The progressive city of Pune was once the cultural center of Maharashtra and India’s center of modern architecture. These days it is better known as India’s "Motor City," given the recent growth of its automotive sector. The city is growing at a terrific pace, evident in the rapid increase of universities, engineering colleges and research centers. Pune’s emergent talent pool has attracted auto giants Daimler Benz and Volkswagen, along with some 225 German companies and literally hundreds of IT companies. Where expats once clustered in the Koregaon Park and Kalayaninagar areas, housing developments on the outskirts are now being designed around business and IT parks, complete with convenience stores and recreational facilities. Some of the newer developments have even been designed as small sustainable cities. While housing prices in Pune are spiraling, the overall cost of living is still very reasonable. International schools and local (ISCE) schools with IB programs are flourishing and the shopping and dining options increase daily. This upwardly mobile city has attracted a growing number of international professionals and boasts an increasingly embedded expat network, making the move to Pune a comfortable leap of faith.