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KOLKATA

An Overview

Kolkata formerly called “Calcutta” is the capital city of West Bengal state. Calcutta was the official name until 2001. It is located on the bank of Hooghly River. It is known as the “Cultural Capital” of India and also “The City of Joy”. It is the seventh most populated city as per 2011 census and third most metropolitan area in India. Kolkata is known for its food, architecture, culture and people. Its official language is Bengali. The total population as of 2018 is 14.5 million.

History

The name “Kolkata” is derived from a word called “Kalikata”, a fishing village. Kali means “lime” and Kata means “burnt shell” because it was known for the manufacturing of shell-lime. “Job Charnock” was the founder of Kolkata. Kolkata was the first British Indian Capital and they know how to enjoy special occasions like Durga Puja or Christmas or New Year and that is the reason it is called “The City of Joy”. It is known for its culture in the form of drama, art, film, theatre.

Economy, Industry and Employment

Kolkata was best in textile and jute industries. The economy ranged from 4-10 million (GDB) making third most metropolitan area after Mumbai and Delhi. Kolkata is known for its financial, business and commercial hub of eastern India. It includes many major industries such as mining, minerals, steel, agricultural, pharmaceutical electronics etc. Rajiv Gandhi called Kolkata as “dying city”. Lately but Kolkata also grew quite well in the IT sector. Some of the companies that are headquartered are ITC, CESC Limited, Birla Corporation, Eveready Industries India, Berger Paints etc. There are three major banks in Kolkata, they are

• Allahabad Bank
• UCO Bank
• United Bank of India

Key Projects (all will be linked)

• Shivom Realty Utopia
• Rajwada Royal Gardens
• Ozone Phase II
• Merlin Gangotri
• Merlin Regalia
• Merlin Maximus
• Merlin Waterfront

Demographics

The total population of Kolkata according to 2011 census is 4,496,694. The average literacy rate of Kolkata city is 86.31 per cent of which male and female literacy was 88.34 and 84.06 per cent. The sex ratio of Kolkata city is 908 females per 1000 males. Children form 7.55% of the total population of Kolkata City.

Information Technology

There is only one IT Park that is “DLF It Park”. Like other cities, Kolkata also grew in IT sector gradually and it grew about 75% per annum.

Connectivity

Roads

There are 4 main bridges

• Howrah Bridge
• Vidyasagar Setu
• Vivekananda Setu
• Nivedita Setu

There are two expressways build to avoid traffic that is

• Kona Expressway
• Belgharia Expressway

It is also connected to NH2, NH6, NH34, NH47.

Buses

The buses run by both private and Government. The services provided by the Government are

• Calcutta State Transport (CSTC)
• Calcutta Tramway Company (CTC)
• West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation (WBSTC)

Rails

There are two divisions of Indian Railways

• Eastern Railways
• South Eastern Railways

The major railway stations are Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata which is newly constructed. The neighbouring districts where the railway networks are connected are Nadia, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah.

Rails

The Kolkata metro also runs by Indian Railways and the first city to have an underground metro in 1984. There are metro lines that connect from

• Line1-Noapara to Park Street
• Line2-Esplanade to New Garia
• Line3-Behala to Joka area
• Line4-Dakshineshwari
• Line5-Garia Airport area

Taxis - There are metered taxis available in the city that are “Ambassadors”.

Trams – In India Kolkata is the only city that has Trams network that come under Calcutta Tramway Company (CTC). Trams run only in the major roads of Kolkata.

Air

The “Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport”, is the one in Kolkata which is located in “Dum Dum” that operates both international and domestic flights.

Existing Infrastructure

Education

The schools run by both Government and private. The first preferred languages are Bengali and English. The schools are affiliated with CBSE, ICSE and West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. Some of the top schools are

• Loreto House School
• La Martiniere Calcutta
• St.Xavier’s School
• St.James School

The “University of Kolkata“ was the first University in South Asia. Some of the best Universities are

• Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU)
• Presidency University
• Jadavpur University
• Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Healthcare

They have more than 50 Government hospitals and more than 400 private hospitals. Some of the best Hospitals are

• Rabindranath Tagore International Institute Of Cardiac Sciences
• AMRI Hospital
• Calcutta Heart Research Centre
• Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital
• Charnock Hospital

Kolkata Real Estate

Kolkata was known as “British capital of India”. It is also now a hub for IT. A growth of around 30% has been developed in the last few years in real estate. As the city is continuously expanding with good infrastructure and connectivity, the top developers are moving to areas like Rajarhat, Barasat and Uttarpara. They offer affordable prices of housing to all classes of people. Many top real estate companies are investing in Kolkata as it has become a centre of real estate investment. Some of the localities that are best for investing in the city are

• Rajarhat - It is one of the leading property markets here. It is known for its affordable and premium properties. For those who are looking for a property with modern amenities and reasonable prices, Rajarhat will be the best place to invest. There are some of the leading developers here named Unimark, Salarpuria, Sattva Group.
• Dum Dum - It is most popular for residential properties. It is just 10km away from the city. There are most than 130 projects that are available and 80% of it is ready to move in projects and the other 20% is under construction projects.
• EM Bypass - This is the most expensive areas in the city. The price per square feet ranges up to Rs.8000. It is the most prefered locality for home buyers and the prices in the area now are the highest ever.

The weighted average capital value for residential properties in Kolkata is up to Rs 3,500 per sq.ft with an annual appreciation ranging between 12-13%.

Proposed Infrastructure

1. MonoRail has been proposed in Kolkata.
2. In the next three years, Kolkata will have six new flyovers.

Popular Areas/Localities

Some of the top localities in Kolkata are Jodhpur Park, Jadavpur, Lake Gardens, Alipore, Ballygunge, Camac Street, Bhawanipore, Park Street, Woodstreet, Sunny Park, Dum Dum, Park Circus, Rajarhath.

Lifestyle

The lifestyle of Kolkata is growing in terms of Cinema, Literature, dramas and Theatres, Music & Dance, Cuisine, Architecture, sports, exhibitions etc.