On Its Way To Become Smart, Puducherry Working On The Basics

The city that has been known as a tourism hub is all set to move beyond the tag. Little spoken about, Puducherry or Pondicherry is now a contender in the third round of Smart Cities. What is important to note is the fact that while businessmen from Puducherry do invest in the Chennai residential market, with the quality of infrastructure and living improving in this city, more eyes are on this small city. An investment here looks lucrative. Imagine a city that witnessed more than a lakh of foriegn tourists visiting in 2016. Here are three reasons you can bank on:

PropGuide lists three reasons you can bank upon:

The focus is on livability and in aligning the key strengths of the city to work for the economic prosperity and development of the city. This includes the extension of the beach promenade, no-vehicle zones, smart parking and e-rickshaws, intelligent transport system, real-time air quality monitoring, and beautification of the Grand Canal. Almost 12 lakh tourists, of which 10 per cent is foreigners, come to Puducherry and the city's repute as a vacation hotspot is undeniable. Any upgradation in the city's infrastructure and developmental goals will further give tourism a boost.

Also read: Goa: The Next Big Investment Spot

In the early 1990's, flight services were not uncommon to Puducherry and were suspended within two years. Now, there are talks to revive the air connectivity with cities including Hyderabad, Tirupati, Chennai, Salem, Bengaluru and Coimbatore. If this happens, as assured by Union Civil Aviation Minister, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, tourism could even double given the ease in travelling.

Besides, 1,300 buildings in the city have been earmarked as heritage buildings. It displays the best of Franco-Tamil culture and architecture and therefore, one of the main aspects that Smart City aspirants are focusing is on preserving these while helping tourists to enjoy these on cycles or on foot. This speaks a lot about the authorities' focus on road development or rather pedestrianisation of the Nehru Street and Beach Promenade. Besides, round the clock water and electricity supply, solar energy harvesting, water recycling and solid waste management are also being looked into. Authorities may also look into Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of all the utilities available for public use.

Also read: What Can Cities Do To Ensure They House A Happy Community?

Residential realty

Up for investing in real estate in this upcoming real estate hub? You could verify the guideline, values and the property value online. Interestingly, the city also notes the subsequent registered document numbers in previous parent documents as well so as to assure easy tracking of title links.

In a strict move by the Madras High Court, unauthorised layouts will not be registered in Tamil Nadu and now this move has been extended to Puducherry as well. Previously, agricultural layouts were being converted into residential layouts and this had been taken up by the courts. So, before you invest in a plotted development or apartment unit here, make sure that it is approved by the authorities.

In terms of properties, there is a healthy mix. Capital values on an average were close to Rs 3,900 per sq ft in May 2013. By early 2017, per sq ft values dipped to Rs 3,700 per sq ft, although marginally. On an average, plotted developments cost about Rs 15 lakh, 1BHK units at about Rs 27 lakh, 2BHK units at Rs 38 lakh and 3BHK units on an average cost about Rs 50 lakh. Check out the best projects in Puducherry.