The Outsider: ‘Gurugram has mastered growth; living well is the next challenge’

While ambition and opportunity drive growth, stronger communities, better public spaces and improved walkability are needed, Avantika Ram Rattan says.

The city has emerged as one of India’s most dynamic economic centres, but its next challenge lies in improving quality of life and fostering a stronger sense of community, according to Avantika Ram Rattan, a senior marketing professional,who shifted to the district from Delhi almost a decade ago.

The city has attracted talent and investment, but residents often remain disconnected from the neighbourhoods around them, the senior marketing professional says. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

In her view, Gurugram’s transformation over the past three decades from a cluster of villages and farmlands into a major economic engine has made it a city defined by aspiration. She notes that thousands of people arrive in the city each day seeking career growth, business opportunities, higher incomes and a better future.

According to Rattan, this ambition is Gurugram’s greatest strength, but it may also be one of the reasons residents often overlook the experience of living in the city itself.

Rattan argues that discussions about Gurugram are typically centred on corporate offices, luxury housing, infrastructure and investment, while the human experience of living in the city receives comparatively little attention.

Drawing from her personal experiences, she recalls growing up in a close-knit family rooted in traditional values and spending much of her childhood in a boarding school in Dehradun. Visits home, she says, were shaped by interactions centred around relationships, conversations and community ties, experiences that continue to influence her understanding of urban life.

Rattan says Gurugram has successfully attracted people from across India and abroad, offering opportunities through multinational corporations, start-ups, luxury residences, golf courses, international schools and world-class dining. However, she contends that the city has increasingly become associated with Cyber Hub, office towers, traffic congestion and deadlines.

According to her, many residents are familiar with the city’s restaurants, malls and commercial spaces but remain disconnected from the communities around them. She argues that success is often measured through job titles, salaries and property ownership rather than quality of life.

Describing life on Golf Course Road, Rattan says Gurugram often feels like two cities coexisting. While some stretches resemble global destinations such as Dubai or Singapore, nearby areas continue to face traffic congestion, civic gaps, waterlogging and infrastructure challenges.

While crediting successive governments for improving connectivity through expressways, metro expansion and urban development projects, she argues that growth continues to outpace planning.

Rattan believes Gurugram now requires more public spaces, better walkability, stronger civic infrastructure and a greater sense of community. Despite its shortcomings, she describes the city as one of India’s most optimistic urban centres that rewards ambition, welcomes risk-takers and allows people to reinvent themselves. In her view, Gurugram has already mastered growth; its next challenge is learning how to live.

Avantika Ram Rattan is based out of Gurugram and currently serves as the chief marketing officer of Ram Rattan Group.