Todays Gurgaon is synonymous with development and the new Gurgaon Master Plan 2021 will give a boost to its makeover from a developing city into a fully developed one.SHRI RAM SHAW writes
Gurgaon,the millennium city of Haryana,was earlier thought of as a sleepy town on the suburbs of the national capital Delhi.That was a long time ago - and times,they have changed!
Today's Gurgaon is synonymous with development.Gurgaon is a bustling metropolis and is a preferred choice for IT,ITeS,automotive and other infrastructure majors looking to set up shop in the Delhi NCR.Some like GE,Coca Cola,Pepsi,New York Life,Baxter,Wipro and Nestle are already there while several more are vying to come in.
Located on the National Highway 8,which connects the political capital Delhi to the financial capital Mumbai (also touching Jaipur,Gandhinagar,Ahmedabad,Vadodara and Surat),it can expect to attract greater investment in its economic growth and infrastructure expansion.
The IGI airport is closer to Gurgaon than Delhi and this is an added leverage for this megapolis to lure NRIs and MNCs.Gurgaon is fast transforming into a hi-tech city,accounting for a substantial portion of the nation's investments and profits,both in the public and the private sector.
The new Gurgaon Master Plan 2021 will give a boost to its makeover from a developing city to a fully developed one.The eight-lane toll expressway between Gurgaon and Delhi,which became operational in April 2007,will give Gurgaon rapid connectivity to all major places in the NCR including IGI airport and Dhaula Kuan in Delhi,over a distance of 28 kilometers that include seven flyovers and five underpasses along the stretch.
The quality of life in the privately owned estates in Gurgaon is something that is attracting the rich and the upper middle-class people to the megapolis's housing options.Offering an enticing array of facilities,the people of Gurgaon enjoy an exclusive lifestyle with very little hassles that other metros throw up.Assured urban and civic infrastructure like 24x7 water supply,electricity,security,common-area maintenance and sanitation are a norm here than an exception.The road layout in Gurgaon is also improving;it comparable to the infrastructure in other big and influential cities of the country.
With initiatives of the Haryana government,Gurgaon is likely to become a major hub of special economic zones (SEZs).A big-size SEZ of 3,000 acres,at a cost of Rs 2,060 crore,near Garhi Harsaru in Gurgaon district,has been sanctioned in principle by the government.About 2,400 units are slated to come up in the zone,holding out employment prospects for over 60,000 workers and exports of around Rs 42,000 crore.The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and Gurgaon administration have fastened their seat belts to take Gurgaon social infrastructure to new heights.From food parks to housing complexes and SEZ to express highways,this cyber city of Haryana is the true reflection of a modern India on the fast track.
Gurgaon real estate market has gained prominence due to the booming IT/ITeS sectors.Of late,there has been a spurt in demand for Gurgaon's commercial and residential properties.The market is flooded with realty companies.A range of firms and services,from construction to architects and real estate agents,thrive in the city.
Some prominent real estate companies in Gurgaon DLF Group: DLF laid the first stone in the Gurgaon's development saga.The vast barren land of the sleepy town of Haryana is now converted into a major business and residential hub due to the initiative of this group.In business for the last six decades,DLF is currently focussing on strengthening its lateral and vertical business drivers.
Aspire Realtors: Aspire Realtors comprises a group of highly competent real estate agents.Aspire has over 12 years of experience in working with top developers of Gurgaon.Presently,it deals with top-notch builders like DLF,Ansal,Unitech,among others.The group specializes in DLF Phase II.A separate team of Aspire Realtors also works for the HUDA sectors.
Vatika: Vatika Group has successfully created an impressive portfolio of commercial and residential projects in the last 15 years.The projects developed by Vatika touch every walk of life and human enterprise.
BE Properties: BE Properties endeavors to offer technically sound and practically grounded services.It deals with properties ranging from residential to commercial and houses to office spaces.ARN Properties: ARN Properties is considered to be premium real estate agents in Gurgaon.The dealer focuses on relocation services,property investments,purchasing of property and offers consultancy services.
