Fifty years back Pune was a quiet city and considered a 'Pensioners' Paradise' until industrialisation converted the city to the 'Detroit of the East'. But the city has always been known as the 'Oxford of the East' because of its educational and research institutions. Pune is headquarters to the Indian Army's Southern Command and home base for the Air Force's MiG-29 and Sukhoi fighters. Every fourth person in Pune is a student. Every fifth person is a knowledge worker. Pune's IT and ITES exports are worth a billion dollars every year.
Pune has the highest two-wheeler population in India. This is because public transport is unreliable and uncomfortable. Auto-rickshaw-walas are known to fleece passengers.
Pune also has bad roads and chaotic traffic. It is for this reason that Symbiosis has taken the lead to make wearing of helmets compulsory.

The city is a foodie's delight, and malls and multiplexes offer a variety of shopping and entertainment. A large range of accommodation to suit all budgets is available. Cost of living compares favourably with other cities of similar size. The city is reasonably safe. Unescorted women can be seen commuting on two-wheelers even late in the evenings.
Pune is a historic city and surrounded by old forts and ancient temple towns. Also in the vicinity are hill towns, forests and the Arabian Sea.
Pune is served by an international airport and well connected by air to major cities in India. Direct flights are operated by all major airlines to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and some other cities.

Pune was one of the first towns to appear on the railway map of India. The famous Deccan Queen has completed 75 years and still runs the picturesque distance (170 kms) between Pune and Mumbai everyday. In addition, there are three more Express trains between Pune and Mumbai, besides several through trains.

One can also reach Neral station from Pune and take the fascinating toy train to Matheran.
The city is also directly linked to Delhi, Nagpur, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and other large towns with daily trains.
             The Pune-Mumbai Expressway is the first eight-lane highway of international standards in the country. It has reduced the travelling time between Mumbai and Pune to just 3 hours. The Expressway starts at Dehu Road (a suburb of Pune) and carries on straight through to Panvel. Regular buses (State and private) and taxis are available on Mumbai-Pune route.
               Pune is well connected by road to important district headquarters like Nasik, Kolhapur, Aurangabad and the Konkan and Sahyadri regions.
         The city enjoys a temperate climate for most parts of the year. But peak summer temperatures reach over 40 degrees Celsius.

Pune is a city of multiplexes & malls