Welcome to Puducherry

1. Welcome to Puducherry

2. UNION TERRITORY OF PUDUCHERRY • PUDUCHERRYis on the east coast, about 162 kms. south of Chennai. (area - 290 Sq.Kms.) • KARAIKALregion is about 160 kms. south of Pondicherry and is surrounded by Nagapattinam district of Tamilnadu (area - 161 Sq.Kms.) • MAHEregion lies almost on the same latitude to Pondicherry, 653 kms. away on the west coast near Tellicherry in Kerala. (area-9 Sq.Kms.) • YANAMregion is located about 840 kms. northeast of Pondicherry near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. (area- 20 Sq. Kms.)

3. BASIC INFORMATION

4. SOME FACTS • De-facto transfer : Territory of Puducherry was merged with the Indian Government on 01.11.1954. • De-jure transfer : on 16.08.1962. • Option given to choose Indian/French nationality. Puducherry has about 50000 French nationals of Indian origin. • Area of UT of Puducherry is 480 Sq. kms. and has a population of 9,74,345 . The ratio of male and female is 1000 : 1001. • Major types of soil – Red loam, Coastal deltaic alluvium, Red laterite. • The mean maximum temperature is 38.2OC and minimum is 24OC. • Major source of rainfall is from North-East monsoon.

5. Identified as one among the 30 living treasures of India by India Today magazine

6. TOWN PLANNING

7. Puducherry, the mystical place that attracts thousands of tourists every year was discovered by Romans in 200 B.C.

8. Ever since, this place has been commanding attention… • The Portuguese established a factory in the 16th century • But the ruler of Gingee (The Vijayanagra empire) forced them out in the same century • The Dutch who found this place attractive established their presence in the 17th century • Then came the French who really defined this place in 1654

9. Puducherry has been attracting tourists for its: • History • Heritage • Spirituality and much more

10. The heritage that Puducherry is known for…

11. Architecture: The French built houses at the French quarter is otherwise called the ‘Ville Blanche’ • Road plan: A typical French style; grid plan where the streets meet each other at right angles • Street names: Carry respective names at the French / Indian quarter like “Rue Dumas” and “Bharathy Street” • Furniture: Franco Pondicherrian furniture are famous for its style and finish • Cuisine: Is known for original French cuisine with Poulet, Poisson and Crevette. It attracts a lot of tourists during January for the Gourmet Festival • Language: Thousands of ethnic Indians retain their French citizenship and are in command of the language that has become part of everyday slang like; “Bonjour Monsieur”

12. And the spirituality in Puducherry that one gets to experience is something unique…

13. It is Internationally acknowledged for its is comparatively quieter, cleaner & greener atmosphere • And world renowned personalities like Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have found solace in Pondicherry; • The Matri Mandir; the meditation hall gives one an awe-inspiring spiritual experience • Karaikal; the only temple dedicated to Lord Saturn attracts thousands of pilgrims every year for the Sani Payarchi Festival • International Yoga Festival; the one of its kind brings in people from various parts of the world every year

14. Puducherry is more than just history, heritage & spirituality…

15. Puducherry is a • Family weekend retreat • Offsite for corporate conferences • Weekday excursion for school and college students • Shopper’s paradise for arts and crafts • Spiritual retreat for foreigners

16. Tourism has been seen as one of the fastest emerging industries in Puducherry

17. STATISTICS The above statistics do not cover the “Day Visitors”, which is a minimum 25,000 – 30,000 per day (Commercial/ Shopping/ Weekend visit/ Students) Total no. of rooms available in Puducherry is: A/c Rooms – 863 & Non A/c – 1,579

18. Present average stay of a tourist is 1.52 days and it can be increased by • Promotion in hospitality and entertainment sector • And how? • Increase the number of beds • Create tourism products- for which many fronts are now opened This would result in: • Repeated visits by the tourists • Repeated visits by Puducherry born French and their descendents

19. The total number of foreign tourists have significantly increased: • With a majority from France, German, UK, America, Australia and Switzerland • And French tourists account for almost one-fourth of the inflow

20. The present lure is only because of its inherent strengths. Major investments are yet to be made for specific tourism promotion

21. And the untapped potentials…

22. LARGE PROJECTS

23. SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE(SEZ) • A Multi-product Zone. • Located at Sedarapet - Karasur,12 kms from Pondicherry. • Project Cost - Rs 281.17 Crores. • Approved by Govt. of India on 8th August 2006. • 309 Hectares of land acquired at the cost of Rs. 70.00 Crores. • Setup under Public- Private Partnership (PPP). • Special Purpose Vehicle Constituted.

