Introduction
Chennai, or the Gateway to South India, has always been industrially oriented. Considering it is the 4th biggest exporter of IT services in India, one would mean that Chennai would be able to at least match Bengalaru and Hyderabad in terms of infrastructural beauty because there is something that makes one feel Chennai lacks the modern look, that polished look of the former two places. However, such a situation is far from irreversibility. Proper development focused on Chennai can make it a city rivaled by none of its neighbors in any aspect.
Industrial Past of Chennai
Unlike Bengaluru and Hyderabad, that have got the tag of being IT cities, Chennai’s background is steeped in the industry. Such industries as automobiles, manufacturing, and textiles present diversity and have fueled the economy for the city for decades. Now, the consequence of this industrial brawn is that while it has fueled Chennai’s growth, it has also meant that the city has not been quite so intensely hungry for the IT sector and the matching urban infrastructure, on the lines of Bengaluru and Hyderabad. This difference shows up clearly in the cityscape. For instance, Bengaluru and Hyderabad display modern buildings, wide roads, and high-rise apartments that give them a suave and global feel. In comparison, most of Chennai’s infrastructure was built around its industrial base, which rendered the city pretty much ugly for most.
The Need for Better Infrastructure
One of the major areas in which Chennai lags well behind its contemporaries is in terms of infrastructure. For example, while functional, the city’s airport is nowhere near being able to stand up to the world-class ones in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Improvement in roads and public transport systems is also required to tackle the ever-increasing population and traffic boom. Most definitely, the FSI limits are turning out to be a determinant for the skyline of Chennai. The FSI regime, in its present form, has already capped the height of buildings; hence, looking forward, a high-rise skyline is highly unimaginative for Chennai, like some other metropolitan cities in India. In this respect, reconsideration of these limits may open up the introduction of taller buildings and thus a more modern and beautiful city. There is a huge chance of developing the various public places in the city like parks and waterfronts to give an extra edge to the relaxation and recreation of the citizens, thereby increasing the quality of life.
Growth and Development Opportunities
This is not to say that Chennai does not have its share of hopes as well. It is in the last few years that the city has come of age, and for this city to become at par with Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the potential is immeasurable. Though not as big as that of its competitors, the IT sector in Chennai is a significant contributor to the economy. Chennai can easily become a major IT destination because a few, well-planned investments and policies would be critically needed to develop growth in this sector. It would also be an added incentive for not just strengthening the economy of the city but also attracting more talent and business enterprises that fuel urban growth even further. The potential for industrial strength cannot also be quite ignored in this city. The industrial base that Chennai has can, with adequate infrastructure improvements and modernization drives, be used to make it a leading city in industry matters as well as in IT. In this type of scenario, availability of both would bring in unique blend of opportunities which would make Chennai very attractive for businesses as well as professionals.
Need for Strategic Urban Planning
Such potentials that Chennai holds call for strategic urban planning in a bid to exploit them. This would mean revising the FSI limits to have taller buildings, upgrading infrastructure, improving public spaces, and guided development of the city with a vision balancing industrial growth with that of modern beautiful infrastructure. Besides, priority has to be given to sustainable development. Since Chennai is a coastal city, the associated rise in sea level and extreme weather conditions-some effects of climate change-are likely to affect it very harshly. Thus, any development process has to factor in making the city resilient to climatic change challenges, making its growth sustainable over time.
Overcoming the Challenges
The challenges for Chennai are surmountable. It will require the right policies at the various levels, sufficing investment, and proper planning for Chennai to take a better and more leading position among the cities of India. In such a scenario, the role of the government assumes paramount importance. Proper policy framework at the government level encouraging business environment, well-planned infrastructure, and a word on sustainable development could all be instrumental in giving new impetus to the transformation process being undertaken by Chennai. Public-private partnerships can forefront city development to newer heights. It can engage the private sector in such a way that it avails itself with the skills from the private sector and resourcefulness for fast-tracking the development process of identified infrastructures like transport networks, public spaces, and commercial buildings.
The Way Forward
The city has covered a long and eventful distance during the last decade and has traveled far from achieving its aim. The industrial base of the city is something good to build on; it only requires support from modern infrastructure and a blooming Information Technology sector. Getting these factors right shall propel Chennai into India’s most attractive and successful cities.
Conclusion
While Chennai lags behind in the infrastructure and cityscape of Bengaluru and Hyderabad, it still has a fair chance of catching up with them, if not totally outshining them, within a few years to come. Nothing more would need to be done than this: its strategic coupling of the unique blend of industry and IT with prudent urban planning and investment should catapult this city into the league of world-class cities. With a bit of imagination and will, it is not an easy way forward, and Chennai can really work like any city. Beauty and modernity are going to be an added advantage.
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