Hyderabad: It was in March last year the US Consulate in Hyderabad started its operations. A year hence, Hyderabadis could be counting the money they saved on their Chennai trips each time they needed a visa, but industry at large has turned optimistic with the consulate’s presence giving Hyderabad a much-needed edge over Bangalore. And they say, they are already witnessing some spin offs to the presence of the US consulate in the city.
When Facebook announced its decision to set its first Asian office in Hyderabad, IT industry observers said there was more than the officially given reason of “talent pool’’ in the city that drove one of the world’s fastest growing companies here. Industry observers say the consulate’s presence here could have been crucial among the range of factors behind the move.
“It’s the overall brand identity of the city that has improved. And the city now offers a complete package—the international airport, the US consulate and the presence of major IT firms,’’ says Arjun Rao, founder and CEO of Value Labs. He says the city now has the presence of high valuation internet companies, Google and Facebook, multinational IT giants like Microsoft and Oracle, and Indian IT majors like Infosys, Wipro and TCS.
While US consul general Cornelis M Keur says that while he too has heard similar speculation regarding Facebook’s decision of choosing Hyderabad being due to the consulate’s presence, he added that benefits due to the consulate’s presence may not be felt overnight but over a period of time.
Keur further notes how while the city’s first aviation show had the participation of a handful of small and medium-sized companies in the aviation sector from the US, but this year the number shot to around 20. “Of these two are in significant talks with companies here for a joint venture related to the aviation industry,’’ Keur says.
Besides, industry players say there is better interaction between trade bodies of the city and those in the US after the consulate came into being. Speaking of business and trade relations, K Harishchandra Prasad, president of Fapcci, says that there is now a direct link between various bodies mainly because of many trade delegations coming to town over the last year. These visits could take time to yield some tangible result, but the industry is hopeful. “We are also working on ways and means of improving relations with US (firms) that have a connection with Hyderabad,’’ Prasad says. However, the hospitality industry in the state rues that the Consulate’s presence hasn’t really turned their fortunes, with no significant rise in the number of tourists visiting the state from the US. “But then Hyderabad or AP is not a tourist destination because there is nothing in the leisure segment that the state offers,’’ says Pradeep Dutt, general secretary, hotels and restaurants association.
However, Cornelis Keur notes there could be some upward movement on that front, particularly in medical tourism given the healthcare facilities the state has on offer. That visas can be issued now in Hyderabad, remains the consulate’s biggest advantage to the city. In the last one year, it has issued 75,000 visas and the numbers would only go up, says Keur.
With the Telangana agitation casting a shadow on Hyderabad as a business-friendly destination, industry players say the consulate may act as the catalyst the state needed to buffer the impact of the agitation on its image.
Courtesy: toi