The HUDA plans to spend Rs 500 crore this calendar year for the development of Gurgaon.The projects that are a part of this infrastructural development process are a water management system,as well as the Delhi Metro extension to Gurgaon.
Nearly Rs 297 crore out of the total outlay of Rs 500 crore was earmarked for extension of the Metro route to Gurgaon.The Central Secretariat-Qutub Minar Metro corridor links Gurgaon to the CBD of Delhi,and runs all the way to the northeastern border of the capital.
The 12.5km stretch (South to Central) will be an important link in Line II of the Delhi Metro and the total distance from Jahangirpuri to Gurgaon is 45km.
Gurgaon does not yet have a storm-water disposal system and work has already begun on this project;this will go a long way in managing water in Gurgaon.The Rs 500-crore-budget will also be spent on solid-waste management plants,re-carpeting of roads and shifting of the garbage dumps.The whole purpose of making improvements to the infrastructure of Gurgaon is it cut down on pollution and allow the city to breathe easily.
The multiple towers of DLF Ltd's Magnolias housing project in Gurgaon will be completed in about a year's time;there are 589 premium apartments in the project.The country's largest developer by market value launched the project in 2005."The project was to be finished by 2008 but now the new deadline is mid-2011.As with several other ventures during the realty boom,the project was kicked off with an overseas partner,UK-based construction firm Laing O'Rourke (LOR),through a joint venture.But LOR exited its India business last year and the project got delayed.Construction is on now,"said Rajeev Talwar,executive director of DLF.Project delays continue to dog home buyers even as builders bet big on the residential segment to steer them to recovery after the bust of 2008.
In the Delhi NCR region,several new sectors have been opened up for development in Gurgaon under the 2021 Master Plan,where property rates are 30-40 % lower than those in existing sectors.By May 2011,people will be able to zoom past on the four-lane 24.3km Gurgaon-Faridabad road.The work on the widening of the Gurgaon-Faridabad road from the existing two lanes to four lanes has already begun.Designed to be a tolled road,Reliance Infrastructure has bagged this BOT (build,operate and transfer) project of four laning of the highway,along with the widening and strengthening of Ballabhgarh-Sohna road with a concession period of 17 years at Rs 780 crore.
It was the first of its kind road project on BOT basis undertaken by the Public Works (Building and Roads) Department of the Haryana government.For improvement or upgradation,both bituminous and concrete pavements would be provided.In addition,some links of the roads like MCF road,Crusher Zone road and Pali Bakhri road will be improved as a part of the project.The total length of roads covered under the project would be 66km.Even though it would be a toll road,certain categories of vehicles would be exempted from payment of toll.These vehicles include two wheelers,tractor trolleys carrying agricultural produce,defence vehicles,ambulances and funeral vans,police vehicles,fire-fighting vehicles,etc.
A Bollywood theme park was opened in Gurgaon recently.It is the first live entertainment complex on the scale of Disneyland (but minus the rides) to open in the country.The park's owners are aiming to offer a taste of the whole of India in one place,cashing in on the interest,both at home and abroad,in the Bollywood phenomena.A well-orchestrated Indian experience,that's what 'Kingdom of Dreams' is all about.Spread over nine acres,it seems too grand and opulent to be real - almost like the makeshift set of a film like "Devdas",waiting to be brought down after the shoot - except it's here to stay! Simply put,it is a live entertainment and leisure destination.
The Kingdom just opened the Culture Gully (which boasts of a sky dome) with six restaurants,six show kitchens,three street bars and seven retail stores,representing 14 states of India,through their architectural grandeur.There's plenty to do here - you may feast on a Rajasthani thali,sample the Bengali fare or sip south Indian filter coffee.Or,maybe,ease stress with a dry massage,or consult a tarot card reader,an astrologer or a palmist at the mystic centre! You could even shop at Mumbai's fashion street or just sit and watch local artisans and folk artists perform.