Recently my brother was looking to acquire some land back home and during our discussions i got intrigued into the Indian real estate market how it has suddenly undergone such a drastic change especially in the metros where the land value has more than doubled in the past couple of years.
In the new millennia India has emerged as strong, swift and bold player. Industry expert’s believe that the Indian real estate has huge demand potential in almost every sector, be it commercial, residential or retail.
India is the most exciting real estate market in Asia,It's one of the last major countries in Asia with an improving market.
This spurt of growth in the Indian real estate is in large part due to the burgeoning outsourcing and information technology (IT) industry. It is estimated that by 2010, the IT sector alone would require 150 million sq.ft. Of space across major cities.New companies means new offices, houses, shops in short commercial, residential and retail space.
This growth is facilitated by favorable demographics, increasing purchasing power, existence of customer-friendly banks and housing finance companies, professionalism in real estate and reforms initiated by the Government to attract global investors. People have more purchasing power and exposure to organized retail formats has redefined the consumption pattern. Even small towns want to emulate the culture of their big city cousins. As a result, retail projects have been mushrooming across even B-grade cities.
This new way of life has quite drastically changed the face of India’s real estate, may it be the city centers the urban areas or the new yuppie towns. Small shops, old fashioned bungalows and office blocks have all changed into luxurious apartments, with club-houses, pools and sprawling greens. Instead of small shops we have humongous sprawling malls and office complexes.
with the boom comes the crunch, property prices in India are rising fast, real fast and not just in the biggest cities. As the tech boom spreads across the country, and as more Indians buy homes, and as the economy grows at faster than 8% a year, real estate is attracting more investors, many of them from abroad.
But one thing is for sure it is no longer going to be cheap or easy to be a player in the Indian Real Estate Game.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Old is Gold....
There has recently been a spur of remixes hitting the screen with not just songs being remixed but we had people trying their hands at remaking movies.
How do the new ones fair as compared to the originals??? to be really fair some of the remixes have been equally successful latest being "Pon Magal Vanthal"(from Azhagiya Tamil Magan (2007) "Engayum Epodum" (from Polladhavan (2007)) and My name is Billa (from Billa(2007)). Even though all these are pretty good i really feel the best ones were " Thotal Poo Malarum" (from New(2004))and Asai nooru vagai(from kurumbu(2003))...
Pon Magal Vanthal....
Engeyum Epodum....
My name is Billa...
Thotal Poo Malarum...
Aasai Nooru Vaagai...
How do the new ones fair as compared to the originals??? to be really fair some of the remixes have been equally successful latest being "Pon Magal Vanthal"(from Azhagiya Tamil Magan (2007) "Engayum Epodum" (from Polladhavan (2007)) and My name is Billa (from Billa(2007)). Even though all these are pretty good i really feel the best ones were " Thotal Poo Malarum" (from New(2004))and Asai nooru vagai(from kurumbu(2003))...
Pon Magal Vanthal....
Engeyum Epodum....
My name is Billa...
Thotal Poo Malarum...
Aasai Nooru Vaagai...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Heaven on Earth
There has always been that one special place which sticks in your memory,could be the sands of Goa or the foot hill of Himalayas, Green Kerala or Cosmopolitan Bangalore. It could be because of the fun that we had or the people whom we were with or could be that we just were so stressed out that the place gave us the perfect setting for just letting our hair down and relax and rejuvenate.
I have had my share of places that i have visited with friends,families and even strangers. I just thought of listing down the places that i enjoyed the most and reliving those memorable moments!
Series 1:
SHORE TEMPLE AT MAHABALIPURAM (Chennai)
The Drive to this place is one of my most cherished route ever. The 'ECR' is one of the best roads in Chennai- wide Roads, Cars whizzing through left and right, Toll gates, a picture which i see here in the U.S.
It is believed that there were seven magnificent temples what are known as the seven pagodas, built near the sea shore. But today the shore temple is the lone survivor. Built during the 7th century and later completed by Narasimha Varman II, (Rajasimha) the temple is a real work of art. One of the oldest of the south Indian Temples constructed in the nature Dravidian style these stand proof for the importance that was placed on establishing that particular style of architecture. The shore temple in particular has gained popularity and tourists flock here by the thousands every day. UNESCO has listed this among its list of world heritage sites.
