Doing business in Bangalore? Here's the lowdown

'You begin, we expedite,' they say. The Businessgyan team that plans to start operations in mid-March has one mission: to provide a ready-to-act tool for those planning to set up office in Bangalore.

There are several reasons why such information needs to be made available. Bangalore is steadily on its way, graduating from the emerging technopolis of Asia to a global technology nerve centre. It is the preferred destination of multi national companies for setting up India development facilities and home to hundreds of new ventures (both well-funded and not so well funded). Most importantly, it's a preferred destination for big corporates to set up new divisions for their hi-tech forays in the areas of information technology and biotechnology.

All this means a thriving new business hub which throws up a constant breed of people who have a need to collapse multiple roles like organisational builder, motivator, thinking cap and finance man in a compressed time mode. The result is a pot with high pressure and still higher risk quotient with information and resource gaps playing a vital role.

The need of the hour, studies showed, was a unique vehicle to plug these information and resource gaps. Hence, a team of business, marketing and content professionals led by Balaji Pasumarthy, managing directors of CVS Rathnam Associates Pvt Ltd have planned this unique blend of Red Herring and People magazine. The multiple avatars include a print magazine which is being given free of cost, e-mail support (to be set up in eight months) and online centre (in the future), all seamlessly integrated. With more value-added services in the offing, Bangaloregyan claims to be the first multi-platform attempt in the country.

"A person coming to Bangalore for the first time expects his power connection in two weeks like it is back in England. But we inform him of the procedures involved which would come up to three months," says Pasumarthy, a B.Tech (IIT-M) and PGDM (IIM-B). In the process of running his successful business centre, he had to play the role of information and resource support for numerous companies (around 180) which made Golden Square on Vittal Mallya Road, their office premises. The idea, he says was further shaped by Arvind Kumar, a marketing professional and Xavier Prabhu, a public relations professional and many other pros.

The exhaustive resources index in the magazine that will be available at allprofessional watering holes gives information on computers & ISP, corporate services, infrastructure, office equipment, office suppliers & services, travel and utility services. The ready reckoners of the first issue for example is on real estate terms, a checklist of the state taxes, company set-up process, Internet leased lines and statutory documents for a company. Perspectives from expert writers includes a piece on `regulations for foreign companies intending to start operations in India'.

"The effort is also to help bridge a possible time lag for want of information and cut costs which is on the agenda of all companies, big or small," says Xavier Prabhu, of PR Hub, a partner in this venture.

So here's a platform for all your needs - to find a company secretary, the best man for lighting and fixtures, handy tips and resourceful articles for anybody - companies in the growth phase, startups, MNCs setting up operations or even corporates starting a new division.