Hyderabad and Chennai pummel Bangalore in the rankings

Bangalore is fourth best city in India
DH News Service,New Delhi:
Even as Bangalore has emerged as the fourth best city in the country, Indias Silicon Valley may soon be overtaken by the next-door mega city Hyderabad if the Garden City does not get its act together and improve its infrastructural facilities fast.

Even as Bangalore has emerged as the fourth best city in the country, India’s Silicon Valley may soon be overtaken by the next-door mega city Hyderabad if the Garden City does not get its act together and improve its infrastructural facilities fast.

Though Bangalore is a major economic hub of India, over the years the City’s infrastructure has not been able to keep pace with the booming economic growth, a survey by Ernst & Young (E&Y) has cautioned.
Bangalore, which stood at the fourth position in overall rankings of India’s top 48 cities after Delhi, Greater Mumbai and Chennai, is being challenged by Hyderabad for the fourth spot, E&Y says in its survey titled: Indian Real Estate: Growth and New Destinations.

From the business environment point of view Hyderabad, which ranked fifth in the overall all-India rankings, has scored higher than Bangalore and Chennai as the Cyber City has a considerable larger area of land under the Information Technology (IT) Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as well as the multi-product SEZs. Delhi outscores all other cities on the Business Environment Index (BEI) as it has a large workforce and more management graduates, people employed in trade services and other business activities as compared to most of the other major cities such as Greater Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

Quality of life
Hyderabad has also scored over Bangalore on the basis of superior leisure and hospitality infrastructure and much lower crime rate, the E&Y Survey reveals.

Delhi tops the score on Quality of Life Index (QLI), followed by Greater Mumbai and Chennai. While Bangalore has slipped to the fifth slot, Hyderabad has moved up to the fourth rank in the QLI for its better score in terms of leisure and hospitality infrastructure.

As far as the key Infrastructure Index is concerned Bangalore’s performance is a matter of concern. Bangalore has slipped to the sixth position due to a relatively poorer road network, mediocre rail connectivity and low investment proposed for the infrastructure of the City despite the rapidly increasing demand for better infrastructural facilities.

“Bangalore’s infrastructure is under extreme stress as it has not been able to keep pace with rapid economic growth over the last decade,” the E&Y survey warns.

While Delhi tops India’s city rankings on Infrastructure Index, Chennai and Hyderabad have secured the second and third position, respectively.

However, the social and technological infrastructure of Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore are much better than Chennai and Hyderabad, the survey reveals.

Bright future?
Despite low ranking in the Infrastructure Index, Bangalore can cheer up as the E&Y survey projects that several mega infrastructure initiatives by the Karnataka government such as the new international airport (to be operational by 2008) and the metro rail system would improve the City’s economic competitiveness significantly.
With mega townships being implemented by the Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (BMRDA), the City’s real estate sector is set to witness a huge development activity over the next decade, the E&Y says.

Bangalore

* New international airport, Metro project
* Better social and technological infrastructure
* Poor road network
* Mediocre rail connectivity
* Low investment proposals


Hyderabad

* Better business environment
* Larger area of land under IT and SEZs
* Low crime rate
* Superior leisure and hospitality infrastructure