Pune
From time immemorial, Pune has been home to some of high profile educational institutes. This has, in fact, been a strong driving factor for several families who opted to settle here.
Lakshmi Krishnamurthy, who works for a prominent bank in Pune, is a suitable example of a family that prefers to settle here as they did not want to compromise on the education of their children, her husband’s transferable job notwithstanding. “Quality of education is a class apart in Pune,” she says. “It caters to a variety of fields, including engineering, medicine, fashion and entertainment. Every year a lot of students take admissions in the various educational centres and come to Pune city. With these courses being generally of fouryear duration, a lot of students continue to stay in the city even after completing their education, thanks to some great placements offered by several prominent companies.”
The fact that Pune takes its educational hub tag quite seriously is suitably buttressed by the development of a Special Education Zone in Lavale, which is a village located in the Mulshi taluka of Pune district. The area is known for its picturesque surroundings. A huge hillock separates Lavale village from Pune city.
A large number of educational institutions have set up huge premises inside this valley located in the ridges of the Western Ghat, around 10 kilometres away from Pune.
Some prominent institutes like Symbiosis International University, Bharati Vidyapeeth and the Foundation for Liberal and Management Education already have their presence in this valley, which is building its brand as the country’s largest education hub.
Symbiosis International University has also developed Dyangram campus here. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management and Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management have shifted their premises. It also plans to set up a hospital near its campus with an investment of Rs 60 crore.
Twenty-four-year-old Sandhya Ravi, who came to Pune from Mumbai for her post graduation, says that she settled here as she bagged a job with a bank soon after completing her studies. “I have been staying here for the last four years now and I like this area because my work place is nearby. Besides, Pune is in close proximity of Mumbai. Owing to this, I have now invested in a 2BHK near Aundh area.”
In a similar vein, Sonali Vaidya, a homemaker and Bavdhan resident, says that when she moved from Mumbai, her son’s education was a priority. “When we shifted here, the first thing that attracted me was the option of several schools in the vicinity for my son, Aryan. It’s been quite a while now and I have seen the area grow like anything.”
The educational institutes are known to fuel a boost in infrastructure as well with construction of roads and other civic facilities coming up near the campus. Also, these educational facilities are known to attract students even from countries such as Europe, the US and Australia, thus upping the realty quotient of the area.
Moreover, developers maintain that the educational hub tag has been a motivating factor for several prominent companies to set up base in Pune. Rohit Gera, Joint Managing Director, Gera Developments, says: “It’s absolutely true; education infrastructure in Pune is quite robust. The city, in fact, produces the most number of graduates in the country. Several companies have set up shop here as they find it easy to get a trained and professional workforce. An individual spends threefour years of education and lands up a job and finally ends up buying a home.”
According to him, the education sector has done quite well in the past decade or so and would continue be the motivating factor for several families to invest or buy a home in Pune. “Colleges are adding verticals, classrooms and teaching capacity; this only means that it’s all set for a move in the right direction. This, in a way, augurs well for the realty sector as well.”
Source: Times Property in The Times of India, Pune
