Truly, the carnival of investments and prof-its seems bigger than ever before in the once sleepy city of Pune. Time and again, its potential was questioned and occasion-ally, even scorned, but the land of the Peshwa's, as always, is having the last laugh, with returns soaring and the land and lifestyle never more talked about or in demand as it is now. With the property rates touching all time high's, it's like the gold rush to Alaska, as people come to Pune in droves to acquire land and give it out at pocket-pleasing prices.

So, keen to share the perks of the city, the Times Property Team in Pune invites our readers in Mumbai to spare a couple of moments and examine the highlights of this issue as we bring to you, Pune as you have never seen her before, bristling with business, pulsating with potential, hopping with happiness and last but most certainly not the least, radiating with revenue. The city's come a long way since the times when the roads were almost non-exis-tent and the city was shrouded by a dense canopy of greenery. We knew those days as the Pensioner's Paradise. A nostalgic mem-ory indeed, but change is the rule of the universe, so the city noticed a marked progress and growth, with the IT sector emerging with a bang.

Needless to say, it has continued to grow and its effects are The capacity - long reaching and obvious, especially in and the lifestyles of the residents of Pune light of the Fifth "Hi Tech Pune- has improved drastically, to say the very Maharashtra 2008" IT and Biotech, least, compared to what it was a decade or Animation and Gaming Conference recent- two ago. With heavy packages up for grabs ly organized at Le Meridien, which was for fresher's and graduates, it doesn't come attended by dignitaries of the likes of N. R. as any surprise to see college students Narayana Murthy and Jyotiraditya M. cruising around in cars and partying the Scindia, who emphasized on the impor- nights away on the weekends. The bottom tance of the IT, Communication and line is, the big players in this industry are Pharmaceutical sectors and promised to willing to pay good money for intelligent strive even harder in their endeavor to manpower and with Pune being the educa- make Pune the next IT hub of India. tional core of India, with this well of tal- The economic and financial infrastruc- ent, there isn't any shortage of manpower, ture, which was subject of much discus- thus providing the younger generation sion, with the occurrence of the IT boom, with a multitude of employment opportuni- as to whether it was capable of supporting ties, talk about a win-win situation! the radically changing outlook of the city, The demand for residential and com· is as strong as it can ever be, with mercial complexes, are in vogue like never investors, IT professionals, builders and before, with the return looking extremely corporate big-wig's all pouring money into rewarding.

An added advantage, for now, is various projects, thereby providing a formi- that the prices of property have experi- dable support system to the city's economy. enced a bit of a slump, largely,due to the Largely inconspicuous for the past few condition of the market shares, temporary, years, the automobile industry has entered of course but making the situation an Pune .in a big way, with auto giants like opportune. one to one to buy up. a decent Volkswagen and Mercedes and other elite manufactures introducing themselves in the Pune market have all helped turn Pune into a profitable hub. These industries have paved the way for the rise in commercial space across the city, making it an impor-tant business centre.

As far as the real estate market is concerned, Pune properties are considered to be one of the safest in the country. All that one requires to earn attractive amounts of revenue is a little ini-tial investment and expenditure on one's property. The increasing demand for resi-dential and commercial complexes so once built; takes care of the profits. chunk of land or buildings for future investment purposes. One of the reasons why Pune is still so popular is that, despite its tremendous growth in the last decade, it had still managed to retain a firm grip on its rich and colourful heritage. The monu-ments, forts and shrines are all intact and re visited by a plethora of people. College a hotspots, which were the rage in your grandparent's era, are still around serving their ever-popular tea and vada pao.

So, you see, Pune has grown but it still has the "old- city" charm that makes it the apple of its adoring public's eye. . Speaking of people, how can one forget the air of warmth that prevails in the city, which has nothing to do with the sun but with the people of Pune? Ever-ready to lend a helping hand, be it helping in pushing your out-of-fuel motorbike or giving you directions on how to reach Koregaon Park, their generosity is plain. Resonating with liberal doses of a feel-good factor, the lifestyle of the city is a much sought after entity. Laid back, in its own way, it has rightly been bestowed with the sobriquet, Pensioner's Paradise.

So, on one hand, you have the retired seventy-year old gentleman living his passive life and on the other, you have an on-the-go businessman, raking in his lakhs with his dealings, a stark contrast but combining two elements that blend seamlessly into each other. Of course, the student crowd does add zing to the quiet life, with a medley of scholars, from all around the country and even outside it, come to learn, to acquire world class education from some of the best institutions India has to offer. The University of Pune has long been held in the highest regard, earning its stripes as well as the honour to be called the Oxford of the East. The number of students of students flocking to Pune every year speaks volumes about the quality of the teaching found here.

The much awaited Pune-Nashik train that was inaugurated in the month March and which runs via the Karjat Panvel route also means a lot to the region. Quite simply put, Pune's got it all. If you want it, we have it, literally and otherwise. Speaking to some of the leading players in the real estate business, we help you nav· igate right from the twisting, turning and silent alleyways of the old city to the sleek, shiny and bustling squares of the new and vibrant town, which, when coupled together, form the city we so fondly know as, Pune, all the way, highlights its booming real estate business, upbeat economy and quite simply, why it is the place to be.