There are three temples, Two Shiva Temples which face east and west respectively and one Vishnu Temple. The Vishnu temple was built by Narasimha Varman I and the other two were built by Narasimha Varman II. One can find the beautifully carved twin Dwarka Palaks (gate keepers) at the entrance of the east facing Shiva Temple. There are sculptures of Somaskanda - lord Shiva with his better half, Parvati, and his sons, Skanda and Ganesha. Apart from Lord Shiva’s sculpture, one can find the sculptures of Narasimha and Goddess Durgha also.
The central shrine is in the form of a rectangle. It has a statue of lord Vishnu which is known as Sthala Shayana Perumal or Ananthasayana which means sleeping Vishnu. The peculiarity about this particular temple is the lord reclines on the floor listening silently the sounds of names. Another speciality of the temple is that the figure of Vishnu is found in segments which are to be looked through various doors.
Coming Soon...The "Windy City"
I have had my share of places that i have visited with friends,families and even strangers. I just thought of listing down the places that i enjoyed the most and reliving those memorable moments!
Series 1:
SHORE TEMPLE AT MAHABALIPURAM (Chennai)
The Drive to this place is one of my most cherished route ever. The 'ECR' is one of the best roads in Chennai- wide Roads, Cars whizzing through left and right, Toll gates, a picture which i see here in the U.S.
It is believed that there were seven magnificent temples what are known as the seven pagodas, built near the sea shore. But today the shore temple is the lone survivor. Built during the 7th century and later completed by Narasimha Varman II, (Rajasimha) the temple is a real work of art. One of the oldest of the south Indian Temples constructed in the nature Dravidian style these stand proof for the importance that was placed on establishing that particular style of architecture. The shore temple in particular has gained popularity and tourists flock here by the thousands every day. UNESCO has listed this among its list of world heritage sites.
There are three temples, Two Shiva Temples which face east and west respectively and one Vishnu Temple. The Vishnu temple was built by Narasimha Varman I and the other two were built by Narasimha Varman II. One can find the beautifully carved twin Dwarka Palaks (gate keepers) at the entrance of the east facing Shiva Temple. There are sculptures of Somaskanda - lord Shiva with his better half, Parvati, and his sons, Skanda and Ganesha. Apart from Lord Shiva’s sculpture, one can find the sculptures of Narasimha and Goddess Durgha also.
The central shrine is in the form of a rectangle. It has a statue of lord Vishnu which is known as Sthala Shayana Perumal or Ananthasayana which means sleeping Vishnu. The peculiarity about this particular temple is the lord reclines on the floor listening silently the sounds of names. Another speciality of the temple is that the figure of Vishnu is found in segments which are to be looked through various doors.
Coming Soon...The "Windy City"
Friday, January 11, 2008
Will Nano be Numero Uno!!!
After months of rumors and tantalizing leaks, Tata Motors has finally unveiled the Tata Nano its already legendary $2,500 (1-lakh) car. As expected, the car that Tata claims will change the face of not only the Indian car market, but the global auto industry. A comfortable, safe, all-weather car, high on fuel efficiency & low on emissions is what you will get when you go in for the Nano.
The inspiration for such a venture had to be something out of the ordinary. In Ratan Tata’s own words "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal. Today, we indeed have a People's Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the People's Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility."
I got really curious and started to dig deeper and found some interesting specs about the Nano.
With a length of 3.1 meters, width of 1.5 meters and height of 1.6 meters, it is smaller in size than the current small car in the market but boats of increased seating space. Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the power train at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and maneuverability, which will set a new benchmark among small cars.
The car has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminum, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft. The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps maximize performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.
It has an all sheet-metal body, with strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.
In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.
(For more information: www.tatapeoplescar.com )
These things aside I was just wondering how the Nano would play on India.
