The country’s financial hub, Mumbai, and the National Capital New Delhi are among the world’s 10 most expensive cities for expatriates to live in, says a survey by global HR consultancy Mercer.
According to the survey on housing costs and practices for employees sent on overseas assignments, Mumbai has emerged even more expensive than New York City in the United States China’s capital Beijing.
Mumbai has been ranked as the world’s fourth most expensive city in terms of rental property for expatriates, while New Delhi is eighth, the survey for February 2009 said.
Mumbai has moved up by one notch from its fifth position in the September 2008 survey, while New Delhi has fallen two places from its sixth place in the previous ranking.
Russia’s Moscow has topped the list of world’s most expensive cities and is followed by Tokyo (second), Hong Kong (3rd), Mumbai (4th) and New York City (5th) as the five most expensive cities across the globe for expats to live in.
The survey highlighted that Asian cities have dominated the list of the world’s costliest locations for expats living there, with as many as six locations from the region being among the world’s top 10.
Moscow is the world’s most expensive city to live in.
In second place - in terms of most expensive city to live in - is Tokyo.
Hong Kong is in the third place.
Mumbai, as stated earlier, is the world’s 4th most expensive city to live in.
New York City is fifth most expensive.
In sixth place is Beijing.
Geneva is the world’s seventh most expensive city to live in.
New Delhi is the 8th most expensive city to live in.
London is the ninth most expensive city to live in.
Singapore is the 10th most expensive city to live in.
Shanghai is the 11th most expensive city to live in.
“The world’s housing markets have been sliding since 2008, and major currency fluctuations in the past few months have also had a strong impact on the comparative cost of expatriate housing,” Mercer information product solutions India business leader Gangapriya Chakraverti said.
Interestingly, the survey stated that current slowdown has led companies towards a fundamental shift in the types of housing being offered in India. However, today, an increasing number are opting for luxury condominiums which provide the same kind of facilities but at a lower price.
As a result, expats are increasingly located in Gurgaon, Whitefield and Powai as opposed to more traditional locations such as Chanakyapuri, Indiranagar and Colaba. This has also resulted in more cultural integration between expats and the local population, the survey added.
Data is based on typical rents for 1-4 bedroom apartments and 3-4 bedroom houses, furnished and unfurnished.
New York is used as the base city, with a score of 100 points. Moscow at the top of the ranking scores 168.30, while Mumbai at position 4 (105.10), New Delhi at 8 (96.60) and Bangalore at 29 (51.80) continue to receive interest and demand for expatriate rental property.
As the index is based on cost comparisons using the US dollar, currency exchange rates have an influence on the rankings.
If you are concerned about the environment and the ill effect of pollution on it, then small but important news might have drawn your attention one year back on 26th March 2008… news about Antarctica. The news read that a giant ice shelf from the coastal area of the frozen continent has collapsed into the sea. This information is derived from the satellite images of that region. The giant portion of ice has melted down all of a sudden. Such a kind of collapse is generally termed as a runaway collapse by the scientists. The scientists have also deduced that the collapse of this giant ice shelf, which amounts to nearly 160 square miles, is because of global warming.
Though an unpopulated continent unlike Asia, Africa and Australia; Antarctica has always been a matter of grave concern for the environmentalists as well as to the scientists. This sudden meltdown of that giant ice shelf has raised many brows and has given birth to a number of questions regarding issues relating to environment. The environmental issues include global warming, green house effect and decaying of ozone layer. These are grave issues that require immediate attention both from the scientists and environmentalists. And we the general people too cannot sit still waiting for the scientists to take effective measures.
Satellite imagery from the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder reveals that a 13,680 square kilometer (5,282 square mile) ice shelf has begun to collapse because of rapid climate change in a fast-warming region of Antarctica.
Looking back in time I can still remember the thoughts of horror that cropped up in my mind reading the news. Most of you people might also have the same reaction. It is not just a news that is to be read and to be forgotten afterwards. We need to give this matter prime importance. If such grave environmental problems continue in the long run, life on earth may not stand a chance. A day may come when there will be nothing called ‘land’ in this huge planet owing to the meltdown of the giant ice shelves in Antarctica. Are we going to gift such a horrible future to our generations to come? Or are we going to pull up our socks to save our green planet… it’s time for us to think and act accordingly.
IPL 2009 will kick off at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on April 18 while the final will be held at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on May 24 according to the new schedule.
