India's metropolitan areas and tech districts are rapidly expanding, with a distinct preference for tech parks over business districts. Designed specifically to meet the unique needs of tech companies, they're becoming the foundation of India's economy. And many of these centers are the main base for the production and design of some of the biggest brands - Apple, Oracle, and IBM are three.

Read on to learn how they're taking over central business districts (CBDs).

Building Community and Reducing Commute Times

One of the main benefits of tech parks is their ability to attract employees and residents, creating a community. Tech parks combine housing, leisure, and essential services, which evidently reduces commute times and traffic congestion. And if you've traveled to some parts of India where tech parks are popping up, like Chennai, you'll understand the need for traffic reduction. This construction philosophy also corresponds to the idea of a 15-minute city, where most of the required services are within the reach of a short walk or a cycle ride from home.

Great examples of tech parks developing in vibrant neighborhoods are the Financial District in Hyderabad and the IT Corridor in Chennai. These areas also have several amenities, like health and fitness centers, restaurants, and schools, making them appealing employment and residence. And that's why they're better than CBDs - they're about building a lifestyle and community around tech.

Sustainability and Urban Planning Benefits

India's tech parks demonstrate environments that promote sustainability largely through the incorporation of green building technologies, energy-efficient designs, waste management systems, and practices aimed at minimizing environmental degradation. These features minimize the ecological impact of the parks and augment economic sustainability. CBDs are high-density, congested, built-up areas with limited horizontal or vertical expansion. It's almost impossible to facilitate sustainable practices in CBDs.

Eco-friendly features are present in most Indian tech parks, like Manyata Tech Park in Bangalore and Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Pune, to reduce the negative environmental impact by using water efficiently, solar power, and enhancing the green cover. The result is promoting a healthy work and recreational atmosphere.

Government Initiatives

The Indian government is investing massively in tech, working towards the creation of technology hubs, especially in Tier-2 cities. Where are Tier-2 cities? Tier-2 cities are determined by population, economy, and infrastructure development. The efforts include creating smart cities, constructing tech parks, and setting up incubation centers, which have tremendously increased the attractiveness of these areas to the IT industry.

Policymakers are proactively nurturing these up-and-coming technology centers, actively working to create conducive conditions for investment and job proliferation. Such measures result in technological advancement and help enhance the competitive economy.

Global Inspiration: New Zealand's Tech Parks

The successful Indian tech park models have prompted other nations to seek similar models. New Zealand has started collaborating with international tech park developers to develop science and technology precincts for biosciences, agri-tech, healthcare revolution, and gaming and iGaming. The New Zealand 5G-powered eSports hub is an example of this. The gaming industry is one that is at the intersection of many different tech advancements. One being 5G. Its effect on the consumer industry has been notable, but profoundly so for gamers.

For instance, at an NZ online casino, players are able to play classic roulette, live poker, and video slots at lower latency and with a more reliable connection. Better security for the internet access is also an added bonus. Developing these solutions but, also, implementing is what makes tech parks so essential, as companies are able to harness the close proximity of innovation.

Or there's TusPark Cambridge, a 40,000 sqm facility and the first science park. Tus-Holdings is one of the big tech park developers in China and is on the cusp of setting up global science and technology parks in New Zealand. All such developments should enable New Zealand-centered companies to penetrate overseas markets and use linkages with technology-centered firms. Tech parks in India are incredible in terms of how the urban landscape is evolving. They're enforcing India's position as a global technology center and providing an alternative model of sustainable urban development.