The increase in the number of four wheelers on the road is something which cannot be overlooked. With lack of wider roads, multiple lanes and cars already lining up every inch of the roads not just in the metros but in almost all major cities, it would not be long before you call up home to say ‘Honey am stuck in this mad traffic jam, looks like am not gonna make it for the wedding on time’. More cars means need for more parking space in public places like malls, restaurants, cinema halls and those little side roads that we park while going on a shopping spree.
The effect on fuel consumption and its price is another thing which is a cause for worry, with oil prices increasing consistently showing no signs of coming down in the near future, more consumption would effectively mean the government would hike the prices which affects everyone from your little daughter who drives her little scooty to your boyfriend who drives around in his CBZ, from your boss who drives around In his Accord, the auto walla who always seems to take you for a ride when it comes to the charge, your next door neighbor who flaunts around in his Honda City to the lorry wala who scares you the highway with his driving.
Well only time will tell whether the car for the average Indian is going to have the average Indian as well the others in a spot of bother or is it going to make the Indian dream into a reality.
The inspiration for such a venture had to be something out of the ordinary. In Ratan Tata’s own words "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family. Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal. Today, we indeed have a People's Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the People's Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility."
I got really curious and started to dig deeper and found some interesting specs about the Nano.
With a length of 3.1 meters, width of 1.5 meters and height of 1.6 meters, it is smaller in size than the current small car in the market but boats of increased seating space. Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the power train at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and maneuverability, which will set a new benchmark among small cars.
The car has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminum, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft. The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps maximize performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.
It has an all sheet-metal body, with strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.
In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.
(For more information: www.tatapeoplescar.com )
These things aside I was just wondering how the Nano would play on India.
The increase in the number of four wheelers on the road is something which cannot be overlooked. With lack of wider roads, multiple lanes and cars already lining up every inch of the roads not just in the metros but in almost all major cities, it would not be long before you call up home to say ‘Honey am stuck in this mad traffic jam, looks like am not gonna make it for the wedding on time’. More cars means need for more parking space in public places like malls, restaurants, cinema halls and those little side roads that we park while going on a shopping spree.
The effect on fuel consumption and its price is another thing which is a cause for worry, with oil prices increasing consistently showing no signs of coming down in the near future, more consumption would effectively mean the government would hike the prices which affects everyone from your little daughter who drives her little scooty to your boyfriend who drives around in his CBZ, from your boss who drives around In his Accord, the auto walla who always seems to take you for a ride when it comes to the charge, your next door neighbor who flaunts around in his Honda City to the lorry wala who scares you the highway with his driving.
Well only time will tell whether the car for the average Indian is going to have the average Indian as well the others in a spot of bother or is it going to make the Indian dream into a reality.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Where is the Game Heading!!!
The Second test between India and Australia in Sydney has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Players in trouble for misconduct, the umpires giving some horrendous decisions which changed the whole course of the match this test had it all. The entire tour is now in jeopardy, what happens now is anybody’s guess!
Once again the rub of the green went agianst the Indians who were at the receiving end of much of the off the wall decisions. First, Australian captain Ricky Ponting was ruled not out by Benson couple of times even though the television replays clearly showed that the batsman had edged the ball. In the end it turned to be an anticlimax of sorts for the Australian master batsman who was ruled out leg before off a huge inside edge. Veteran Umpire Steve Bucknor fared no better. This time it was Andrew Symonds who was the beneficiary when on 30 he got a thick audible outside edge which was smartly gobbled up by Dhoni much to the jubilation of the bowler Ishant Sharma but Bucknor much to the agony of the bowler, the team and probably the entire nation turned the appeal down. It just seemed like the umpires including the third umpire sitting upstairs were just in no mood of cutting short the Australian’s stay at the wicket. Symonds benefitted again when the third umpire failed to declare him out stumped even though his feet had not touched the ground. ‘Roy’ got another reprieve when Bucknor refused to use the third umpire off a close stumping appeal. A Second look at the television replay showed that Symonds, who was on 148 then, was short of his crease, he went on to make a match winning knock of 162 N.O
The Indian batsmen also suffered heavily. Wasim Jaffer was bowled by Brett Lee off a fast delivery which on another day might have been called a No-Ball. In the second innings Rahul Dravid was given caught behind when a second look showed the bat nicely tucked behind the pads and miles away from the bat. Saurav ganguly was given the marching order even though Michael Clark took a bump catch, also grounding it while rolling over. Peter Roebuck has been critical about the umpire in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald where he wrote: "Clearly, the sweet-natured Jamaican is past his prime. Indeed, he was expected to retire after the World Cup. Those responsible for allowing him to linger were also partly responsible for a decision that changed the course of the day and possibly the match and series."
