Ever thought of Investing in India?

Monopoly – a simple game we all grew up playing.  People playing that game can be divided into two groups: the smaller population that always wins, and the rest of us.  Perhaps it is the dice? But it’s probably the strategy. It’s a game that can be applied to real life, in which investment in real estate is still the most lucrative option; the question now is where and when?

At this year’s NetIP Annual Conference, IREO, India’s leading real estate developer, will be hosting a panel to explore purchasing Real Estate in India, investment opportunities for NRIs, and the changing face of India’s real estate and infrastructure space. Global companies are flocking to India for office space across the country. The expanding workforce in urban areas is driving the need for quality housing, and the Indian government has estimated there will be a deficit of approximately 26.53 million units by 2012. The housing markets in these growing cities have held up during from the worldwide downturn in 2008-2009.

One of the cities experiencing an expansion surge is Gurgaon in the Delhi NCR, named in a recent study by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj as the top city for residential real estate investment. The honor was bestowed due in part to the rapid increase in office and retail space, the quality residential developments being constructed, diverse industries, and favorable connectivity to Delhi with the new Gurgaon-Delhi Metro and NH-8, an express route to the International Airport and Delhi.  The current prices of homes in the city have increased by 40-100% since the minimum recorded prices during the slump of late 2008-early 2009. An example of this demand is IREO’s first project in Gurgaon, The Grand Arch, which has seen a 38% rise in prices in less than 6 months following initial bookings in September 2009. It is not about playing the investment game – it’s all about strategy.

Real Estate Opportunities in Gurgaon

Just to give a little taste of what types of properties are in Gurgaon:

• IREO Victory Valley: Home to the largest tower in North India, soaring to 51-stories. Luxury apartments; over 7 acres of landscaped gardens, two clubhouses, and a beach-resort themed swimming pool.
• DLF: The Aralias: High-end apartments overlooking the DLF Golf and Country Club, for sale by invitation only. Each unit is built to suit each unique buyer.
• IREO Uptown: 2-4 bedroom 3-side open and villa-like apartments with spacious balconies; a state-of-the-art clubhouse and recreational facilitates.
• Tata Rasinia Residency: Spread over 12 acres hosting 9 towers with a mix of various apartment types to fit various family needs, ranging from 3 bedroom apartments to independent villas.

About IREO

IREO is the first and largest FDI (foreign direct investment) investor in Indian property and a leading pan-India developer. Since 2003, IREO has invested US $1.5 billion in a portfolio of 14 projects in prime locations across 3,000 acres of owned land – one of the leading pan-India asset portfolios. The company has evolved as a fully integrated real estate organization that is the developer of its projects, and possesses a diversified portfolio consisting of master planned gated communities, mixed-use office and retail spaces, industrial parks including SEZs, and hospitality properties. Before the end of 2010, IREO plans to launch over six million square feet of housing.

The real estate market is quickly changing, and if you learn the rules now and take advantage of the expanding Indian real estate market, soon you could be the prosperous banker of your own monopoly.  Be sure to attend IREO’s panel for more details about real estate opportunities in India.

The time is NOW to renew your NetIP membership

We hope you are keeping cool during the summer with NetIP’s local chapter summer mixers and conference kick off events. The time to renew your NetIP membership is now. With our much anticipated Annual conference now less than 8 weeks away, avail of the vast opportunities NetIP has for you.

NetIP bases all its programming and events on four core pillars of its foundation. With these pillars, NetIP is the only organization in North America that meets the needs of South Asians with a 360 degree focus.

Professional Development . Cultural Awareness . Community Service . Political Awareness

Registration now open for NetIP’s Annual Conference!

Celebrate the Network of Indian Professionals’ 20th anniversary against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound during the annual NetIP conference in downtown Seattle. Join us for a weekend of networking and socializing with other South Asian professionals at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Seattle August 20 to 22.

Registration opens at noon PST today for the 2010 NetIP conference “Unique By Nature.” Early-bird registration is $279 and ends July 4th. Ticket prices will go up after that so make sure to register early by visiting www.netipconference.org.

This is the first time in more than 10 years that the conference has been held on the West Coast – and we’re excited to have you be a part of it!

The 2010 conference agenda promises top-notch keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive skill-building workshops, social events, and time to network during evening mixers.

And in true Seattle style, the conference will go ‘green,’ using social media to distribute information before, during and after the conference. That Seattle is one of the country’s most influential tech hubs will make the annual NetIP conference a great place to use some of the most cutting-edge technologies.

