Pune offers a variety of modes for travel within the city and suburbs. The Pune Municipal Transport runs many buses locally, to suburbs and to nearby villages. It is the cheapest mode of locomotion. The bus frequencies are reasonably well but it is always preferable to ask a local about the timings. Trunk routes are however very well connected.
The easiest way to travel in Pune is by auto rickshaw, a three motorised wheeler which accommodates three people comfortably. Auto rickshaws run by meter and one has to pay as per the tariff card. Travel houses offer local taxi's For those who prefer the comfort and luxury of chauffeur driven cars, a superior quality service is available from car rental agencies.

Pune, now called the Oxford of the East was once a haven for the Britishers. The reason being its conducive and pleasant climate. Pune is considered a mini hillstation and has a tolerable climate throughout the year as compared to its neighbour, Mumbai!

Pune is a major industrial centre, worthy of being termed Detroit of India. It is a home to one of the world's largest two - wheeler manufacturers - Bajaj Auto. It is also home to Kinetic Engineering Force Motors (previously known as Bajaj Tempo). India's largest motor company, Tata Motors has its plant here. Daimler Chrysler also has an assembly line for its Mercedes Benz brand. Cummins Engines Co. Ltd has a Research & Technology India Center in Pune in addition to its manufacturing plant here. Whirlpool as well as LG has appliance-manufacturing plants near Pune. Frito Lay and Coca - Cola also have manufacturing plants in Pune. Pune is also home to numerous small and medium sized enterprises.

Move over Bangalore and Hyderabad! Pune is fast racing to the top slots in the Indian software industry.
Till some years ago, people living in Mumbai thought of Pune as the ideal place to get away for a weekend. About a 5-hour drive from Bombay, Pune seemed an idyllic place with a laid-back attitude. But how the little town has metamorphosed into a buzzing metropolis Pune is today fast emerging as an InfoTech hub, challenging biggies like Bangalore and Mumbai to emerge as one of the top contenders for the 'Silicon Valley of India' slot.

In addition to the huge number of educational institutions and universities, Pune has statistics to back its claim for the numero uno destination for IT investments and Industrial Investments. As per a recent IDC report, Pune has the highest PC penetration among households and has overtaken the much-fancied Bangalore.

Pune is also home to well known giants of the Indian software industry like Wipro, Infosys, Satyam, Tata Technologies, TCS, Kanbay, Veritas, HSBC Software, Cognizant, PCS and Mahindra British Telecom. A further feather in the cap is the 'Indian Institute of Software Engineering' coming up in association with Carnegie Mellon University, USA.

Close proximity to the financial capital and rapidly improving infrastructure have made Pune one of the most sought-after commercial destinations in the country today. The recent attractions have been the expressway connecting Mumbai and Pune, which has reduced the traveling distance and time substantially. Pune, India's fastest growing IT centre with connectivity to India's financial capital, Mumbai. Which is why there has been an IT wave flooding the city: BPO set-ups, IT enabled services and Software giants are making their presence felt. Pune ranks among THE top 5 cities for IT export in India, with an IT workforce of more than 40,000 professionals.

The quality of education imparted along with the other facilities, such as accommodation and easy conveyance, make the admissions much sought after. The post graduation courses offer a variety of the latest specializations, currently in vogue the world over. Corporates have also provided their own schools. One of the premium institutes C-DAC is also located in Pune, because of the easy availability of software engineers.

Once upon a time Pune was a very sedate Maharashtrian city... very representative of the Maratha heartland.

The arrival of Osho Rajneesh and his flock changed that completely. The Ashram put Pune on the world map and has given this deeply traditional and staid city a strange new and very odd flavour. The migration of plenty of Bombay folk to the town too is increasingly giving the city a more cosmopolitan nature.

Today the top attraction of the city is the Osho Commune International. Besides, the Nallah Park, made by the Commune, also makes for an interesting visit

IT CITY

IT bigwig Infosys technologies recently announced its plans for investing Rs. 2.5 billion in its facility in Pune city, giving a boost to the Maharashtra Government's efforts to market the state as a competitive location for IT investments.

Indian IT major Infosys, which already owns 25 acres of the Pune Infotech Park at Hinjewadi, will now acquire another 75 acres in phase II of the park- making the Pune campus its 2nd largest facility worldwide. The Rs. 2.5 billion investment will allow the centre to employ 5,000 professionals in addition to the existing 2200, anchoring the Companies ties with multi-million dollar clients from Canada, US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

Among the reasons cited for Infosys' increased interests in Pune are the cities local technical skills and improved infrastructure. The Maharashtra Government's efforts to attract investments have also made it easier for companies like Infosys to set up in the state. MIDC has in fact acquired over 500 hectares of land in and around Hinjewadi, Pune for development of software and biotechnology parks. Phase I of the Hinjewadi Infotech Park is already home to several IT majors such as Infosys, Wipro, etc