A crossroads of people and cultures for many centuries, Delhi exudes the air of a multicultural, cosmopolitan metropolis with a colorful and diverse population. The city attracts people from all corners of India, making it one of the largest urban areas in Southern Asia.
City of dazzling numbers
In just over a century, Delhi has seen its population explode from 400,000 to nearly 18 million inhabitants. And as the city’s appeal remains strong, this number is expected to rise another 40% in the next ten years.
With these spectacular figures, Delhi ranks not only as the second largest metropolitan area in India (after Mumbai), but also as one of the fastest growing conurbations in the world.
Overwhelming cultural heritage
Delhi’s rich cultural aura springs from its lengthy history as the capital of India. This is still evidenced today by the many ancient monuments, archaeological sites and ruins that are sprinkled over the metropolitan area.
Delhi is home to no less than three world heritage sites: the Red Fort, Qutab Minar (the world’s tallest brick minaret) and Humayun’s Tomb (named after the 16th century emperor).
Center of learning
Renowned for its high standard of education, the Delhi area attracts scholars and students from all corners of the nation. No wonder, when you know that Delhi boasts 165 colleges, 8 engineering colleges, 5 medical colleges and 6 universities.
Delhi arguably possesses the country’s best medical infrastructure, ranging from specialized state-of-the-art medical facilities to traditional healing hospitals. In many of these, Barco’s medical displays have become a common sight.
Shopping paradise
But the city is much more than just a treasure-trove of history, culture and science. Delhi is the site of the largest commercial hub in northern India, home to a flourishing retail industry. Shopaholics will find everything they could possibly wish for in one of the many shopping malls mushrooming across the city.
Two of the newest malls in town are the five-star DLF Emporio and DLF Promenade in South New Delhi. To catch the eye of passers-by, the malls have put up a giant Barco LED billboard as a projection screen for advertisements, fashion shows, sports events, etc.
Unforgettable experience
Sports fanatics aren’t left out in the cold either. For the first time last year, Delhi was given the honor of hosting the Commonwealth Games, a four-yearly multi-sports event featuring athletes from 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The opening ceremony, traditionally a visually impressive spectacle, relied heavily on Barco technology. No less than 32 ultra-bright Barco FLM R22+ projectors lit up the event, making it an unforgettable experience.
Safety first
Needless to say, organizing a world-scale event like the Commonwealth Games in one of the most crowded metropolitan areas on the planet creates a huge challenge for the local security forces. That’s why Delhi recently set up a brand-new C4i center, equipped with Barco LED-based technology. Nearly 1000 police control room vans, 12 police video monitoring vehicles, and 700 other monitoring vehicles are linked to the system.
Power to the people
Another daunting task in a city like Delhi is to keep up with the ever-increasing energy needs of the exploding population. One of the companies charged with this job is North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL).
To fulfill its mission, NDPL recently inaugurated a new center for network management, hosting today’s most advanced electrical automation systems. In the high-tech control room, there’s a prominent place for Barco large-screen visualization technology.
Top breaking news
As the capital of India, Delhi is also home to many country-wide media agencies and television networks. One of these is CNN-IBN, the nation’s No. 1 English news channel.
In their state-of- the-art news studio, CNN-IBN chose to install a large-size Barco backdrop display wall, offering the quality level, flexibility and reliability required for interactive use during a live, in-studio broadcast.