Worried about the weather? Don’t be. Although Seattle is known for being a rainy city, summers in the Emerald City are known for mild temperatures, clean air and a host of outdoor activities. Visit the famous Pike Place Market, or sip a cup of fresh roasted coffee at the first Starbucks store. Are you into outdoor activities? Take advantage of the many water-related activities Seattle has to offer such as kayaking and rafting.

Remember Our Conference Sold Out Last Year at 1000 attendees! This year our conference will be exclusive & limited to the first 500 Registrants! We will sell out!

For more information about this year’s conference visit the 2010 NetIP Conference Facebook page.

We look forward to hosting you in Seattle in less than two months!

Join NetIP’s 19th Annual Conference in the Emerald City

The most anticipated event for the year for NetIP is fast approaching and your wait is almost over! Be ready for a conference like you’ve never seen before, returning to the West Coast after a 10 year hiatus. We are thrilled to see the excitement and buzz that’s generated for the 2010 NetIP Annual Conference in Seattle on the 20^th anniversary of NetIP. The 2010 Conference will be one of the most exclusive conferences in the history of NetIP with tickets limited to the first 500 NetIP members only. We have received hundreds of queries related to the conference so here’s a glimpse of what to expect to help you in planning your travels.

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Network of Indian Professionals 7th Annual Officers Leadership Conference

The City of Angels welcomes the Network of Indian Professionals

7th^th Annual Officers Leadership Conference

Celebrating 20 years of South Asian Empowerment

Los Angeles, CA, Feb 10^th 2010: The Network of Indian Professionals’ (NetIP) 7^th Officer’s Leadership Conference (OLC) was held Feb 5 to Feb 7, 2010 at the Wilshire Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles. The OLC served as the national kick-off for the 2010 NetIP calendar year. It provided an open forum for leadership to be recognized, for officers both new and returning to network and form good working relationships. The goal of the OLC has always been to provide an opportunity for NetIP chapter leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges, as well as to collaborate on leading practices as an organization. NetIP North America is the parent organization to its 24 chapters.

“The main goal of this leadership conference was to Inspire and Motivate all our chapter leaders from 24 cities. Based on the overwhelming response, I believe we surpassed our highest expectations. NetIP as an organization has incredible potential, and we’re on our way to becoming a household name, not just in the South Asian community but across North America.” -Shubha Rao, VP Internal Affairs, NetIP North America. Rao’s team put together and managed the conference and logistics in less than 8 weeks.

Attendees from NetIP’s 24 chapters, from coast to coast graced the conference to give feedback and learn about the goals and vision for the organization as a whole. Day one at the conference included a surprise live on-air segment with Brand Strategist Pooja Dhawan and NetIP’s media partner, Hum Desi Radio.

Sundip Arora, President, Network of Indian Professionals of North America was pleased with the conference and the performance of his board. “20 years on, NetIP has made unbelievable strides and leaders from chapters around the continent got a first-hand feel of our progress at our Officer’s Leadership Conference. My goal this year for the OLC was for Chapter Officer’s, new and returning, to Learn, Share, Inspire and Be Inspired. We achieved this through two days of intense collaborative sessions and workshops. NetIP North America is very proud to be part of the biggest OLC in our history and to have set another defining moment for our 20th anniversary.”

Along with ambitious plans to streamline technology across the 24 chapters and the North America parent Organization, NetIP revealed its new intranet which uses google collaboration to make internal communication and reporting seamless. The new VP of Technology, Anish Mistry, explained his efficient plan for the year ahead which included a revamped NetIP.org website and his goal to increase back-end content management efficiency.

Sri Narasimhan, NetIP North America’s VP of Finance and Administration, and his team went over legal, tax and financial reporting requirements for the incoming Chapter Officers. Latha Nehru, VP External Affairs, and her team explained NetIP’s Grameen Foundation initiative in Haiti as well as their plans to forge alliances with other non profits in an effort to raise visibility for NetIP.

The Los Angeles-Orange County (LA-OC) chapter of NetIP helped manage logistics and hosted the evening socials for the weekend. “I was very excited to see that months of hard work had culminated in a successful OLC. The conference setting and venues allowed chapter leaders to network and share ideas in a both professional and social environment.“ -Sapan Shah, President, NetIP LA-OC. The Los Angeles Orange County chapter of NetIP was the host for the conference.

Director of Operations, Santosh Perla, kept the momentum going right from the weeks before the conference with an eagle eye on deadlines. At the conference he kept attendees motivated and energized during a packed presentation schedule.

