GREEN SIGNAL FOR GROWTH

THE METRO ROLLS FROM TODAY.IT IS A HISTORIC AND MOMENTOUS OCCASION.BANGALORE HAS ANOTHER FEATHER IN THE CAP.B S MANU RAO OUTLINES WHAT IT ENTAILS FOR THIS GROWING REGIONAL POWERHOUSE 

It is a historic day for the city.It is the day when the city turns a corner.Bangalore's salubrious climate,cosmopolitan culture and talent pool have been drawing the IT industry,making the city a knowledge hub in the region.Bangalore has been drawing many seeking a career,and entrepreneurial opportunity,over the last couple of decades.The result is a growing populace and demand for infrastructure.

If there was one factor that went against the glittering image of Bangalore as a great city to live in,it was the traffic condition.And this was natural given the steady influx of people into the city from all over the country.The city's roads with a capacity to hold seven lakh vehicles had over 30 lakhs ferrying a population that is close to a crore.

The Metro was the need of the hour.

Like any large city in the world,Bangalore too will find the Metro to be a catalyst in its growth and commercial development.It will lead to opening up of more opportunities for entrepreneurs,and more business for the retail trade.A Metro,in a way,reflects the culture of a city.Bangalore is a cultural melting pot.People representing every region across the nation live here and find it comfortable.It offers them a chance to ply their trade and tap the vast potential of the land,to prosper and move up the economic ladder.It is a city for litterateurs,technocrats,businessmen in fact,anyone who has an idea and the verve to try it.The rapid mass transit system,making it possible to cross the length and breadth of the city inside half an hour once complete,will facilitate the shaping of many an idea.

Connectivity holds the key to commercial development.Hours spent locked in cars is valuable time wasted.The time saved,thanks to the Metro,will go into productive work.More value will be created and delivered by enterprises.The city will become a larger market.A convenient city draws more people and creates a bigger talent pool for corporates to pick from.It then leads to more corporates looking at the city as a base.

The Metro creates a better social life for all,promotes interaction and fosters development.The flagging off today is also a green signal for the commercial development that is bound to roll in.