The semi-finals meanwhile are to be held on May 22 and 23 in Pretoria and Johannesburg respectively.
In a double header on the first day, last year’s winners Rajasthan Royals will take on the Bangalore Royal Challengers, Bangalore, while the Mumbai Indians would clash with the first edition’s runners-up Chennai Super Kings at Cape Town.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi revealed that official broadcaster Sony will telecast the matches in three languages - English, Hindi and Bengali. Matches will be held at 4 pm (12.30 pm local time) and 8 pm (4.30pm local time) IST.
Schedule: All times IST (GMT + 0530)
April 18: Rajasthan Royals (RR) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) (4 pm) at Cape Town; Mumbai Indians (MI) v Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) v Deccan Chargers (DC) (4 pm) at Cape Town; Delhi Daredevils (DD) v Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 20: RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
April 21: RR v MI (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v KXIP (8 pm) at Durban
April 22: DD v CSK (4 pm) at Durban; RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 23: KKR v RR (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
April 24: KXIP v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
April 25: KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town; DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban
April 26: RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town; RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth
April 27: KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town; CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban
April 28: DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria
April 29: MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
April 30: DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria; RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 1: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London; MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 2: RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 3: MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v KKR (8 pm) at East London
May 4: DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 5: DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban
May 6: MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 7: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria; RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 8: DD v MI (4 pm) at East London
May 9: DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CSK v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 10: KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London; RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 11: DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein
May 12: RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria; KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 13: DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban
May 14: MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban; CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
May 15: KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley
May 16: CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 17: RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley; KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 18: CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 19: DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
May 20: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 21: DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria; MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria
After the launch of Tata Nano by Tata Motors on Monday (23.03.09) everyone seems to be talking about the hottest little cutie in the world of cars. Tata Nano is declared as the people’s car by Tata Motors, the leading car manufacturer of India. For its base model, the car promises to stick to the Rs. 100,000 price tag. Thus it is an extremely affordable car that is sure to find a huge fan following in the car market of Asian subcontinent.
The other day, I was talking with some of my friends about this hottest new car from Tata Motors. Most of them were very happy with this peoples’ car. To them it is the most cost effective and budget friendly car that they can afford easily. Affordability and cost effectiveness is the USP of Nano. The small car is designed to cater to the middle income group of India, who can now materialize their four wheeler dream by investing just one lakh rupees. It is indeed a dream come true for many.
Some thoughtful minds who are concerned about the environment are raising their brows in this issue. According to them such pocket friendly cars will have a huge sell. As a result a lot of petrol will be consumed. This will ultimately yield a higher level of pollution. A rise in pollution can lead to dangerous consequences like global warming and green house effect.
Some also think that though the peoples’ car falls within the budget of the middle income group of India it ultimately raises the cost of living. Buying the car is a onetime investment but the petrol consumption may add a recurring expenditure in one’s budget. The running and maintenance cost should not be ignored too. However, all these are mere assumptions and actually it may not affect the human lives and environment as badly as it is feared.
Most of the people who belong to the middle income group in India are happy at the arrival of the car. The small car with a small price tag has stroke the right chord in the heart of the nation. Bookings for Tata Nano will begin from the month of April and delivery of these cars will start from mid-July this year. The entire nation seems to be waiting for the day when the hot little cutie by the Tata Motors will set the Indian roads on fire.
Tata Motors on Monday (23.03.2009) commercially launched its people’s car, Nano, promising to stick to the Rs 100,000 price tag for the base model.
“From today onwards, the product will be available in the showrooms. There will be three versions - the base version, which is the one we promised to the people of India and two upper tier versions,” Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata told a news conference.
The bookings will commence on April 9 and will go on till April 25. Booking amount for the Nano, the world’s cheapest acr, can be done by just paying Rs 2,999 upfront while the rest can be secured by way of loan.
Just ahead of the Nano launch on Monday, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata told editors that the car, which would have the smallest footprint on the road, will be sold to the first 100,000 buyers at a price to be announced later.
The promise that has been made to sell the car at around Rs 1-lakh would be kept despite the fact that commodity prices had shot up, Tata said, adding that the fall in commodity prices now may provide some cushion.
The delivery of the first lot of Nano cars will begin in early-July, he said, adding that applications for booking of the car would be available in 30,000 locations in 1,000 cities across India.