“More than a forum to share ideas, the OLC was a showcase of the many resources NetIP-NA provides to individual chapters seeking to make an impact in their respective communities.  Our chapter left the OLC with a greater understanding of the tools available to mobilize our membership and enhance the value of the NetIP brand locally.” Ashwin Janakiram, President NetIP Chicago

This year NetIP’s largest event, the Annual Conference is being held in Seattle on August 20-22, 2010. Conference Co-chairs Neha Sharma and Sarika Punjabi presented their conference strategy and theme “Unique by Nature”.

“This OLC was my first NetIP conference experience and I was blown away by the professionalism of the organization. The high caliber of the young professionals in leadership positions in NetIP was very inspiring. It was a great opportunity to connect with people across North America and share experiences. I hope to bring the insight, enthusiasm and strength of NetIP National and other local chapters back to NetIP San Francisco Bay Area. NetIP has great potential for national and local impact on the young professional South Asian community.” Purvi Patel, President NetIP San Francisco Bay Area.

At the conclusion of a weekend packed with valuable take-aways, action items and resources, NetIP and its chapters are uniquely positioned to forge ahead amongst its demographic. NetIP provides the only platform for South Asians in North America to network and grow in their professional and personal lives.

About NetIP

The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. The primary focus of the organization is to foster a bond among South Asian professionals to unite and support each other locally, as well as to give back and contribute positively to the communities in which they live and work.

Today, the organization includes over 5,000 members and more than 40,000 subscribers in 24 cities across United States and Canada. NetIP has become a premier networking brand over the years. It is the unequivocal voice for an emerging group of South Asians, who excel in every aspect of western society, from business to politics to the arts. The rise of NetIP and its affiliated chapters reflects a general “Coming of Age” by South Asian professionals.

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If you’d like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview contact Pooja Dhawan, Brand Strategy for NetIP North America, by email at pooja@netip.org

NetIP Dallas Takes Home Two Boscars from the Annual Conference

Most Improved Chapter

NetIP Dallas has truly had a stellar year.  It has become a thriving chapter with an amazing 11 member board and over 130 members!
With events every week surrounding the four foundation pillars of NetIP, the Dallas chapter has been performing at a level far beyond its expectations. Some notable events included the chapter’s support of Baal Dan charity via its scotch tasting event.

This summer the chapter held a cruise with the other Texas NetIP chapters which turned out to be both a collaborative effort and a huge success. With a dedicated board at the helm, they have every hope that much progress will be seen through the end of the year and beyond.

Best President, Large Chapter: Latha Nehru, Dallas

As President of NetIP Dallas, Latha Nehru has been revered as a strong leader with drive and passion.  With a renewed focus on membership and sponsorship, Latha was able to turn a small chapter into a large, thriving chapter. The following is only a glimpse of the initiatives Latha set out for her team to accomplish: 10 Events in 10 Weeks Campaign, Second Saturdays of Service, Book Club, partnership with the local Chamber of Commerce to hold a workshop on minority certification for businesses, establishing a Sports Chair, leading to successful participation in the Dallas Kickball league, Chai Chat (a political discussion forum), and Third Thursdays networking event, from which proceeds are given to a selected charity.

We congratulate Latha and wish her continued success as the 2010 elected VP of External Affairs on the NetIP North America Board!

NetIP St. Louis, Winner of Best Cultural Awareness Event at the Boscars

This year, NetIP St. Louis decided to become a part of something revolutionary. A nascent theater group called “The South Asian Theater Company” decided to take its first production, “Birds, Bees, and Biodata,” to the stage in St Louis. Such an enormous task entailed a large amount of risk and the promise of countless hours of work.

“Birds, Bees, and Biodata,” is a comedy originally written and performed by “Princeton South Asian Theatrics” in 1999 (primary authors Sachin Shah and Karthick Ramakrishnan, modification in 2008 by Sanjiv Bajaj). The final product is a 2 ½ hour comedy about relationships and conflicts in South Asian families in America and about arranged marriages. The play touches on serious themes such as dating vs arranged marriage vs arranged introductions, premarital sex, child autonomy, and changing notions of family roles. It does so against a comedic backdrop, encouraging the audience to enjoy the play as they deal with these difficult issues.

NetIP St. Louis initially helped in recruiting many members of the cast. It then helped in publicity (using several media) and funding for the endeavor and finally lent manpower for the production crew. In the end, NetIP St. Louis’s involvement was critical to the great success of the production. The Black Cat Theater in St Louis has seating for 145 people and the first show seated 195 (with extra seats brought in) and had extra guests standing in the back!

