CHENNAI
Daily travel frustrations are a hallmark
in Chennai. It is jokingly said that adding thousands of Nanos to Chennai roads
would have no impact. The city is used to rash autorickshaw driving. Corruption
is one of the main factors arresting the city's growth. It needs to think creatively
and critically about its present and future. It has to sponsor meaningful spatial
and other facets research to regain its erstwhile position of pride. As of now,
Chennai is unmistakably a case of potential unfulfilled. .
Re-imagining itself is the agenda to be taken, and taken vigorously. It has
done well as the Detroit of India, being the second largest IT & ITES earner
after Bangalore. Now it has to go further. It has to create its differentiation
from Bangalore and other ITES hotspots; what has supported it so far has been
large number of entrepreneurial inputs from NRIs, but this cannot be leveraged
beyond a point. It is one of three port cities in this set of 10 cities. Since
it is a shallow port, there are limitations. Nevertheless, it is a port and
can exploit this coastal location by initiating high value endeavours. Inspiration
can be drawn from ports of Norway and Finland which are into hi-niche activity
despite being frozen. .
The finance sector needs to be made as dynamic as in Hyderabad (pro-rata basis).
The stock exchange is in dumps. It can also develop better connectivity with
South Asia and become the entry point of ASEAN to India. Its large education
base has to be tweaked into vocational directions and enabled to possibly assume
the mantle of India's knowledge-intensive industry-academic collaboration. .
Housing is a prickly issue. Better town planning and having supportive satellite
towns is the need of the hour. Institutional handling of issues needs dramatic
improvement. It has somehow maintained a cultural insularity, which has prevented
assimilation of diversity. Herein, it can pick a tab or two from Taipei and
Hong Kong, which have stayed culturally rich and yet attracted talent from diverse
backgrounds. .
Again, Chennai has random yet prolific infrastructure activity going on, the
aftermath of which would be borne by future generations. Straightening the city
map evolution is the prime priority. It has to fear corporate mobility, as today's
corporates are bound to a geography by tenuous threads, and can relocate before
the blink of an eye. Kolkata has suffered because of this apathy to corporate
interests, Chennai can be the next one awaiting this hit. With funds available
today, simple focused development agenda is the key. Politically, it has to
acquire a modern outlook, and must come out of the shadow of the state government
and assert its own autonomy and identity. These are difficult contentions, but
then sculpting a bright future for a gentle city is always a tough call. .
COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS .
Most competitive business costs
Very good supportive industries
Good incentives for business
COMPETITIVE WEAKNESSES .
Poor demand conditions
Unhealthy competitive intensity
Bad quality of life
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