24. PONDICHERRY PORT • Estimated Project Cost = 1867.0 Crores • Quantum of Cargo to be handled • Phase I / 2010 – 7.0 Million Tons • Phase II /2011 -- 15.0 Million Tons • Phase III /2012 -- 15.2 Million Tons • Phase IV /2013 -- 19.6 Million Tons

25. MEGA PROJECTS FINANCED BY HUDCO • Urban Sewerage Project at - Rs.279 Crores Pondicherry. • Urban Sewerage project at - Rs. 43 Crores Karaikal. • Improvement of Water Supply - Rs. 45. Crores at Yanam. • Construction of Bridges - Rs. 28 Crores • Temple Town at Thirunallar - Rs.153 Crores • Slum upgradation - Rs. 37 Crores • Other infrastructure - Rs. 30 Crores ---------------- TOTAL - Rs.615 Crores ---------------- 90% of total project cost i.e Rs.553.98 sanctioned on 20.09.2005

26. AIRPORT/AIR SERVICES Puducherry Operation of air services from Pondicherry to Chennai/Bangalore/ Thirupathi to commence shortly. First Phase – Expansion of runway by 260 meters and provision of night landing facility to facilitate landing of ATR type of aircrafts. Second Phase – Development of a full fledged airport with a runway of 2400 meters suitable for landing of Air Bus/Boeing. Airport at Karaikal Development of a green field airport in Karaikal is under consideration

27. THIRUNALLAR TEMPLE TOWN The world famous Thirunallar Temple dedicated to Lord Saneswarar in Karaikal attracts about 20,000 to 50,000 people on normal weekends on an average. More than 1 million people visit the temple each year . Government of Puducherry has decided to develop Thirunallar as Temple Town. The consultant HUDCO has completed the Master Plan for the project. The project envisages an investment of Rs.220 crores in the form of infrastructure development of every kind as required for a small well designed town. Land acquisition is under process.

28. SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT ZONE(SDZ) • A Special Development Zone in an area of 1000 acres is on the anvil and it shall comprise of : • All civic infrastructure. • All Government offices • Special Tourism Zone, Educational Zone, Market Complex, Truck terminal, Urban greenery among others. Land acquisition is in progress

29. LAGOON DEVELOPMENT LAGOON DEVELOPMENT Development of lagoon has been taken up with dredging works and simultaneously a consultant shall be appointed for lagoon based tourism promotion. Yacht Marina shall also be included.

30. ARIKAMEDU AS A TOURIST DESTINATION Arikamedu, the archaeological site of the ancient Roman Trade Centre. The Port Town dates back to 2nd century. Now it is proposed to acquire 46 Hectares of lands adjacent to the site. HUDCO has been appointed as consultant for preparation of Master Plan for development of Arikamedu as tourist destination.

31. FAMILY ENTERTAINMETN CENTRE Prime property at northern end of beach road is proposed for development under Public Private Participation. Family Entertainment Centre with iMax with Multiplex, Retail area, Star Category Hotelis proposed. Project Cost – Rs.35 crores

32. DEVELOPMENT OF GOLF COURSE 45 hectares of land at Manapet Village in Pondicherry has been identified for development of a Golf Course and a Club House. The project is conceived with an objective of promoting high end tourism. PROPOSED SITE VIEW

33. ECO BEACH PARK AT KARAIKAL 70 acres of Govt. land is available for this project. Facilities like Mangrove Aquatic Park, Eco Beach Park, Landscaping, Food Court, Recreation Room, Fun Kiosks, Bazaars etc will be created. INTACH has been appointed as consultant for preparing Detailed Project Report. Approx. project cost is Rs.5.00 crores.

