Gurgaon Articles about
Gurgaon
Website Links For
Gurgaon
 

Information About

Gurgaon




Gurgaon is a city in the northern India n state of Haryana , and has a population of about 1000,000 according to the 2001 national census. It is also a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. It is located in Gurgaon District .

The origins of the city's name are steeped in Hindu mythology. Legend has it that Gurgaon is the ancestral village of Guru Dronacharya , the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Indian epic Mahabharata . The name Gurgaon comes from Guru (from Guru Dronacharya) and Gaon (meaning village). The village was gifted by the Pandavas and Kauravas to their Guru (Dronacharya), and was known as ''Guru ka Gaon'' (Village of the Guru), and later Gurgaon.

Once a sleepy town on the outskirts of New Delhi, its potential was quickly recognized after the liberalization of the indian economy post 1990s, due to its proximity to New Delhi and smart policiy initiatives of the Haryana government. Recently, Haryana became the first state in India to introduce Value Added Tax (VAT). Today, Skyscraper s and modern Shopping Malls dot the new city, which has seen a major Real Estate boom since the late 1990's.

Gurgaon is one of India's major Outsourcing hubs, housing major Multinationals such as Agilent , Alcatel , American Express , British Airways , Convergys , eFunds, Ericsson , Fidelity Investments , Flextronics Software Systems , General Electric , HCL Technologies , Hewitt , Hindustan Lever Limited (the Indian division of Unilever ), IBM , IBM Daksh, Keane , Niksun Incorporated , Siemens , Vertex and Xchanging . Other reputable companies such as Aviva , Citibank , Coca-Cola , GSK , General Motors , Gilette , HP , Hitachi Metals, Microsoft, Nestle New York Life , Nokia , Pepsi , WNS Global Services , Xerox , etc. have made Gurgaon their corporate headquarters. The biggest car and motorcycle manufacturers in India, namely Maruti Udyog and Hero Honda also have plants in Gurgaon.

Thousands of professionals have recently made their home in Gurgaon, living in apartments in newly constructed colonies and Condominium s with world class facilities. Among the most high-profile residential addresses in Gurgaon include ITC Laburnum, Central Park and DLF Beverly Park. The mushrooming of shopping malls in Gurgaon, like the MGF Metropolitan Mall , DLF City Centre and Sahara Mall , is also indicative of the recognition by retailers of the far-reaching aspirations, and deep pockets, of the residents of the city. The fast growing population, with an ever-increasing purchasing power, has created a huge demand for housing and property prices have escalated steadily in recent years.

Quality of life in the privately managed residential estates in Gurgaon remains is relatively good due to high standards of security, private parking, common area maintenance and sanitation being the norm. The city still faces problems with interruptions of electricity and water supply. Gurgaon's roads are its Achilles Heel . While the road layout in the city is well-planned, there are constant complaints about their upkeep and quality of maintenance. Drives to improve the condition of non-arterial roads continue to be infrequent and roads tend to disintegrate almost as soon as they are 'repaired'.

Besides roads, the main problem of the city is the unavailability of public transport. Plans to extend the Delhi Metro to Gurgaon remains only on paper as of now, although this extension will bring to the residents of Delhi and Gurgaon alike, badly needed public transport connectivity between the two neighbouring cities. Bus routes are limited, shared Auto-rickshaws are overcrowded and Cycle-rickshaws charge extortionist rates. In addition, scant regard is paid to commuter and pedestrian safety.

An eight lane toll Expressway between Gurgaon and New Delhi, scheduled to become operational in Apr 2007 (delayed by 2 years) will provide non-stop connectivity to the International Airport and Dhaula Kuan in Delhi over a distance of 28 kilometers (18 miles), and includes 7 flyovers and 5 underpasses along the stretch.

Gurgaon drivers, like their counterparts in nearby Delhi, are a law unto themselves, often disregarding Traffic Signals and Lane Discipline . It is not uncommon to see people driving on the wrong side of the road to save a few metres of travel in the right direction.

Gurgaon is a city trying hard to shake off its small-town past and embrace modernity and a globalized economy. In the process of building a world-class city, it has become imperative to address the infrastructure issues that plague it. The sustainability of Gurgaon's growth depends on it.


NOTABLE BUILDINGS IN GURGAON


Below is a list of various 5-star hotels and Shopping Malls in Gurgaon:


Hotels

  • Park Plaza

  • The Bristol

  • Trident Hilton



Shopping Malls



EXTERNAL LINKS