1. Bangalore

Bangalore’s (or Bengaluru’s) ten-fold growth in nippy time can be traced back to the IT boom over the past few years. Bangalore’s main activity is information technology and information technology-enabled services. Being the leading contributor to India’s IT industry, it has been dubbed the Silicon Valley of India.

Home too many software majors, like Infosys and Wipro, Bangalore accounted for 33 per cent of India’s Rs 144,214 crore ($32 billion) IT exports in 2006-07.

A recent study also revealed that the rupee millionaire club in Karnataka’s capital is the largest in India.

Bangalore also boasts of having the largest number of households with an annual income of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million) or more. Needless to say, the city owes it all to the IT boom. Little wonder then that Bangalore is the number 1 IT desitnation in India.

2. Hyderabad

Like Bangalore, Hyderabad too has witnessed an IT boom in recent times, with software exports exceeding $1 billion in 2004. Of late, the city has seen huge investments in digital infrastructure. It is the second most attractive IT destination in India.

On February 19, 2008, the Indian government cleared seven projects, estimated to fetch about $7 billion over 10 years to Fab City, a silicon chip manufacturing facility, in the city.

The capital of Andhra Pradesh has also made considerable progress in the field of bio-technology through initiatives like Genome Valley and Nanotechnology Park.

3. Chennai

Chennai is the country’s third-largest exporter of information technology and information-technology-enabled services, next only to Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Experts say that the city has the potential to beat Bangalore and Hyderabad in terms of infrastructure and thus gain the position of the most attractive IT destination. Today, it is the third most preferred IT spot in India.

The software companies having their development centres in the city, are well positioned to tap the growing healthcare market for IT products and the emerging opportunity in life sciences.

Companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant Technology Solutions and Covansys earn the lion’s share of their income from what they offer to the US healthcare market.

The capital of Tamil Nadu is often looked upon as the most reasonable and reliable outsourcing destination for IT and healthcare solutions.

Maharashtra, with its many cities doing excellently on the IT front, has two big IT destinations, Pune and Mumbai. The state is the 4th most attractive IT spot in India.

4. Pune

Once a sleepy town, nestling in Western Ghats, Pune (or the ‘Queen of the Deccan’) may soon become the number one destination for IT investments in India, considering the pace at which it is growing and attracting companies.

According to a recent report, Pune has the highest PC penetration among households. Several IT majors like Wipro, Infosys, Satyam, Tata Consultancy Services, Kanbay, Veritas, Cognizant, PCS and Mahindra British Telecom have development arms in the city.

IT parks like Rajiv Gandhi IT Park at Hinjewadi, Magarpatta Cybercity, MIDC Software Technology Park at Talawade, Marisoft IT Park at Kalyani Nagar are seats of technology that the city can boast of.

4. Mumbai

The Maharashtra government has done a fantastic job in building the IT Corridor connecting International Infotech Park, Millenium Business Park and the Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone. A number of IT companies have set up offices here.

The most important advantage that brings software enterprises to SEEPZ is the hi-tech 64 KB line, that enables these companies to communicate and video conference over satellite to any of the offshore sites, or branches around the world.

Mumbai, apart from being the financial capital of the country, is also a booming IT centre.

5. Kolkata

West Bengal is targeting to become one of the top three IT states by 2010, contributing 15-20 per cent of the country’s total IT revenue. A number of IT majors are today doing significant business in the state’s capital, Kolkata.

Announcing the results of a survey report on the state’s IT and ITeS sector in Kolkata recently, Indian Chamber of Commerce president Harsh K Jha said, “Between 2002-05, West Bengal has been recognised as the fastest growing IT destination in the country with more than double the national average growth rate.”

“The ICC carried out the survey by gathering feedback from prominent IT companies operating in the state, including TCS, Cognizant, IBM, Wipro, on issues like infrastructure, investment scenario and future business prospects,” he said.

According to the survey, 80.6 per cent of the respondents affirmed that the state was a competitive destination for IT and ITeS companies to set shop.

However, he warned that majority of the companies felt that IT and ITeS remained a ‘public utility service’ only on paper, with a resounding 74.19 per cent opining that the sector in the state could not operate on 24×7x365 model, as it was being frequently disrupted by strikes and bandhs.

1. Look

The overall look of a car tells you a lot about how it has been used. It is difficult to keep a car from minor scratches and dings given the state of traffic in cities and these do not cost much to fix.

So examine the interiors, the engine bay and the spare tyre compartment. If they are clean and well maintained, the owner is likely to have taken reasonably good care of the car.

