On Friday night, I went out to dinner at (what felt like) the edge of Hyderabad. We went to the Ista Hotel to have something Japanesesh. This place had been open for two months and you could tell. The staff was clueless. The lobby pianist had no audience. The bathroom still smelled of wood varnish. But what really struck me about this evening was the view from the terrace: Construction as far as the eye can see.
The government has granted 10-year tax breaks to corporations who will develop campuses here. That incentive clearly worked as tech companies have signed up en masse and hired construction crews who chug away around the clock with heavy machinery. The sites that are complete have sweeping manicured lawns and imported trees. Nearby apartments garner New York prices. Each guarded compound provides a safe haven from the exterior. You’d never have to go outside. Is this Hyderabad’s future? Where does it stop? I wonder.
Acumen Fund Fellows 