From The Editor
Even extreme optimists can be driven to hopeless tears trying to negotiate traffic in any of India's larger cities.
Even extreme optimists - yes, i know a few - can be driven to hopeless tears trying to negotiate traffic in any of India's larger cities.
It doesn't matter whether you are trying to get from Point A to Point B in Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore, you cannot say with certainty how long it will take you. Keeping a buffer of up to 30 minutes, sometimes more, has become routine practice before one sets out for a business meeting. And often, even that is embarrassingly inadequate.
Then there is the small matter of other infrastructure that businesses need as a matter of course-power, water supply and other utilities. And unless there are some Rip Van Winkles lurking around, everyone knows what most of our cities score on these counts. Swathes of urban India routinely reel under power shortages.
Outages are so common in big cities like Delhi and Bangalore and, newer, emerging ones like Gurgaon, that back-up power facilities have become primary sources of electricity. Although physical infrastructure forms one part of the Business Today-Synovate Best Cities for Business survey, it is obviously one of the more important group of parameters that the survey is based upon.
That's not to say the other factors aren't important. The fact that our survey this year throws up two Gujarat cities-Ahmedabad and Surat-as being perceived to be good places for business (both the cities have improved their ranks among the top 10) demonstrates that besides infrastructure, government support and market potential determine how good a place is for business.
Our feature, Gung-ho in Gujarat, shows how an ambitious state government can help foster cities to become industry-friendly. The cover package also has a feature on the growth of business in cities other than the capitals of various states; as well as a disturbing story on how the tech triad-Bangalore, Gurgaon and Hyderabad-while being boom towns bursting with opportunities, are also fast turning into urban nightmares.
And just when you were wondering whether we're missing something, we do have a feature on Mumbai, which continues to hold the top spot in the survey despite its myriad problems that only seem to get worse and not better.
Under a new CEO, who will take over this month, Dutch consumer major Philips is trying to re-invent itself yet again. Will it work? Turn to Fresh Fillip to see the company's innovative strategy to tap a mix of rural and urban consumers.
Another story that you may not want to miss is on how Indian advertising agencies are gaining momentum in their efforts to spread their wings-by winning mandates from MNCs to do ads for markets other than India.
It doesn't matter whether you are trying to get from Point A to Point B in Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore, you cannot say with certainty how long it will take you. Keeping a buffer of up to 30 minutes, sometimes more, has become routine practice before one sets out for a business meeting. And often, even that is embarrassingly inadequate.
Then there is the small matter of other infrastructure that businesses need as a matter of course-power, water supply and other utilities. And unless there are some Rip Van Winkles lurking around, everyone knows what most of our cities score on these counts. Swathes of urban India routinely reel under power shortages.
Outages are so common in big cities like Delhi and Bangalore and, newer, emerging ones like Gurgaon, that back-up power facilities have become primary sources of electricity. Although physical infrastructure forms one part of the Business Today-Synovate Best Cities for Business survey, it is obviously one of the more important group of parameters that the survey is based upon.
That's not to say the other factors aren't important. The fact that our survey this year throws up two Gujarat cities-Ahmedabad and Surat-as being perceived to be good places for business (both the cities have improved their ranks among the top 10) demonstrates that besides infrastructure, government support and market potential determine how good a place is for business.
Our feature, Gung-ho in Gujarat, shows how an ambitious state government can help foster cities to become industry-friendly. The cover package also has a feature on the growth of business in cities other than the capitals of various states; as well as a disturbing story on how the tech triad-Bangalore, Gurgaon and Hyderabad-while being boom towns bursting with opportunities, are also fast turning into urban nightmares.
And just when you were wondering whether we're missing something, we do have a feature on Mumbai, which continues to hold the top spot in the survey despite its myriad problems that only seem to get worse and not better.
Under a new CEO, who will take over this month, Dutch consumer major Philips is trying to re-invent itself yet again. Will it work? Turn to Fresh Fillip to see the company's innovative strategy to tap a mix of rural and urban consumers.
Another story that you may not want to miss is on how Indian advertising agencies are gaining momentum in their efforts to spread their wings-by winning mandates from MNCs to do ads for markets other than India.
