GURGAON
A quick look and Gurgaon impresses.
It is a high FDI destination, flaunts the best of corporate offices (140+ MNCs)
and has apparently unlimited land supply for residential high rises and commercial
malls. Somebody is selling a "wow picture" of future to the investors. A deeper
look shows it is hugely dependent on Delhi for manpower supply. Aberrant electricity
supply, erratically available for at times just eight hours a day, with areas
snapped off the power grid for exceptionally long hours, makes it a "high business
cost" location. The traffic system is bursting at seams with hour-long jams,
crater-sized potholes bedecking internal roads. The umpteen BP0 transporters
with their rough driving style are a pain. It is shameful seeing affluent neighbourhoods
surrounded by shanties. The satire in a top Gurgaon functionary's comment is
biting when he off-handedly proclaims Gurgaon to be a zero governance city.
About the competitiveness of Gurgaon he says, "the less said, the better"! A
tremendous tsunami of functioning and upcoming malls has begun to characterize
this city's topography. But where are the customers with bonafide purchasing
intent? This city sorely lacks its own demand conditions and is overly relying
on feeding Delhi, which is not genuinely happening as traffic bottlenecks make
it inaccessible even for the inclined shopaholic from Delhi. .
It seems urban planners are unmindful of current and future traffic needs, allowing
an alarming level of density of office infrastructure, a level for which the
city has no breathing space whatsoever. How long would office- goers tolerate
the low quality commuting time? Water table is beyond replenishable reserves.
Not even a mentionable local transport system exists, further stressing roads
with self-owner cars. Inspiration can be drawn from most Canadian cities where
commuters park vehicles on city periphery and take rapid transport systems.
The proposed metro connectivity also a mere extension of Delhi's needs, not
a concept evolved for Gurgaon's requirements. Further, it raises its ugly head
sky-high bang in middle of streets which could have been truly developed as
a shopper's paradise. .
The large-scale construction might benefit the future generations, but air pollution
caused by it is an agony for today's inhabitants. All growth is vertical, with
no supportive road access. A little rain and the most posh high-rise buildings
get flooded at the ground level, revealing the mess of the sewage system. .
Time to wake up. Gurgaon should emerge as a model city 10 years down if it survives
the current bottlenecks. This is a positive clarion call. Unbridled ambition
in business firm brings liquidation and financial ruin; professionally managed
sustainable growth makes one a tycoon. Gurgaon just needs to slow down a bit,
relook at all projects and begin instilling method and sanity piece by piece.
.
COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS .
"Good upcoming infrastructure Generally
good markets Good competitive intensity
COMPETITIVE WEAKNESSES .
Worst overall business index
Worst rank on all dimensions Extremely high business costs
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