Real estate giant JLL has published its annual ranking of the world’s most dynamic cities, and the results may catch some readers by surprise. But in a place in which tech parks seem to spring up right, left and center and then reach capacity almost before the paint is dry, the City Momentum Index affirms what residents know instinctively: Bangalore is the fastest-changing city on the planet.
Bangalore outranks Silicon Valley, Shanghai, London and other leading urban centers in the Index, which tracks the speed of change of a city’s economy and commercial real estate market. Covering 134 business hubs—both established and emerging ones—the Index measures not only which cities are changing the most, but which ones have the greatest potential to maintain that pace.
It’s hard to exaggerate the pace of change in Bangalore. A sleepy haven popular with retirees just a couple of decades ago, Bangalore today is a magnet for white-collar professionals, a dependable resource center for multinational corporations, and a hotbed for technology-oriented startups. By some estimates, 40 percent of India’s IT industry is based in this one metropolis. These changes have made it the most attractive place in India for real estate investment. A recent survey pegged Bangalore as the top real estate opportunity across Asia-Pacific.
In the assessment, the JLL research team specifically draws attention to the characteristics of agility and openness—in other words, the capacity to stay competitive by embracing rapid change. Perhaps above all, Bangalore and the other highly dynamic cities share a focus on technology and innovation.
As Bangalore gains more recognition on the global stage, it may no longer need its moniker as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. Let the rest of the world take note: Bangalore is now leading the pack.