At 26° C, Hyderabad was substantially cooler than Delhi sweltering at 36° C. Hyderabad was green, wet and wonderful. It was late August, but there was a cool breeze blowing as I disembarked at N.T.Rama Rao Airport. The Sahara flight from New Delhi was full of Expats: girls and boys in shorts, sporting American twangs and Moms in capris. All a far cry from 1984, when I did my postgraduation in Osmania University. Then, the half saree was the norm and the Punjabi suit, only for the trendy.
The airport was under renovation nonetheless the existing infrastructure, appeared far superior to other Metros. The conveyors worked smoothly and check-out was expeditious. From the Airport a taxi sped me off to my destination, the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI). The drive took me through Begumpet where the famous Hyderabad Public School is located. 20 years ago, Begumpet was on the periphery of Hyderabad. Now, the New Hyderabad actually starts here and goes on through the lifestyle shopping district over the Greenlands flyover through Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills, Whisper Valley and then finally Gachi Bowli, where ESCI is located. As we drove through, I marvelled at the wide roads, streamlined flyovers, multi-storeyed housing of global standards and glitzy internationally styled Malls and Hotels- infrastructure that any City and indeed any Indian can be proud of. Even the new buildings housing the crime branch office all black plate glass and the Aayakar Bhawan with its circular Rashtarapati Bhawan style roof can give any MNC a run for their dollars. The reason for Hyderabad's mellow climate is directly relatable to the intensive greening campaigns undertaken. Every road is beautifully landscaped around Hyderabad's landmark rocks. Tree plantation is carried out with missionary zeal by the HUDA, I was told.
Gachi Bowli, which literally means big rock, is part of Ranga Reddy district which was originally an extremely poor part of Hyderabad. Big rocks still line the horizon but there is development literally bursting at its seams now. Microsoft's new hub is going to be located here in Manikonda. Infosys is also shopping for land as indeed are several blue chip IT majors. The financial district project here will house IRDA, Franklin Templeton and Union Bank of Switzerland et all. But its not just promises and honourable intentions. IT City–I has already been executed and IT City–II is already partly under way. An IT SEZ is coming up at Nanakramguda, while a hardware SEZ and FAB city project developed by SemIndia is coming up at Maheswaram. Theres another hardware park coming up adjacent to the Hyderabad-Srisailam Highway close to the Shamshabad International Airport. There are also 60 floor twin towers, being developed by the APIIC through the PPP mode. Visionary leaders can impact on the destinies of a State and a people. Chandrababu Naidu charted a course for Andhra and Raj Shekhar Reddy showed a statesmanship and maturity in staying that course, thus putting development economics above their party politics.
In the majestic Golconda fort is a fitting analogy for the Hyderabad of today. The Emperor Quili created a Darwaza, Balaissar at the base of the hill where visitors were announced with a clap. The echoes generated, reverberated right to the top of the hill with an answering clap in the 'Baradari' guaranteeing attention in the Kings quarters. It is so even in the Hyderabad of today. Anyone with a development agenda has only to announce his intention and is promptly heard in the highest offices. The Chief Minister's office coordinates and facilitates the execution of all development agenda. The first State to undertake power sector reforms, today express feeders supply quality power to the IT industry in Hyderabad and this is the sixth year without an electricity tariff increase. E-seva centres dot the city bringing government services to the people, at the touch of a screen.
My younger sibling, an IT professional was in transit, having been temporarily seconded to DELL's Hyderabad facility. He lives in a service apartment in the tony Jaya-Bheri Silicon Complex, a stones throw from DELL's offices in IT City-1. Wooden flooring, permanent mesh windows to keep out the famous Nizami-mosquitoes, American-style plumbing and and Singapore-style landscaping, all with 100% power backup and laundry facilities make it a home away from home for the new global IT professionals. It is developed by a company named after famed Hyderabad Cine star, Murli Mohan's wife Jaya Bheri (Jayberry to the expats and Americans). @ Rs 6000 and upwards per square foot, filmstars have raked in the profits from real estate development in and around Hyderabad. Town houses, flats, Condo's are all snapped up in pre-inaugural offers itself. Oakridge is the school of choice for the IT progeny. Offering an International Baccalaureate course at a price tag of Rs 3 Lacs per annum, it offers multinational kids the option of shifting seamlessly when their parents are seconded to their MNC homebases or international branches.
Apart from these new landmarks, heritage has not been neglected. Almost all the historical landmarks have received a makeover. The Hussainsagar lake with its mammoth Buddha statue, the Birla Temple, Tank Bund, Salarjung Museum and of course Charminar. The Charminar truly is a symbol of an India at peace with its diversity. Thousands of little shops ply the pearl trade in its imposing shadow. Some of the best food is also available here: Baghaare Baingan, the sumptuous Hyderabadi biryani and kebabs, apart from the traditional south Indian specialities make the gourmet experience mouth watering. At the base of Golconda fort are some specialist bakeries that sell the most amazing fruit-bit cookies spiked with desiccated coconut. Burqua clad women are ubiquitous in their brisk presence on the streets. Of communal tension there wasn't a whiff, even in the Muslim dominated quarters. An overwhelming example of good economics over-riding fundamentalist forces. If there is a crack in an otherwise perfect scenario it is the severe shortage of potable water. But what the heck, Kinley, Bisleri and the other drinking water majors are only too happy doing business with Hyderabad. Critics also talk of the smelly waters of Hussain Sagar. Hopefully someone should find a solution to perfuming this particular pig.
But I am drawn again to the new temples: the IT city. At 8 pm it is lit up like a day-night match venue. Most facilities with American markets work from 6 pm to 6 am. Those with European clients work from 1 am to 1 pm. Most offer a pick-up and drop-off facility. Families unfortunately are on an 8 am to 8 pm body clock. But the timings impact on the lives and health of those working on these schedules. Couples consequently need to work at their jobs and also at their relationships. I met Tom who works 9 to 5 at Google while Anne his wife works 6 to 6 in a Microsoft support team. When Tom comes back from work, Anne is just leaving. So there is very little overlap in schedules. Quality time here acquires new meaning. The weekend perhaps is the only time when families share any time. Weekend packages are thus very popular with the expat and IT professionals. At Jaya Bheri, I also met the charming Punjabi mother of popular Telegu actress Charmi, another youngster working double shifts. 21 and already 23 films old, her earnings are safely invested in real estate. I wondered at this generation and the trade-off between inflated salaries and quality of life and how its all going to impact on the institutions of family, marriage and the parent-sibling interaction?
Apart from the expats and IT professionals, is a whole range of service providers all of whom are earning handsome dollar benchmarked salaries in call-centres, as security, secretarial, canteen and hygiene personnel et all. On the weekends, the City-centre and Pubs are packed with youngsters and professionals relieving their angst and their wallets. Indian Expats are surprisingly forthcoming about the better quality of life and salaries abroad. Most expats are here because of family responsibilities in India. They miss the fixed working hours, abroad. In India, if the boss is working late, no-one even the women employees dares swipe their way out of the office. Most end up working 12 hours or more while being paid for lesser.
But does the Hyderabad success story spread deep into Andhra? Apart from twin city Secunderabad and port city Vishakhapatnam there really are no other poster-boys for the Andhra success story. Consequently Naxalite cadres are still drawing support for their peasant agenda as is Telengana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) with its separate state manifesto. It's a settling down period, and if Hyderabad can go beyond Cyberabad to the rural heartlands and integrate them into the IT story, then Andhra should see another renaissance and a thousand Microsofts should bloom.
