www.istockphoto.com

The second most populous nation on earth, India is an industrial giant. Colin Ellson charts the options for flying there and to its neighbours in the subcontinent

FORGET, if you will, the lingering British perception of India which takes its cue from the Raj:  all colonial architecture, spice markets, palaces and poverty and heaving steam trains, scenically splendid but the indigenous population’s commercial talent held firmly in check. 

With continuing liberalisation of the economy, trade barriers largely removed, privatisation programmes reducing the role of the public sector in the production and consumption of goods, and huge injections of foreign capital, the sleeping tiger has woken with a roar.

Today, the subcontinent of 1.1 billion people is industrialising to the extent that it has a growth rate of over 9% per annum and one of the fastest expanding economies in the world -  now the third largest in Asia - which  is forecast to equal that of the US by 2035.

What will interest UK companies planning to enter the market, however, is that India has the third biggest purchasing power of any nation in the world. You produce it, the subcontinent will buy it, according to UK Trade & Investment, which has identified 16 sectors, from aerospace, pharmaceuticals and construction, to healthcare, education and oil and gas, in which proactive firms can increase their profitability.

Accessing this potential business goldmine, with its state-of-the-art technological base and demanding consumer class, is increasingly easy. Travel buyers can book their staff on direct flights from the UK to seven major cities, and where there is no non-stop service to other centres, links from continental Europe and the Arabian Gulf are plentiful, frequent and expanding.

Abu-Dhabi-based Etihad, for example, has announced it will add Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Calicut to a network which already covers four of the most important business destinations on the subcontinent.

Neither is there a challenge in making the most of a 15,000 km round-trip from the UK by visiting a number of cities: in addition to traditional airlines, the new breed of budget carriers is on the march, offering links across the country.

All of which requires improvements to the infrastructure, a need to which India’s Civil Aviation authority has responded by unveiling a plan to double the number of airports from 60 to 120 within 12 years. Hyderabad’s new international gateway, for example, was opened in March with a passenger capacity of 12 million a year, which will grow to reach 40 million.

While India’s booming economy grabs the headlines, companies which relish a challenge might consider the fresh opportunities in the subcontinent’s emerging nations, some easy to get to, others requiring travel buyers to do a little research.

Among other sectors, UK Trade & Investment pinpoints the need for machinery and manufacturing expertise in Bangladesh, and roads and railways in Sri Lanka, while Bhutan requires assistance in developing its industrial base, and Nepal is looking for help in kick-starting its tourism industry after recent political setbacks. 

As UK Trade and Investment says of India, “UK companies are well positioned to take advantage of this growing export and investment market.” It’s time to take the tiger by the tail, and don’t forget the developing cubs. Further information: www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk


Around India
Ahmedabad
Historically a base for commerce, trade and industry, India’s sixth-largest city is today a rising star in the education, IT, scientific and pharmaceuticals sectors. It is reached direct from London Heathrow three times a week with Air India. One-stop options from the UK include Emirates via Dubai, and Qatar Airways via Doha.      

Amritsar
The spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh faith, Amritsar adroitly mixes religion with commercial activities, including carpets and fabrics, agricultural produce, handicrafts and light engineering. The infrastructure is developing rapidly to cope with a boom in both tourism and business visitors. Jet Airways flies direct to the city daily from Heathrow, Air India once or twice a week, plus five weekly services from Birmingham.

Bangalore
As the leading contributor to the country’s IT industry, Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India, and is also big into heavy industries, machine tools and defence establishments.  Named by CNN as “the best place in the world to do business”, the city is served direct by British Airways daily from Heathrow, with Air India flying six times a week via Mumbai. Alternatives include Air France via Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lufthansa through Frankfurt, Gulf Air via Bahrain or Muscat, and Emirates via Dubai.

Chennai
Chennai is India’s second-largest exporter of computer software, IT and IT-enabled services, corners 30% of the country’s auto industry, and is noted for its financial services, hardware manufacturing and healthcare sectors. It is served five times a week by BA direct from Heathrow, by Lufthansa from Frankfurt, and Air France from Paris CDG. Flights from the Gulf are on Gulf Air, Emirates, and Qatar Airways. 

Delhi
Regaining its capital status in 1947 after independence, Delhi is the second-largest commercial centre in South Asia. Integral to the economy are IT, telecoms, hotels, banking and the media, together with consumer goods companies which have manufacturing units in the area. From Heathrow, BA flies direct to the city twice a day, Virgin Atlantic and Jet Airways daily, and Air India six times a week, plus its five weekly services from Birmingham via Amritsar. In addition, Lufthansa serves the capital from Frankfurt and Munich, Air France from Paris CDG, KLM from Amsterdam Schiphol, and Gulf Air, Emirates and Etihad from the Gulf.   

Hyderabad
A major centre for pharmaceuticals and biotech companies, and known as Cyberabad for its cutting-edge IT research and development, Hyderabad is base to top Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, IBM and Samsung. There are no direct services from the UK, which means taking Lufthansa from Frankfurt, KLM from Amsterdam, or travelling with Gulf Air from Bahrain, Emirates from Dubai, or Qatar Airways from Doha.

Kochi
The site of the first European colony in India when it was occupied by the Portuguese in 1503, the former Cochin has been slow to industrialise, but has latterly become a magnet for IT companies. Further progress has been made in the ongoing construction of campuses for research and development in biotechnology, electronic hardware and IT. There are no direct flights from the UK to the city. The alternative is to connect with services from the Gulf operated by Gulf Air, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways.

