As The Times of India marks 18 years in Jaipur on May 5, it is not just a milestone for the newspaper. The journey also mirrors Rajasthan’s metamorphosis, from the nostalgia of royalty and high-end heritage tourism to advancement in industrial progress and infrastructure prowess. In 2008, the Pink City was still a postcard of palaces and colourful bazaars. Modernity was limited to the Gaurav Tower and a handful of prime hotels. What followed was a construction spree that altered the city’s skyline, adding new feathers to the city’s identity.While World Trade Park, imposing yet elegant, ruled the city’s skyline, malls multiplied, even under the shadow of the crippling subprime crisis. Hotels, from Marriott to Fairmont (the first in the country then), planted their flags. In 2008, weddings were a side income (accounting for 20% of hotel revenue). But soon it became the main source, spurring global chains to set up shops, making Jaipur the address for all the global chains of hotels.The metro rail, once a dream, began rolling in 2015. With less than a 10-km stretch, it was more of pride for the city than a viable solution for traffic diversion. But surely it was a starting point as the phase-II, a Rs 13,000-crore expansion project, is ready to take off with a plan to cover a 41-km north-south corridor from Prahladpura to Todi Mod.The period also saw the growth of MICE tourism. Convention halls expanded beyond the lonely Birla Auditorium to JECC, RIC, Constitution Club and numerous facilities in large hotels. In fact, Rajasthan Mandapam, which is currently under development, will add a new high to the city’s reputation as a conference hub.Industrially, Jaipur hosted milestone projects like Mahindra World City and Hero MotoCorp’s R&D Centre at Kukas that was shifted from Gurgaon. Though entered into agreement with state govt in 2007, the actual work for Mahindra World City started after 2008. Today, it hosts over 130 firms, engaging thousands of employees. Similarly, Hero MotoCorp’s gleaming R&D campus at Kukas, spread over 250 acres, opened in 2016, symbolising Jaipur’s shift from heritage to high-tech.As the city expanded with the influx of people for work and business, roads and flyovers were laid out to connect the city together. The Ring Road that started with a small stretch in 2019 is almost complete now, diverting traffic away from its choking arteries.Rise of Gated Communities:As manufacturing and services sectors expanded, opportunities for professionals opened, demand for gated community accommodation took off, fuelling a real estate boom. Property prices saw a sharp rise, with some areas appreciating by over 100% between 2011 and 2014. Ajmer Road, Tonk Road, Sikar Road and Jagatpura became the fulcrum of the real estate boom. In fact, the development of Jagatpura has been starry with many coining it as Gurgaon of Jaipur. While there is no single official census, Jaipur has thousands of gated communities, ranging from large-scale integrated townships to individual luxury societies. As of 2026, leading real estate platforms like 99acres list about 3,000 gated community apartments and more than 1,100 gated community villas for sale across the city. Additionally, there are over 3,000 gated community plots available for buyers looking to build independent homes.Scripting a Startup StoryOnce known mainly for its forts and festivals, Jaipur has carved out a place on India’s startup map. The journey began with ventures like CarDekho in 2008, which grew into a unicorn and put the city on the radar of investors. Over the next decade, accelerators and venture capital firms found fertile ground here, aided by govt initiatives such as iStart Rajasthan launched in 2017. By 2024, Jaipur startups had raised more than $1.4 billion across 108 deals. Today, the city hosts over 500 active startups, spanning e-commerce, fintech, edtech and healthtech. With a growth rate of nearly 12% in 2025, Jaipur ranks among India’s top 10 startup ecosystems. Today, the Pink City has transformed into a cosmopolitan centre where students, professionals and entrepreneurs converge to build the next wave of ideas like CarDekho, AU Bank, Minimalist and Wooden Street.Beyond JaipurOn a Solar HighThe state began to rewrite its destiny in many areas, away from its capital. In 2008, solar power was a curiosity. All it had to showcase was a spectacle of 65 MW, heavily subsidised demonstration plants. But the National Solar Mission of 2010 and ambitious targets after 2014 turned Rajasthan into India’s solar capital, now boasting over 40 GW. Today, battery storage is the next frontier. The interest in the sector is so much that the state was able to ink MoUs worth Rs 28 lakh crore during the Rising Rajasthan investment summit. Backward areas like Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner prospered as the boom took hold in the barren expanses of western Rajasthan.Barmer’s Black Gold & a RefineryWhen then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the Cairn India oilfields on Aug 29, 2009, it seemed the wheels of fortune turned swiftly in a region that was once called Rajasthan’s Kala Pani. But that was just the beginning. Then chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s announcement at the event to set up a refinery looked like a political statement. But it took wings. Though political one-upmanship delayed it, the refinery now at Pachpadra was set for inauguration. It would be the country’s 24th refinery and the most modern refinery producing BS standard fuels, gas, naphtha and other petrochemical products.For Rajasthan, the past 18 years opened new doors, reshaping cities, lifting incomes and nudging the state onto the path of prosperity. Yet, as the wheels of fortune turned, growth brought its own set of challenges.GFX Matter:Journey & Its MilestonesMalls like Triton and Pink Square multiplied despite global slowdownWorld Trade Park opened in 2012Marriott’s 2011 entry triggered a hotel boom, followed by Fairmont, Radisson, Lalit, Holiday Inn and many othersWeddings shifted from side income to mainstay of hotel revenuesJaipur Metro launched in 2015, phase-II now underwayConvention facilities grew beyond Birla Auditorium to JECC, RIC, Constitution ClubHero MotoCorp’s R&D Centre at Kukas opened in 2016, employing over 1,600 engineersJaipur Ring Road’s first stretch inaugurated in 2019Rise of gated communities transformed Ajmer Road, Tonk Road, Jagatpura into real estate hotspotsProperty prices doubled in key areas between 2011 and 2014Jaipur now counts thousands of gated societiesCarDekho (2008) marked Jaipur’s startup dawn, later joined by DealShare, Minimalist and othersSolar power grew from 65 MW demo plants in 2008 to 40 GW capacity todayBarmer’s oilfields inaugurated in 2009, opening the path for the refineryAnniversaryAnniversaryAnniversary
Raj’s New Face: From Heritage Frames to Economic Transformation | Jaipur News
