Having come to India in 2005 for my graduation, the number of places I have stayed / visited since then, I hadn’t even seen a third of them during the pre – 2005 era. From roaming around most of the places in the South to visiting Kolkata and Guwahati in the east to staying for 2 years in an around the West, I have seen a lot this country has to offer.
But there is much more than something which Pune has to offer. The 2 years during MBA here have made me fall in love with this place so much so that given a chance to settle in a place of my choice in India, Pune would fit the bill to the T!
1. Weather: – Second only to Bangalore, Pune’s cool, breezy and calming weather makes people go crazy. Escaping from the humid and arid climes of Mumbai, Pune gives you that perfect peace of mind which you need to boost your senses.
2. Size – I am not one of them who would love big cities / metros. Travelling for hours on end to reach the airport (Hyderabad / Bangalore / Mumbai) or any other place is surely not my way of spending my time. In Pune you can probably go from Hinjewadi to old Pune in just about 1 to 1.5 hour max which is way lesser than any other city I could ever think of.
3. Proximity to industries – With two big IT parks in Hinjewadi and Magarpatta, its not without reason that Pune is called the IT hub of the country. Add the manufacturing, construction and automotive industries (Pimpri and Chinchwad) and what you get is a city where employment opportunities are there aplenty.
4. A bit of everything for everyone – Whether its places like Koregaon Park or MG Road for the hip and happening, FC or JM Road for the middle class and average student goer or Peth areas for a more Marathi centric crowd, Pune has something for everyone.
5. Relatively clean and less traffic – I am of the opinion that most cities in this country are the same in terms of pollution, population and such stuff. But Pune fares better according to me than other metros in this context. But am sure a lot of people may disagree with me on this.
6. Education system – Like its proximity to industries, Pune has so many educational institutions that it can surely get the title of the “Education City of India”. And that’s why the city has a very high floating population.
7. Proximity to hill stations and other lovely places – Panchgani, Lonavla, Khandala, Kashid Beach, Mahabaleshwar and many other places of interest are situated at a maximum of 5-6 hrs from the city.
8. Crowd and Life – Obviously because of its various industries and educational institutions, Pune has a very cosmopolitan, young and urbane crowd. But its not as hip and happening as say a Bangalore or Mumbai or Delhi. And that’s what it makes it even better.
9. Real estate boom – Whether to buy for investment or buying for ones parents or oneself to settle down, Pune is a real estate lovers dream destination!
10. ALL THE ABOVE REASONS SERIOUSLY MAKE ME THINK OF PUNE AS HOME!