Kolkata
Commercially backward since India’s independence, the former Calcutta has undergone a dramatic revival in the 21st century, with economic growth of 70% per annum led by the IT sector. Now home to many large Indian companies’ industrial units, it produces goods ranging from electronics to jute. Both BA and Air India fly to the city three times a week from Heathrow. Other routeings include Emirates and Gulf Air from their hubs in the Gulf.

Mumbai
India’s most populous city is the country’s commercial centre, accounting for 25% of its industrial output, 40% of maritime trade, and 70% of capital transactions. Home to the Bollywood film and TV industry, it is also the headquarters of major Indian and multinational companies and financial institutions, including the National Stock Exchange of India. Among the other booming sectors are engineering, healthcare, IT, aerospace, medical research, computers and electronic equipment. From Heathrow, BA and Jet Airways serve the city twice a day, Air India and Virgin Atlantic daily. Flights from continental Europe include Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich, Air France from Paris CDG, and KLM out of Amsterdam, while Emirates, Gulf Air, Etihad and Qatar Airways fly from the Gulf.

Trivandrum
Scenically attractive, the state capital of Kerala was referred to as “the evergreen city of India” by Mahatma Gandhi. It has become a competitive player in the IT revolution, thanks to the establishment of Technopark, the largest IT park in India, which counts global megastars such as Infosys, TCS, Allianz and Cornhill among its residents. There are no direct flights from the UK, but good connections from their bases in the Gulf with Emirates, Gulf Air, Etihad and Qatar Airways.


Around the subcontinent
Bangladesh
Independent from Pakistan since 1971, the republic is developing and its economy in transition. Some 75% of export earnings come from the garment industry, and growth sectors include seafood, ceramics, pharmaceuticals and computer software. There has been a dramatic increase in direct foreign investment, with natural gas a priority. From Heathrow, Biman Bangladesh Airlines flies to the capital of Dhaka five times a week, and BA has a thrice-weekly service. Otherwise, flights are from the Gulf with Emirates, Gulf Air or Etihad.

Bhutan
In the Himalayas, sandwiched between India and China, Buddhist Bhutan is one of the most isolated nations in the world. The economy is based on agriculture, forestry and tourism, and has become one of the fastest-growing in South Asia, mainly due to the construction in 2006 of a mighty dam, allowing the sale of hydro-electricity to India.  In a recent survey, 45% of respondents said they were “very happy”, echoing the sentiments of the king, who once said: “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.”   There are no international flights to the capital of Thimbu. Instead, travel is via Kathmandu, Nepal, with Gulf-based carriers Etihad or Qatar Airways, connecting with Druk Air’s two flights a week to the city.  

Nepal
With a spectacular landscape including Mt. Everest, this landlocked nation is a tourism honeypot with vast potential, somewhat stifled recently by political unrest. This could have eased in April this year, when elections were expected to ratify Nepal’s decision to become a republic, making Gyanendra the last king. Otherwise, the economy is based on agriculture and industry, mainly the processing of jute, sugar cane, tobacco and grain.  With no direct services from the UK, getting to the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu is a question of travelling from Heathrow via Dhaka with Biman Bangladesh, via Karachi with Pakistan International, via Doha with Qatar Airways or via Abu Dhabi with Etihad.

Sri Lanka
Tropical forests, beaches, and a rich culture make the island 30 km off the south coast of India a top tourism destination, although the ongoing civil war has had some effect on visitor figures. This is a progressive and modern industrial society, noted for the export of tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts, with recent governments privatising public sector industries and developing a strategy to encourage foreign investment.  Sri Lankan Airways flies from Heathrow to Colombo nine times a week, while Qatar Airways serves the capital from Doha. 

Regional routes
While traditional operators like Indian Airlines have vast route networks across India, they are increasingly in competition with low-cost carriers. Spreading like a rash to meet the demand of an increasingly mobile society, their number has increased from just three in 2003 to at least a dozen – and counting. Take your pick: fast-expanding Kingfisher, Air  Deccan, Air India Express, GoAir, Indigo, JetLite, and SpiceJet cover the subcontinent; Indus Air connects Amritsar, Mumbai and Delhi; Jagson Airline flies mainly in the north, and Paramount and Tiger Airways principally in the south.  That’s not all: the likes of Air Dravida, City Air and Easy Air plan to take off this year.

Getting around in other areas of the subcontinent by air is more of a challenge, with the exception of Bangladesh, where Biman Bangladesh and GMG operate flights across the country from Dhaka, including main centres such as Chittagong and Cox’s Bazaar. Bhutan has no domestic air network, so the only way to travel is by road, with the hire of a car and driver available through travel agencies. Conversely, the only way to get around mountainous Nepal is by air, with a number of the country’s 48 airports served from Kathmandu by Royal Nepal Airlines, and private carriers such as Buddha Air and Necon Air.

Like Bhutan, Sri Lanka lacks domestic passenger flights, its low-cost carrier, Mihin Lanka, only flying to southern India. So it’s down to public transport. Forget the overcrowded buses and takethe train, which is both quicker and more comfortable.   

THE CARBON COST
The table below shows the distance covered by a return flight between London and the destination, along with the approximate carbon emissions and the cost of offsetting it with The CarbonNeutral Company. See: www.carbonneutral.com