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Pune: In Quest Of An Identity Call it the Pune Paradox: a city that has ended up second on more fronts than one can remember has discovered that there is a brighter side to being the eternal also-ran. By Roshni Jayakar
Pune, to cut to the chase, is the runt of the litter, the eternal bridesmaid, the city that flatters time and again, only to deceive. Once, long ago, it looked like the best retirement-destination in India. Then it staked claim in rapid succession to being India's Detroit, the Oxford of the East, and the ideal Silicon Alley to Bangalore's S Valley. Of these many sobriquets, only one, that about Oxford, sits lightly on its shoulders. Pune has a student population of over 2 lakh-almost 80 per cent of this comprises people from other parts of the country-spread across its 100 colleges and institutes of higher education. The other tags have gone to more deserving candidates. Chennai and Delhi are probably the closest India can get to Detroit, but neither city seems interested in the label. Hyderabad has replaced Pune, at least in public consciousness, as the city that can give Bangalore a run for its code-arrays (although in truth, Chennai scores over both contenders). And the city's most famous corporate resident Bajaj Auto has just lost the title of India's largest two-wheeler company-one it held for 40 years-to Delhi-based Hero Honda.
So, is Pune in mourning? Not quite. As one enters Pune from the Mumbai-Pune expressway (commute: just about three hours), it's hard to miss the markings of a big city straining at the leashes, and aspiring for metropolitan status: huge billboards on either bank of the road announce the availability of residential and commercial space; still others invite you to check out the best international brands money can buy in India; high-rises alternate with small old-fashioned bungalows; and there are enough cars, two-wheelers, three-wheeled menaces that go by the name of autorickshaws in India, and buses plying to make a full-fledged metropolis proud. And despite the fact that no new manufacturing company has set up shop in Pune for the past five years, there's no sign of grieving. Indeed, everything seems to indicate the opposite. ''Pune is a town blossoming into a large city,'' says Sulajja Firodia Motwani, the Joint Managing Director of Kinetic Engineering. ''While the city is more vibrant and fun today, it still retains its basic character.'' The Logical Celebration Software is one thing going for the city. In the past five years, software exports from Pune have increased from Rs 8 crore(1994-95) to Rs 1,500 crore (2000-01). And about 450 software companies have discovered Pune. From software to it-enabled services is but a short step and already transnationals like British Airways and HSBC, have back-office operations going in the city. Then there are the students, more, arguably, per square kilometre (the actual statistic is 465) than any other city in India. Software professionals are young and moneyed, and while students aren't exactly awash with it, they are far better off than an earlier generation of scholars.
That explains the rush of marquee retail brands that have sought to establish a presence in Pune. Says Vidya Yeravdekar, Deputy Director, Symbiosis, which alone has over 23,000 students across the 25 institutes it manages: ''The inflow of youngsters has set off growth in Pune.'' In the last one year, Shoppers' Stop and the Piramal-owned Piramyd have opened their outlets in Pune, the first in 50,000 square feet of space at Shivajinagar, the second on 42,000 square feet at Convent Road. Other recent entrants include Wills Sport, MusicWorld, and furniture salons like Gautier. Then, there are those that have always been there. Like Dorabjees, a 1911-founded supermarket that lays claim to being the Harrods of Pune. A report issued by real-estate firm Knight Frank says: ''approximately 450,000 square feet of retail space will be available for possession by 2003.'' In retail, happy beginnings abound in Pune: from restaurants like Dosa Diner, Bombay Brasserie, and Pizzeria to a four-screen multiplex (City Pride), to pubs like Club Polaris, Scream, and Boomerang. Says Sanjiv Bajaj, Vice President, Bajaj Auto: ''Pune has always had a variety of restaurants. These have grown exponentially over the last few years.'' The reason for Pune's rapid growth, paradoxically, is its status as a runner-up in the race among cities to become destinations for one particular industry. Only, Pune has managed a honourable mention in several such races and has the kind of industrial profile that a Mumbai or a Bangalore could be proud of: infotech, infotech-enabled services, agricultural products, automobiles and auto-ancillaries, education, retail, and support industries like banking, telecommunications, hospitality, and financial services. The cross-section of businesses attracts professionals from across the country and the clustering effect attracts more companies. The presence of a large number of educational institutions-10 medical colleges, 14 engineering colleges, and 10 business schools-is a side-attraction. And Pune, temperate weather and all, isn't a bad place to live. Amit Kalyani, the scion of the city-based Kalyani Group that has interests in sectors like auto-components and forgings thinks so too. ''It is the quality of life in Pune and the fact that you can go home and relax after a day's work (that are major attractions).'' 1 2 |
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