Hyderabad the 7th largest metropolis of India , is the capital of State of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its rich history and culture with monuments, mosques, temples, and a rich and varied heritage in arts, crafts and dance. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are Twin cities, separated by Hussain Sagar (also known as Tank Bund), an artificial lake constructed during the time of Ibrahim Qutb Shah in 1562.

Geography

Hyderabad city is located in the center of Andhra Pradesh, in the region of Telangana. It lies on the Deccan plateau, 541 meters (1776 ft) above sea level, and sprawls over an area of 260 km² (100 mile²). Hyderabad is on the banks of river Musi. The historic “old city” of Hyderabad, home to the famous Charminar and Makkah Masjid, lies on the southern bank of the river. The city has grown over the centuries on both banks and is now a sprawling metropolitan area that spreads out in all directions from the Musi river. The population of Hyderabad (according to 2001 census) is 6.14 million.

History
The city was founded as Bhagyanagar on the banks of Musi river by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1589, who then became the Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty.

He founded and named the city in honour of a Hindu village girl named Bhagamathi, who he fell in love with and married. When she embraced Islam and changed her name to Hyder Mahal, the city’s name was changed to match it and has since been called Hyderabad, literally, “the city of Hyder.” It is suggested that the city got its name from the honorary title of the fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali ibn Abi Talib who is referred to in the Islamic literature as Haydar-i Karrar (The swift moving Lion ), particularly due to the alleged Shi’ah leanings of the Qutb Shahi rulers.

Over the centuries, the city has been ruled by the Qutb Shahis, the Mughals, the Asaf Jahis and after independence, the people themselves.

Economy

Hyderabad as a modern city is now known for IT and IT Services, Pharmaceuticals, Entertainment industries. Ramoji Film City, largest film studio in the world is located here.

Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls and pearl ornaments. The pearl market is situated near Charminar. Products such as silverware, saris, ‘Nirmal’ and ‘Kalamkari’ paintings and artefacts, unique ‘Bidri’ handicraft items, lacquer bangles studded with stones, and silk and cotton, handloom clothing materials are made/traded thru the city.

The IT Industry

Cyber Towers IT Park, Hyderabad on a clear evening sky.

Hyderabad is known as the second Silicon Valley [2] in India after Bangalore. Hyderabad’s IT exports exceeded the USD 1 billion mark in 2004[3]. There has been extensive investments in digital infrastructure. Development of HITEC City prompted several IT and ITES companies to setup operations in the city - have led civic boosters to call their city “Cyberabad”.

India’s fourth largest software company, Satyam Computer Services, is headquartered here. Hyderabad has several software technology campuses with leading companies like Infosys, Microsoft, CSC, Oracle, Wipro, Kanbay, GE, ValueLabs, ADP, Dell, Deloitte, HSBC, SumTotal, Intergraph, Analog Devices, IBM, Keane, Baan, InMage, SatNav Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Amazon and Google having established centers in the city. Hyderabad is a strong contender for the location of the upcoming Fab City, a silicon chip manufacturing facility being set up by the AMD-SemIndia consortium.

Pharmaceuticals and Bio-Technology

Hyderabad is a major center for pharmaceuticals with companies such as Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Matrix Laboratories, being housed in the city.