Gary Khan - India with a vision (2/2)

In the first part of his interview, Gary Khan talked about the state of India, notably as a meeting destination. Now it is time to go back to Hyderabad.

HQ: Back to Hyderabad. As the CEO of the Convention Bureau, can you tell us about how the city has evolved?
I will dare say Hyderabad is two or three steps ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to meetings, primarily because of the way all parties - state government, specialists in the field, and the Bureau itself - work together. Hyderabad has also the necessary infrastructure: there are hotels galore to suit all levels of budgets, all geared up for meetings. There are, for example, the Novotel with its integral Conference Centre the only true one in the country, the Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre, the Westin Hyderabad Mindspace Hotel, The Trident Hyderabad, etc., and I’m not even talking about our beautiful world-class airport - a recipient of numerous international awards, with its convenient connectivity to the hotels and venues. We also have, as members in our Bureau, the nation’s best and finest PCOs. The importance of the holding of MICE events in Hyderabad is clearly recognised, as well as their economic impact to our city, society and nation.

Doctors are also coming back to Hyderabad to work here and medical tourism is an ongoing growth industry for the region. People from all corners of the globe come for treatment and procedures. Thus, Hyderabad has become a very suitable location to hold medical and pharmaceutical conferences, supplemented by exciting touristic excursion programmes. The region has grown rapidly and is continuing to grow as a global IT centre. We can list enterprises here that include Hewlett Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, HSBC, Dell, etc.

On a personal level, what do you like about Hyderabad ?
I always knew I would return home to India. I wanted to give something back to Hyderabad and the Bureau is the perfect vehicle for doing that. I certainly didn’t come back for nothing. I longed for a growing vibrant destination, rich in potential. I clearly sense it here; there’s a certain way of working which resembles the Western methodical way. Our newly formed Telangana government borne out of the new state thinks fifteen years ahead and I’m in line with that. I simply love it here; it’s like a nice big family working hand-in-hand together.

Also, when you come to Hyderabad, you don’t just come to a solitary city in the world’s largest democracy, you come to India itself. The City of Pearls, as they all call it, stands as a testimony to time that enunciates development and exponential growth. My utmost favourite part about Hyderabad is the flamboyant people we have here. The perfect galvanization of harmony and work ethics is what determines the population to work efficiently in their own respective sectors. 2015 and beyond is the Dawn of India, and Hyderabad is leading it!

Part I of the interview can be read here.

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