassy Techzone, a 12ha information technology (IT) park in Cyberjaya.

Techzone comprises four commercial blocks worth RM350 million under Phase One, and eight blocks, worth in excess of RM600 million, under Phase Two.

Techzone is Embassy's first investment in Asia, while Emkay is its first and only Malaysian partner.

"We are planning a long-term working relationship with Emkay and it won't stop with Techzone. We are also exploring new projects such as building student housing and residential developments in Cyberjaya," Virwani said.

"We are looking at a campus kind of development with hotels, housing, retail and common facilities," he added.

Over the last decade, Embassy has set up several business parks in India and tenants include IBM, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Goldman Sachs, among others.

"The whole idea of being here (Malaysia) is to expand the relationship with our clients and bring them to Cyberjaya. Embassy itself is keen to be in Cyberjaya as it has the ingredients of what a company typically looks for," Virwani said.