Real Estate Gurgaon

As a BPO employee, Prajesh Patra earns Rs 12,000 a month - one-fourth of which is spent on his rent.

Like most other young BPO workers, Prajesh shares his two-bedroom flat with a colleague in Gurgaon.

''When I got this job with a BPO, I wanted a house close to the office so that I could cut down on the commuting distance. Two years ago, my rent was Rs 2,500, it has increased to Rs 4,500 now. With electricity and water charges it touches Rs 5,000.

''My salary has increased by Rs 2,000 in the last two years. We end up paying a lot in rent. But this locality is full of BPO employees, so we have a good time,'' says Prajesh.

Given that their jobs at call centres mean they work through the night, most BPO workers choose to live near their offices in Okhla, parts of Noida, and of course, the mother ship Gurgaon.

As their numbers have grown, rents in these areas have been shooting up. In parts of Noida and Gurgaon, rents have doubled in the last three years, which makes brokers and landlords very supportive of call centres.

''Most BPO workers are young and earning handsome salaries. They want to live in posh localities in apartments with amenities like swimming pools and gymnasium and round-the-clock security, as they have a lot of night shifts.

''They prefer living in groups, so the rent is equally distributed. This is driving the rental market upwards,'' said Anuj Sharma, Real Estate Consultant.

Source://ndtv.com