But if a car looks battered and shabby, it has probably not been sufficiently cared for. Check for rust spots around the windshields and under the wheel arches.

Check the underbody too, ideally on a ramp. If there are rust spots, these could grow over time. If there are blisters in the paint or the coat is uneven, they are likely because of a shoddy repaint job, maybe after an accident.

Look carefully at the tyres. If there is little tread left, they will have to be replaced soon.

A full set will cost upwards of Rs 5,000. If the tread wear is uneven, then there is a problem with the suspension, which may be expensive to fix. It could also be due to body problems that you may not be able to fix at all.

2. Feel

Never buy a used car without driving it first. Start and rev the engine. If there is too much smoke coming out of the tailpipe, the engine could need an overhaul. That would set you back Rs 10,000-20,000 for a small car. Vary the speeds as you would under normal driving conditions.

If the seller fixes the first two and the problem continues, there is probably an issue with the body that you may not be able to fix. Try an emergency brake.

If the earlier problems exist, the car is likely to pull to one side under the mano-euvre.

If acceleration and, especially, deceleration lags well behind your accelerator inputs, then the engine or the clutch is packing up. The latter can set you back by Rs 3,000-4,000.

Let go of the steering at moderate speeds. If the car is pulling to any side, it may be because the wheels are not aligned and/or balanced, bent wheel rims, or an accident fixed badly. If this problem exists, the steering is likely to wobble at higher speeds of, say, 80 kph plus.

If there is too much of it, repairs could be costly. A car should feel right when you drive it. If it doesn’t, it is probably not for you.

If the tyres are bald, braking dista-nce could be long. A drive will also show the car’s squeaks and rattles.

3. Electricals and meters

Operate all the switches, lights and check the meters. Also, switch on the air-conditioner/heater if there is one. If it does not cool/heat, then it may need to be overhauled. Check the mileage on the odometer.

Small cars usually become due for an engine overhaul around 100,000 km. Stay away from cars that are close to or over that. Low milers are best, sometimes the odometer is tinkered with, especially at a used car dealership. Compare with the service papers to see whether they are in agreement.

Also check the driver’s seat. On high-milers it will show signs of wear and sag. If it does and the odo reads low, stay away.

4. Papers

You could bring this right up to the first stage. Unless these are in order, never touch a car. These include registration, insurance and pollution compliance certificate.

Next check service history. Ideally, do not buy a car without full service history. In fact, if you can get a full service history and the car drives right, it is worth considering a buy. Also, check insurance papers.

If there has been no-claim bonuses every year the car has probably not been in an accident. Finally, try to avoid cars that are more than five years old.

Every car goes through normal wear and many of the parts become due for routine replacement. Niggles also increase this time.

Happy hunting!

You have heard of desktops and laptops, but now two engineering students in Kerala have come up with a virtual computer that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. All it needs is an internet connection.

K Ansar and PP Ismail, final year computer science students at an engineering college in Vatakara, have set up www.bloxtr.com, the prototype of a virtual computer in which you can store all your important documents, favorite music, colorful pictures and even videos.

“The idea is that no one needs to carry a laptop or pen drive around. You can upload any files to the website and access it from any corner of the world. What you need is just an interface to access the internet,” Ansar told IANS.
Ansar and Ismail are fans of Richard Stallman, the free software guru, and they are also keen on popularising the competency of open source software.

Ismail said bloxtr is just a project and doesn’t yet have the speed and features of professional applications. They are hoping for investment by corporate firms for the further development of their prototype.
According to the students, people are largely ignorant about the opportunities that open source software provides. They stumbled upon the idea of a virtual computer while mining the internet.

“We’d like to popularise the concept of the virtual computer. As far as we know such a facility does not exist. Google has Google Docs to store and edit documents or spreadsheets, while websites like ibackup.com provide the facility of creating backup data.

“The open source platform for creating a virtual computer is available on the internet. Open source platforms are available free for any kind of project,” said Ansar.

We want to make bloxtr more elaborate so that one can install software of one’s choice on the virtual computer,” he said.
“We are trying to convert this into a mobile application. When 3G services become operational in the country we think the virtual computer will really be an attractive proposition,” Ismail said.

Ismail and Ansar, along with three other classmates, have already won a project from a local software company on behalf of a Gulf-based airline to develop a system to make flight schedule information available on mobile phones.

They are also planning a project to network educational institutions. “This is a long-term project, under which we plan to provide a website from where information on students from the networked institutions can be retrieved,” said Ismail.

