If Vienna is the best city to live in the world, Hyderabad had been judged as the Indian city with the best quality of life. It is a third time in a row that the city has received the honor. Vienna has emerged fourth time victorious. The rankings are based on Mercer’s Quality of Living rankings 2017. Mercer is a global human resources consulting firm based out of New York. Mumbai and New Delhi ranked 154 and 161 respectively. Hyderabad and Pune ranked higher in the charts than the country’s more traditional business centers.
According to The Times of India, Hyderabad has in fact slipped five notches down, compared to previous year in overall rankings, though it has maintained its ranking at the national level. The main reason why Hyderabad has been ranked the best city to live in India is its low pollution, relatively lower crime rate and abundance of international and reputable English-medium schools. The survey by Mercer is conducted annually and covers over 230 cities across the globe.
The survey is conducted to enable employers and multinational corporations compensate their employees when sending them overseas on international assignments. Hyderabad is a city that has developed rapidly, and the main reason why the city is a preferred destination for many is its higher standard of living at affordable rates. The city offers a very cosmopolitan environment. Even its international schools offer good quality education at a cost that is one-third of what is charged in New Delhi and Mumbai.
President of Twin-Cities Expatriates Association (TEA), Padmaja Yalamanchi, also cited similar reasons for Hyderabad, ranking higher in the charts. While the Mercer report has praised Hyderabad’s relatively better quality of air and its efficient police force, it has also pointed out the city’s lack of civic amenities. The city in fact ranks lower than Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai in terms of city infrastructure. The Mercer global survey ranked the city 144th. Bengaluru has ranked 177th.
“The survey highlights that Indian cities that have been part of the survey haven’t made much progress on the quality of living scale since last year,” Principal and India Practice Leader, Global Mobility, Ruchika Pal, told The Quint.
Hyderabad has slipped five ranks from 139 last year to 144 this year because of reduced water availability and power supply. The Mercer survey also included city infrastructure ranking to assess every city’s drinking water, electricity supply, mail and telephone services, traffic congestion, public transport and availability of international flights from local airports. Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao, congratulated Hyderabad police after Mercer revealed its survey results. Hyderabad city police have proved their mettle in areas of public security and safety.
“On the positive side, Hyderabad continues to score high, in comparison with other surveyed Indian cities, on account of lower crime rate – violence is uncommon in Hyderabad and in general, the police force is efficient and reliable,” the Mercer survey explained.
In South Asia, Indian cities have fared way better than cities like Dhaka in Bangladesh, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Colombo, Sri Lanka, has however emerged as the best city in South Asia.
