Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, situated on the banks of Sabarmati river, Ahmedabad is one of the fastest growing city in the country. It has emerged as one of the major industrial and economic hub. Ahmedabad is the 2nd largest producer of Cotton in the country and hosts the second oldest stock exchange. It enjoys a rich cultural diversity and offers a unique combination of modernism and tradition in its culture. It is the largest city in Gujarat and also the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district. Before 1970, Ahmedabad was the capital of Gujarat. Ahmedabad has been founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah during 1411 AD. Cricket is among the popular sports in the city and it boasts of Sardar Patel stadium that has a seating capacity of 54,000 seats.

Ahmedabad has quite a few accolade in its kitty :

Forbes's announced it as decade's fastest growing city in 2010.

The Times of India announced Ahmedabad as India's best city to live in 2012.

It has been also selected among the 100 cities to be developed as Smart City under Government's Smart city mission.

And in July 2017, Ahmedabad has been announced as UNESCO World Heritage city.

Demographics: Being the 5th most populated and 7th largest metropolitan areas of the country. The population of the city is over 6.3 million with is growing day by day. The city's growing population has resulted in the increase of housing and skyscrapers. The city is divided into eastern and western regions by Sabarmati river. The eastern region comprises of the old city whereas the western part of the city includes modern buildings, residential areas, educational institutions, shopping malls as well as new business districts.

Ahmedabad is 30 km away from the capital of the state, Gandhinagar. The citizen of the state is usually known as Gujarati but the population is a mixture of all communities, be it Hindu, Muslim, Christians or any other religion. But Jains form a majority part of the population. The native language is Gujarati but Hindi and English are also widely spoken.

The literacy rate in the city is 89.62 percent out of which 93.96 percent are men and 84.81 percent are women.

Climate: The weather is usually dry with temperature soaring to 48.5°C during summer and 5°C in winter. The best time to visit is winter as in summer the temperature is very dry and often heavy rainfall is experienced during monsoon resulting into a humid climate.

Culture: Popular festivities that are part of the city culture includes Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti which is the annual kite-flying day and it is also marked as an end of winter. Navratri is celebrated for nine days by performing Garba - also Gujarat's folk dance. Diwali is celebrated by lighting lamps, bursting firecrackers along with decorating floors with rangoli. Other festivals like Holi, Eid, Christmas and much more are also celebrated with equal enthusiasm and prosperity.

The city is known for its folk art. Artisans make wonderful tie-dyed bandhani's and mojri footwear is also very famous. Ahmedabad is also popular for its mirror work handicrafts.

Sanskar Kendra in Ahmedabad is a museum related to art, architecture, history & culture of the city.
Similarly Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial and The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya showcases a wide collection of photographs, documents as well as articles related to Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi.

The Hazrat Pir Mohammad Shah Library comprises of rare and original manuscripts in different languages like Arabic, Persian, Urdu and much more.

The Calico Museum of Textiles depicts Indian and International fabrics, textiles and garments.
L D Institute of Indology includes almost 76,000 hand-written Jain manuscripts along with 500 illustrated versions as well as 45,000 printed books. This make it the largest collection of miniature paintings, terracottas, Jain manuscripts, woodwork, painted scrolls, Indian coins, decorative art and much more.

Food: Ahmedabad also has a vast culinary tradition. The popular ones include Dhoklas, Khandvis, theplas, buttermilk, tea, laddoos and mango. The typical Gujarati thali is among the favourite that comprises of rice, dal, roti, shaak (cooked vegetables) along with roasted papads and pickles. Ahmedabad is also the proud owner of world's first all-vegetarian Pizza Hut.

Ahmedabad administration : Ahmedabad has been divided into 6 zones and 64 wards. Ahmedabad's Urban Development Authority (AUDA) administers the urban and suburban areas. Gujarat high court is situated in Ahmedabad making it the judicial capital of the state.

Ahmedabad city police are responsible for the city's public safety and law enforcement. Health services are looked after by Ahmedabad civil hospital which is also Asia's largest civil hospital.

The city has a privatised power sector that is generated and distributed by Torrent Power Limited. it is owned and operated by Ahmedabad Electricity Company.

Economy: Ahmedabad is known for its textile industry. It is the second largest textile centre for cotton in the country. It is the largest supplier for denim along with being the largest gemstones and jewellery exporter in the country.

The automobile industry is also a crucial contributor of the city. The major change came after Tata's Nano project. Big names like Ford, Suzuki also have plans to establish plants near the city. However French car manufacturer Peugeot has already started performing in the city.

In addition, pharmaceutical companies like Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Zydus Cadila are also major contributors to the city's economy.

Renowned detergent company Nirma group of industries and Adani Group which is a multinational infrastructure and trading development company also resides in Ahmedabad only.

The IT industry or the information technology industry is also not far behind. Companies like Tata COnsultancy Services is opening their offices in the city. Ahmedabad ranked 5th in a 2002 NASSCOM survey on the "Super Nine Indian Destinations" for IT-enabled services.

Transport: Air: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport airport connects the city with the other parts of the country. It comprises of both domestic and international terminals and is the busiest airport in Gujarat. It is also the 8th busiest airport in the country with almost 250 aircraft moving in a day.

Railways: Ahmedabad comes under Western Railway zone. It connects the city with all the major parts of the country. The main terminus is Ahmedabad Railway station which is also locally known as Kalupur station.

Road: The National Highway 8 pass through the city connecting Delhi, Mumbai and Gandhinagar. National Highway 1 which is a part of Golden Quadrilateral project connects Vadodara and Ahmedabad. To travel within the city, buses and auto rickshaws are available. Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) is responsible for running public service buses in the city. It is maintained by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. AMTS has over 750 buses running in the city.

Ahmedabad Smart CityAhmedabad has been selected to be developed as a smart city under the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Government of India's Smart City Mission. The city ranked 6th for its smart city plan. Ahmedabad Smart city project received Rs 194 crore as its first instalment. Out of this Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have plans to turn Rs 100 crore into equity.

Why invest in Ahmedabad? Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat and is strategically located close to Mumbai which is country's commercial capital. It is well connected to all the major parts of India and is also easily accessible to the African markets and the Middle East. As Ahmedabad is Gujarat's commercial capital, hence its connectivity with the state's port cities plays a very important role in boosting the economy.

The city is home to majorly textile industry along with several other industries that include pharmaceuticals, automobile, chemical, IT and also houses many public and private sector firms as well as multinational companies. Other industries are also a major part of the economy such as dairy, jewellery, gems and much more. Due to which there is a constant migration of workforce from various parts of the country which contribute towards the increasing housing demand in the real estate sector.

Moreover, Ahmedabad is home for some of the best educational institutes in India and so attract the best mind to the city. It offers lucrative investment opportunities for both big and small businesses as well as start-ups and entrepreneurs.

The best part is the cost investment in the city is much lower as compared to other metropolitan cities. Gujarat government is heavily focussing on the overall development of the city's infrastructure. A lot of money has been already invested towards the potable water and proper electricity supply to the city. Other development plans include telecommunication and roadway networks.

In order to attract more investment, Gujarat government is taking a lot of initiative and making policies. The investment process in the city is very transparent and easy. A number of investors have been growing for all these reasons and soon Ahmedabad is definitely going to become one of the most preferred investment destinations.