Most of all, the production brought a new consciousness to the St Louis community that the arts could provide a valid vehicle for showcasing important issues in South Asian culture. It stood out against a landscape populated by many Diwali shows and talent shows. The South Asian Theater Group is currently writing its next production and will be putting it on in the coming year in collaboration with the St Louis chapter of NetIP, highlighting a unique collaboration that adds cultural depth to the South Asian cultural scene and the broader theatrical milieu in the city of St Louis.

NetIP Twin Cities wins “Best Officer Board” at NetIP Conference

NetIP Twin Cities

Winner of Best Officer Board Boscar at the 18th Annual NetIP Conference

The NetIP Twin Cities Board may be small (at one point it had just 3 Officers) but you wouldn’t know it by looking at their achievements. The current NetIP TC Board has earned the right to throw around figures such as a 300% increase in donations to South Asian and local charities. NetIP TC not only increased its events (up 33%) to target a larger market, they have built a reputation for quality events by forging first time partnerships with MN staples like Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Children’s Theatre, and the MN Timberwolves.

On the North American level, NetIP TC has aligned with NetIP NA by executing monthly conference calls, and the NA standard website re-branding was undertaken with enthusiasm. Having the highest percentage Board presence at the Officer Leadership Conference in Phoenix and the 18th Annual NA Conference in Toronto is also a reason to be proud for this chapter. Internally, NetIP TC is lean. Through its new online reporting and standardization process, NetIP TC has reduced its Board meetings by 50% and slashed its operating cost by an impressive 60% over the last two years. This means better value for its members and less administrative time for its volunteers.

“A limited Board has forced us to get back down to basics. Internally we cut cost and streamlined our planning process. For our members, we strive for quality events that align with the 4 pillars of NetIP by seeking key partnerships in Minneapolis. These efforts will provide a dividend for NetIP TC members for years to come. We thank NetIP NA for this honorable recognition and award.” -Milan Shroff President NetIP TC 2008-09.

NetIP-NY Wins Three Boscars at NetIP Conference

NetIP New York

Winner of three Boscars at the 2009 Annual Conference

Best Large Chapter: NetIP-NY

Through July 31st, the executive board of NetIP-NY worked diligently and relentlessly to organize over 47 events, 39 of which were core pillar events. Their efforts paid off with approximately 260 members and 6600 people on their email distribution list, resulting in an increase in their operating budget by 7%.  NetIP-NY 2009 events have raised substantial amounts for various charities and were featured 12 times in national and local media outlets (Sahara One, TV Asia, India Express, South Asian Times, DesiClub, News India Times, and RZB TV).

“NetIP-NY is grateful for being recognized as the Best Large Chapter 2009.  This certainly would not have been possible without the executive board’s passion and leadership, NetIP-National’s support, and most of all, our constituency’s enthusiasm and energy.

Our goal this year has been to focus on unique and quality events, strategic marketing and corporate sponsorship partnerships, and a positive board culture.  Through these efforts, NetIP-NY has become a recognized and coveted brand within the tri-state area and the larger NetIP community.” -Rita Bagai, President

“Over the last several years, NetIP has transformed into more than a social organization. The New York chapter has lead this effort by organizing a consistent stream of unique, value-added events that focus on culture, community service, politics and professional development.” -Nevin Shetty, National Liaison

Best Officer: Bhavini Doshi

Bhavini Doshi, VP Political Awareness, has brought an unprecedented degree of innovation to NetIP-NY’s Political Awareness pillar.  Her event ideas have increased NetIP-NY brand recognition and value within the community and have garnered positive acclaim from other NGOs operating in the tri-state area.

As part of the NetIP-NY Kickoff Week, Bhavini launched NetIP-NY’s successful chai chat series with a political awareness panel: Foreign Policy under the Obama Administration: with two renowned professors from Columbia and NYU. Set within the elegant Saks 5th Ave, registrants listened to the impact that potential foreign policy initiatives may have on domestic financial markets and national security.

Bhavini also hosted another panel: General Elections in India, A New Era featuring renowned professors and experts in the tri-state area and representatives from the key political parties in India.  Held at Fordham University, the event appealed to a relatively older group and in turn, expanded NetIP-NY constituency.  Furthermore, this event was featured in full on TVAsia, increasing the organization’s marketing reach and brand recognition.

However, Bhavini’s crowning achievement was the creation and execution of the 1st annual NGO Roundtable Fair.  This novel and groundbreaking event brought together thirteen leading NGO’s focusing on development in India under one roof.  The event consisted of breakfast, lunch and three different panels focusing on different areas of development in India.

