It has been quite a while and a lot many years that this transition has been taking place. A silent evolution that is happening in the most beautiful valley in the Aravalis; serious professional skill augmentation on the thresholds of innovation, be it in technology, processes, manufacturing, you name it.

Udaipur, an iconic destination in itself has been proud of its traditions, customs, forts, of course its lakes, since time.

How many of us have ever got thinking that the City of Lakes, boasts of, if not more, as many industrial zones as the lakes and gardens it houses.

Udaipur: A growing hub for innovation

Udaipur, as not many of us may know, houses many a businesses that have been innovators in their own domains, have attracted a plethora of global clientele, have been instrumental in design and development of projects for global giants like Google and Microsoft. Many a corporate in the city, electronics manufacturing units, mining giants, etc. are playing on a global platform, but unsung by the locals. It is time to build Brand Udaipur, change the perception and create an Advantage for Udaipur.

High time that we unveil the Potential

A few like-minded entrepreneurs of Udaipur, with the support of well-known marketing and brand consulting personalitieshave decided to sketch a conceptual future global perspective for the City of Lakes, away from the identity it now holds as a tourist and leisure destination and have coined the concept ‘Advantage Udaipur’.

These few, who consist of entrepreneurs, chose to revisit Udaipur in the middle of their careers and start companies of their own, based out of this city. What was their motivation in taking this step? What did they see for their ideas in this rather quaint town, with its traditional tourism and hospitality business, mining and various core processing industries with just a few big globally renowned organizations? How could they visualize that non-traditional business such as Technology Consulting, Financial Consulting, Software Development, Surveillance Solutions, etc. could thrive in a (small) city like Udaipur? Well, it was their passion for being in their city and making it happen,which they felt could turn things in their favor. On the other hand, what has given them a place in their domain is the innovation factor…they have dared to do things differently and that sets them apart. And this aspect of innovation is not just visible in the technology oriented companies, it is visible in core industry as well…how over the years, manufacturers and process champions here have created a differentiationfor themselves.

Udaipur: Feeding into the Global Economy

These setups, though small or medium sized, depending on the comparison parameters we set, are actually churning out products and services for corporate giants in India, Asia Pacific, United States and Europe. So,where is the HumanCapital coming from? Udaipur! The professionals available in close proximity may not be that many as one would see, as compared to better known technology hubs such as Gurgaon, Hyderabad or Chennai….but speaking on peer comparison, the city with its task force is as good as giving competition to cities like Indore and Baroda.

Perception hitting reality

So, what is missing – we speak for all businessesin Udaipur. Why is it that we need to struggle to get into the next orbit? How is it that it takes lesser time for an Udaipur based business personto explain their products and services, and more time and effort to elucidate their base, Udaipur? How is it that an organization of this city isat a highercomfort level when itsays that “we operate from Mumbai”, OR “we have our head office located in Bangalore”; and wary the moment we say “we are an Udaipur based company”!

What we see missing is basic – the brand, the recognition, the identity as a place for innovation. And why is that so? No one worked on managing perceptions.

Udaipurites with their characteristic humility continued to take it in their stride. Where local businesschampions lose out is on the perception that this place is nothing more than a calm, beautiful and small town, and rarely would anyone from the generic corporate world outside (or, regrettably, even inside) of the city limits come to think of Udaipur as a city where innovation is happening – on all fronts.

Time for Advantage Udaipur

Advantage Udaipur as a concept has identified a direction that the progressive businesses of the city need to work on. Creating an identity for the city, building on its already recognized tourist destination presence globally is what the initiative is all about. The core members of the group have already taken an initiative and discussed the concept with a few industry leaders in the city including members of the Udaipur Chamber of Commerce. The concept has been welcomed by the corporate world and the group now envisages a formal structure with enhanced participation and enthusiasm.

Keep watching this space for more on the What, When, Why and How of Advantage Udaipur.

Keep sharing on what makes you Proud of Udaipur…