While one could argue that the umpires are also humans and just like you and me are prone to have bad days in office,shouldn't something be done to make sure such things are avoided in the future since a bad decision could change the course of the game, the series and dare I say even a player's career.
How realistic is it for me to expect the ICC to start penalizing umpires for not performing their job upto expected levels, just like how a player is dropped when not performing properly the umpires should also be subject to such considerations. Probably explore options where a rating and scores are given for the umpires or assign points based on their experience and then start docking points whenever they make blatant errors and start taking actions when the points fall below a certain level. I think such drastic measures would play a major role in keeping the umpires on their toes because the decision that they give could change a match on its head!!!
Once again the rub of the green went agianst the Indians who were at the receiving end of much of the off the wall decisions. First, Australian captain Ricky Ponting was ruled not out by Benson couple of times even though the television replays clearly showed that the batsman had edged the ball. In the end it turned to be an anticlimax of sorts for the Australian master batsman who was ruled out leg before off a huge inside edge. Veteran Umpire Steve Bucknor fared no better. This time it was Andrew Symonds who was the beneficiary when on 30 he got a thick audible outside edge which was smartly gobbled up by Dhoni much to the jubilation of the bowler Ishant Sharma but Bucknor much to the agony of the bowler, the team and probably the entire nation turned the appeal down. It just seemed like the umpires including the third umpire sitting upstairs were just in no mood of cutting short the Australian’s stay at the wicket. Symonds benefitted again when the third umpire failed to declare him out stumped even though his feet had not touched the ground. ‘Roy’ got another reprieve when Bucknor refused to use the third umpire off a close stumping appeal. A Second look at the television replay showed that Symonds, who was on 148 then, was short of his crease, he went on to make a match winning knock of 162 N.O
The Indian batsmen also suffered heavily. Wasim Jaffer was bowled by Brett Lee off a fast delivery which on another day might have been called a No-Ball. In the second innings Rahul Dravid was given caught behind when a second look showed the bat nicely tucked behind the pads and miles away from the bat. Saurav ganguly was given the marching order even though Michael Clark took a bump catch, also grounding it while rolling over. Peter Roebuck has been critical about the umpire in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald where he wrote: "Clearly, the sweet-natured Jamaican is past his prime. Indeed, he was expected to retire after the World Cup. Those responsible for allowing him to linger were also partly responsible for a decision that changed the course of the day and possibly the match and series."
While one could argue that the umpires are also humans and just like you and me are prone to have bad days in office,shouldn't something be done to make sure such things are avoided in the future since a bad decision could change the course of the game, the series and dare I say even a player's career.
How realistic is it for me to expect the ICC to start penalizing umpires for not performing their job upto expected levels, just like how a player is dropped when not performing properly the umpires should also be subject to such considerations. Probably explore options where a rating and scores are given for the umpires or assign points based on their experience and then start docking points whenever they make blatant errors and start taking actions when the points fall below a certain level. I think such drastic measures would play a major role in keeping the umpires on their toes because the decision that they give could change a match on its head!!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Maestro...
A.R.Rahman born "A.S. Dileep Kumar" fittingly named by time magazine as the 'Mozart of Madras' has redefined music to a new level.
Here is my pick on the compositions rendered by our maestro
Melodies
Here is my pick on the compositions rendered by our maestro
Melodies
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Does Vijay TV have a Winner....
Finally there is a one of a kind talk show on television which is guaranteed to keep you glued to your seat, spur some discussion among friends and will not make your mom cry for sure. Titled “Neeya Naana” it is anything but an argument between two groups. It is a debate that is well controlled by the host gopinath, who ensures that the discussion never escalates into a squabble. The show prides on being the perfect platform for people to share their views and opinions.