34. Areas for future development Parking Parking Areas for future development Parking Parking 10. Bird Sanctuary 7. Resort 11. Fishing Island 6. Swimming Pool 9. Mangrove Aquatic Park 5. Fair Ground 2. Fun park 4. Amphitheater 3. Sport Complex 12. Water Sports 8. Seagull Restaurent 1. Plaza Complex 13. Beach Eco Beach Park at KaraikalProposed Plan

35. RIVER SIDE WALK WAY AT MAHE Beautification of Mahe beach was taken up by Department of Tourism as one of its major projects to beautify the place as well as provide an evening get away for people of Mahe and its neighbourhood.

36. WATER FRONT DEVELOPMENT AT YANAM Yaname is located on the beautiful river bank of Gauthami-Gothavari river. The development of water front of Gauthami-Gothavari river is halfway through and has already become an evening paradise of the entire hinterland. An expenditure of Rs.12.93 crores is in the pipeline for this development.

37. LASER SHOW COMPLEX • Approximate project cost is Rs.15 crores

38. BEAUTIFICATION OF PROMENADE The Beach Promenade is typically French as it can be experienced in most seaside towns in France. It has always been an active place from the days of the French rule to the present day. Today one can see people at all times of the day going for their daily stroll either early in the morning or late in the evening. This popular promenade is proposed for development on a large scale. <Proposed>

39. PROJECTS ON THE ANVIL • Establishment of Oceanarium in Pondicherry. • Archaeological Museum at Ariyankuppam. • Recreational walkway at Lawspet, Pondicherry. • Development of Oussudu land and Bahour lake as spiritual/ rejuvenation centre. • Rural Tourism at Alankuppam and T.N.Palayam, Pondicherry • Development of paradise beach at Chunnambar in Pondicherry. • Development of leisure walk avenue in the social forest area adjacent to the premises of Swadesi Mills, Mudaliarpet. • Establishment of Film City.

40. DEVELOPMENT PATH Realising the need for land for large scale tourism products, the department has started Land Bank Scheme where in more than 350 acres of lands are being acquired for implementation of various projects under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

41. LAND BANK SCHEME 46 Hectares of land near Arikamedu (Archaeological site)proposed for acquisition

42. LAND BANK SCHEME 23 Hectares of land at Chunnambar back water isproposed for acquisition

43. LAND BANK SCHEME 72 Hectares of land at Manapet beach front is under acquisition for Golf Course.

44. CALENDER OF EVENTS SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY * World Tourism Day * Goan Food Festival * Mahe Mahotsav * Heritage Festival * Food Festival NOVEMBER * Vintage Car Rally DECEMBER * Air Show * Yanam People’s Festival JANUARY * International Yoga Festival * Karaikal Festival

45. PROMOTIONAL MEASURES * J Walter Thomson and National Film Development Corporation have been appointed as Media Campaign agents. Budget for the campaign is 350 lakhs. * The campaign shall be through * Print Media * Dailies - Chennai & Bangalore * Magazines * Karaikal – Campaign on Shani Temple. * Yanam – Hyderabad & Vizag * Mahe – Vernacular magazines in Kerala * Television * News and infotainment * Internet * Rediff, indiatimes,sify, yahoo and google sites * Travel sites – journey mart, outlook traveller * Hoardings * Chennai - ECR, NH * Bangalore * Petrol Bunk Campaign at Chennai & Bangalore * Contacting the value customer – Hoteliers, travel & tour operators. * Local campaign

46. Even the investments have it easy here. Enhanced investment subsidy : 25% of the total investment subject to maximum of Rs.100 lakhs per project. Pondicherry, one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, offers a slew of incentives for investors in tourism infrastructure. Investment opportunities exist to develop star & heritage hotels, amusement parks, multiplexes, food courts, beach resorts, eco-tourism, health spas, art & craft village and other tourism relates products. Incentive include investment subsidies and exemption from luxury tax. Special incentives are also offered for renovation and restoration of heritage buildings. All investments will enjoy unstinting support from the Government.

47. THANK YOU