“If a parent wants to ascertain the score of his child he can access it directly from his home. For employers who are on the lookout for talent, this database could be a good source. We are also planning a virtual classroom. Eighty per cent of the work on this is complete,” he added.

Yes, ŠkodaIndia recently launched Fabia, ŠkodaIndia, a fully owned subsidiary of ŠkodaAuto a.s. Czech Republic (Volkswagen Group), one of the fastest growing car manufacturers in Europe, unveiled its new Fabia 1.2 petrol version in three variants – Active, Classic and Ambiente, attractively priced from Rs 4,86,795 lakh to Rs 5,80,174 lakh (ex-showroom Thane.)

The new Fabia emerges with 1198 cc petrol engine with High Torque Performance (HTP), which notably enhances fuel economy & ensures low emissions. It sports a 1.2 litre engine with 4-valves per cylinder and a double overhead cam (DOHC). The vehicle will have dual airbags, rear wash & wipe and collapsible steering wheel as standard features. The Fabia 1.2 MPI is engineered to deliver high standards of performance, drivability and ride comfort to meet growing customer expectations in the market.

<Launching the Fabia 1.2 MPI, Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Member, Board of Directors (Sales & Marketing), ŠkodaIndia said, “With the introduction of Fabia 1.2 MPI, we are expanding the opportunities for ŠkodaIndia to be a meaningful part of our modern customers’ lifestyle. It carries all the attributes of the Fabia range, which have been so well appreciated in the market place. I am delighted to present the Fabia 1.2 MPI with HTP engine that significantly enhances drivability & fuel efficiency of the car to our Indian customers.”

The new Fabia 1.2 MPI has been strategically added to the Fabia range & complements it with value added features that Indian customers have come to associate with the ŠkodaIndia badge - commitment to quality, durability and advanced technology. It is available in eye-catching candy white, cappuccino beige, brilliant silver, magic black, satin grey, corrida red, tangerine orange colours.

The lowest priced variant of the Fabia 1.2 MPI is also fitted with fully adjustable steering wheel, adjustable rear head restraints, height adjustable front seat-belts, rear wash-wipe, rear fog lamp, rear defogger, and many such features that are usually present only on top versions of other premium hatchbacks in the market. Effortless inter-city travel, smooth engine performance and less engine stress at high speeds reflects the company’s unwavering focus to technical superiority and elegance.

The Fabia has been well accepted in the Indian market and has sold over 3500 units till April 2008. The target sales of Fabia product line is 10,000 units for 2008 wherein the share of Fabia 1.2 MPI is slated at 40%. ŠkodaIndia is confident to surpass the annual target of 25000 units.

As a leading player in the premium segment of Indian automobile industry, ŠkodaIndia boasts a wide product range, extensive sales and a support network of 54 dealerships across the country.

Specifications- Škoda Fabia 1.2 MPI

Price Rs.4,86,795 lakh to Rs 5,80,174 lakh (ex-showroom Thane.)
Torque 108Nm @ 3000rpm
Engine 1.2 MPI petrol ,HTP
Power 51kW/70 bhp @ 5400rpm
Displacement 1198 cc
Kerb Weight(kg) 1050
0-100 kmph 14.9 sec
Top Speed 163 km/hr.

Hyundai Motor India, the country’s largest passenger car exporter and the second largest auto manufacturer, now takes its world class technology to rural India with all new promotional scheme named - ‘Ghar Ghar Ki Pehchaan’. In this first of its kind initiative, Hyundai Motor would broaden special schemes for government employees in rural areas and members of Gram Panchayats on the purchase of the Hyundai Santro.

Launched on May 1, the ‘Ghar Ghar Ki Pehchaan’ scheme will continue till July 31, 2008. Through this special rural scheme Hyundai Motor India targets to touch base with at least 58 per cent of Indian villages with a population of 500 or more.

Hyundai Motor India Sr. Vice-President for Sales & Marketing Mr. Arvind Saxena said: “Nearly 70 per cent of India resides in rural areas, which presents an enormous demand base and a market too huge to overlook. Under the ‘Ghar Ghar Ki Pehchaan’ scheme, our dealers will contact the Panchayats and conduct regular road shows, distributing pamphlets and posters to promote the scheme, and also make the villagers aware about this unique initiative by Hyundai. We are also in talks with a financing institution with a huge branch network to extend easy financing options for the people in rural India.”

As per a recent survey almost 50 per cent of the 220 million households in rural India are potential car buyers due to the agricultural subsidies extended by the government and also due to increase in productivity of Agri-based products, thus presenting an attractive market for hi-technology products such as the Santro.