“The hard work of our PA team, including Deepika Batra and Niki Shah, has been to provide a forum for experts on foreign policy, economy, social development, health, etc., an opportunity for our members to engage in dialogue with them, and ultimately the empowerment of our community through the spread of knowledge and awareness. Thank you to NetIP-NY, Rita Bagai, and the members of our chapter for all their hard work and support.” -Bhavini Doshi, VP-Political Awareness

Best Political Awareness Event: NGO Roundtable/Fair

As a theme for 2009, NetIP-NY organized high quality events that were relevant and added value to the NetIP-NY brand. No event exemplifies that more than the NGO Roundtable/Fair. The current economic environment has made many individuals re-evaluate their careers.  As a result, many individuals are pursuing new opportunities on different career paths.  This shift is ultimately rooted in an individual’s desire to add social value through private or public enterprise work.  At the forefront are non-governmental organizations, whose purpose generally involves designing and implementing development-related projects.

There are very few places requiring as much development-related projects as India. In an effort to serve this constituency need, NetIP-NY hosted a NGO Roundtable /Fair with thirteen NGOs that focus in India. The Political Awareness team started planning the event months in advance by reaching out to various NGOs that focuses on the various aspects of development in South Asia; the versatile areas of focus included education, child rights, and development.

The all-day conference/event involved breakfast, lunch, two keynote addresses, three panel discussions and a community fair featuring all of the NGOs.

“Everyone I spoke to was very impressed and kudos to NetIP to pull this off. Both our volunteers, who are not Indians, really learned a lot about India and the Indian non profit scene – which they are going to find very useful to work with us in future.” -NGO Fair Attendee

NetSAP Boston, Winner of Two NetIP Boscars

NetSAP Boston

Winner of Two Boscars at the 18th Annual Conference in Toronto

Best Professional Development Event: MBA Panel

NetSAP Boston held their 4th Annual MBA Panel event for Prospective Business School over the summer. The goal of the event was to help attendees create the most competitive business school application possible in this tough economic climate, to provide them with tips to apply immediately for B-school no matter where they were in the process, and to also bolster their chances of getting into top schools.

The panel had six distinguished guests; Deirdre Kane, Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at the Sloan School of Management, MIT; Christina Kyprianou, Associate Director, Graduate Admissions at Babson College, School of Business; Lara Zelman, Marketing and Admissions Manager for the BU Executive MBA Program; Aman Khaira, consultant at Bain, recent HBS alumnus; Parag Patel, consultant at McKinsey, recent MIT -Sloan alumnus and Kishore Deverakonda, management consultant at L.E.K., U of Chicago. There was also a representative from Manhattan GMAT, one of the leading GMAT test service agencies in the country at this time who was also a Wharton alum.

NetSAP Boston brought together Admissions Officers, Alums and a GMAT testing agency, making it an extremely helpful professional development program for prospective Business School students. Additionally, this event gave out member base access to admissions officers from some of these top schools. The unique blend of professionals, alumni and admission officers provided just the forum that potential B-School applicants were looking for, creating a highly successful event for NetSAP Boston.

Best Officer: Rashi Mittal, NetSAP Boston

Rashi Mittal has served as the Professional Development Chair for NetSAP Boston since January 2009. She has put her professional connections to great use and has been highly successful in increasing NetSAP Boston’s name and brand in new and different professional communities. In February, Rashi worked with the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston (SABAGB) and Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) to coordinate a Cultural event at Taj Boston. The event drew over 400 South Asian professionals. The program also allowed NetSAP Boston to network with Taj Boston (owned by Tata Group).

As a lawyer, Rashi has constantly served as a liaison between NetSAP Boston and SABAGB. SABAGB and SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) have partnered to organize an annual day of service day in October to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday. NetSAP Boston will be partnering with the two groups to spread the word about the event, and invite members to the event. This is a great opportunity for NetSAP to partner with SAALT for the very first time.

In July, Rashi organized the yearly NetSAP Boston MBA Panel.  While the event has become an annual event for the Boston chapter, Rashi was able to bring a new and refreshing perspective to it by asking three distinguished admissions officers from some of the top MBA programs (MIT, Babson, Boston University executive program), along with 3 MBA alums from top Business Schools (HBS, Chicago Booth School and MIT) to come to the panel. Rashi moderated the panel. The panel has assisted NetSAP Boston to create presence with MIT, Babson, Boston University and GMAT Manhattan.

Currently, Rashi is working on organizing a Seminar called “Out-of-the-box Careers”. The concept is to bring panelists who are not pursuing traditional career paths. In this economy, this panel is especially important because it will assist the members to explore and learn about alternative career paths.

Rashi is proactive and takes her responsibilities very seriously, always showing her support for events run by other chairs and often helping them with their tasks. Rashi has truly been an asset and a valued addition to the NetSAP Boston board.