On the threshold of the next millennium Mumbai walks the razor’s edge. By 2010, Mumbai will have around 27 million inhabitants, becoming the world’s second most populous city after Tokyo. The manufacturing sector is no longer the city’s main employer. Increasingly, services are filling the vacuum but in a haphazard way.
Competition from other cities, many in South Asia, some in India itself are attracting investment in the Services sectors such as financial services, software, media, printing and publishing, etc. The new century will emphasize the importance of cities in the health of national economics. It will also require to be globally competitive.
To ensure that our city regains and retains its status as the Urbs Prima of India, we have to start acting now. Bombay First, an initiative of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is totally dedicated to this cause. Bombay First aims to be something that has so far been lacking : an institution that looks at the city holistically, helping it adapt and restructure continually as economic environments alter.
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