Why Ahmedabad

When hearing the word India most people immediately associate that with big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, or IT related outsourcing hubs like Bangalore and Hyderabad, or manufacturing zones like Chennai and Pune, or travel destinations like Kerala and Goa, but Ahmedabad….

For many Europeans the first time they probably heard about Ahmedabad or Gujarat was after the Earthquake in 2001, or the stellar rise of Modi (2001), now the Prime Minister of the whole of India and the Vibrant Gujarat Summits (2003).

But quietly and diligently the Gujaratis have been working within and without India, expressing what we at Knight Consulting see as quintessential, their optimistic drive or need to do business. Dhandha, in any form, with any country, for as long as they can remember.

Ahmedabad, located in the western state of Gujarat is a prominent place for commercial and business activities in India. It is a commercial hub, it is not the prettiest city of India, nor the most touristy but we believe one of the most welcoming if you want to do business.

And business they do: textiles/garments, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilisers and automobiles have traditionally been the leading industries of Ahmedabad, but the state is also home to other industries such as processed food, petrochemicals, diamonds and gems/jewellery, minerals, plastic, power, construction, and engineering.

Well-known companies headquartered in Ahmedabad include Torrent Power, Arvind Ltd, Gujarat Gas Company Ltd., Adani Group, Vadilal Industries Ltd., Nirma, Rasna, Wagh Bakri, Zydus Cadila, Torrent Pharma to name a few. This is the state that also hosts the new factories for Tata Motors, Ford, General Motors, Nestlé, and Hitachi.

Helped by an excellent infrastructure in terms of (sufficient) power, local transport (no need to waste hours in your commute) but also excellent country wide connections by rail road and air, communication and a well developed tertiary sector for banking, trade and commerce, it presents a business-friendly environment for new comers.

Besides this, as a start-up or new entrant in the Indian market, the cost of setting up your base in Ahmedabad in terms of operational overheads is lower compared to the other, maybe better known, cities. The availability of an English speaking, educated workforce at lower costs compared to its counterparts makes Ahmedabad an even more attractive destination for companies willing to leverage the benefits of the growing market.

In the 1990’s Knight Consulting decided to boldly go where not many foreigners had gone before, and we haven’t regretted it. If you are serious about your business then Ahmedabad will really enable you, with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of easy access to government and people that matter to you and your projects.

(All photo’s on this website are pictures of Ahmedabad).