One of the usp’s of the show is its choice of topics for discussion. Topics like “Romance in public”, “Young mom Vs Young daughters" spurred much interest among people. Then again there have been some topics which are touchy and subject to personal beliefs like “Rasi Palan”. Whether such topics which spur controversy be avoided or whether such radical topics be welcomed is open for discussion.
To all my fellow viewers I would just like to float a few thoughts. Firstly, Should controversial topics which have the potential to hurt people’s sentiments and question their very beliefs be discussed openly? (Topics like “Rasi Palan” where it is difficult to justify which side is right!).Next, while discussing a topic like “Tamil Nadu Vs other states” where you peg one state against rest of the country gopinath says that "hopefully this show breaks the barriers and have made people to be more forthright in their opinion" it is difficult to sideline the fact that by discussing are we unconsciously weakening the very foundations of our country like “Unity in Diversity” by advocating open hostility towards certain sections of people because of our own prejudices? Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best and pray that Gopinath’s words hold fort. Another debatable fact is the level of honesty that people would show in these discussions,For example during the discussion about romance in public all the while there was a big group propagating that romancing in public is not wrong and then suddenly when confronted openly “how many of you have shared a passionate kiss with your lover” it took a good five minutes and a great deal of persuasion for people to accept and even then only a handful acknowledged the fact.
Before i wrap up i would like to put forth few things which i myself am pondering for quite some time now:
In today's world where situations dictate how a person behaves and each and every single person adapts himself/herself to the situation they are in how fair is it for us to decide based on just a few personal experiences whether people from one state are trustworthy while people from another state are not?
Where do you draw the line between a healthy debate and downright argument?
When someone who says that he/she is from a particular cast/community and is blessed to be born into that community, does it make others any less fortunate? How do u decide?
What can we do to weed out any issues that arise from these discussions? Is there any forum that addresses such issues??
One of the usp’s of the show is its choice of topics for discussion. Topics like “Romance in public”, “Young mom Vs Young daughters" spurred much interest among people. Then again there have been some topics which are touchy and subject to personal beliefs like “Rasi Palan”. Whether such topics which spur controversy be avoided or whether such radical topics be welcomed is open for discussion.
To all my fellow viewers I would just like to float a few thoughts. Firstly, Should controversial topics which have the potential to hurt people’s sentiments and question their very beliefs be discussed openly? (Topics like “Rasi Palan” where it is difficult to justify which side is right!).Next, while discussing a topic like “Tamil Nadu Vs other states” where you peg one state against rest of the country gopinath says that "hopefully this show breaks the barriers and have made people to be more forthright in their opinion" it is difficult to sideline the fact that by discussing are we unconsciously weakening the very foundations of our country like “Unity in Diversity” by advocating open hostility towards certain sections of people because of our own prejudices? Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best and pray that Gopinath’s words hold fort. Another debatable fact is the level of honesty that people would show in these discussions,For example during the discussion about romance in public all the while there was a big group propagating that romancing in public is not wrong and then suddenly when confronted openly “how many of you have shared a passionate kiss with your lover” it took a good five minutes and a great deal of persuasion for people to accept and even then only a handful acknowledged the fact.
Before i wrap up i would like to put forth few things which i myself am pondering for quite some time now:
In today's world where situations dictate how a person behaves and each and every single person adapts himself/herself to the situation they are in how fair is it for us to decide based on just a few personal experiences whether people from one state are trustworthy while people from another state are not?
Where do you draw the line between a healthy debate and downright argument?
When someone who says that he/she is from a particular cast/community and is blessed to be born into that community, does it make others any less fortunate? How do u decide?
What can we do to weed out any issues that arise from these discussions? Is there any forum that addresses such issues??
New Year....New Beginning....
I just thought of joining the Blog bandwagon in the New Year in this new space....
I wish I were a star, shining so bright
Hiding in the blue clouds, I would play all night...........
I wish I were a star, shining so bright
Hiding in the blue clouds, I would play all night...........
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