Pune, the eight largest metropolis of India and second largest of the state of Maharashtra has a very rich

history dating back to the 6th century A.D Today, Pune stands as a leader in the country when it comes to: Education, Information Technology and Automobiles with an annual growth rate of over 8%

History
The history of Pune is closely linked to Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire, and to the Peshwa, the ministers of the Maratha empire and later the Maratha confederacy In1327, the Nizamshahi Sultans reigned in the region and at the end of the 16th Century, Maloji Bhosale was appointed Jagirdar of Pune and Supe by the Mughals. He was Shivaji Maharajs grandfather In 1625, the city started developing under Punes administrator Rango Bapuji Dhadphale. Dhadphale oversaw the construction of Kasba, Somwar, Ravivar and Shaniwar Peth. Kasba Peth is the oldest Peth that exists in the city

Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (King) in 1649. It was during his rule that the quality of life for the residents of his Dynasty improved substantially The year 1719 saw an important turn of events in the history of Pune when the first Peshwa(Prime minister) was appointed under the rule of the 4th Maratha Emperor. Bajirao I built the Shaniwarwada and the Parvati Temples. He is also majorly responsible for urbanizing the city . He also designed a water supply system that ran from the Katraj lake to the southern part of the city.

The British took over the control of the city in the year 1818 and put Pune under the Bombay Presidency. The City became central to the development of ammunition and firearms, an extensive ammunition factory was established which still exists till date and is now used by the Indian Army.

Pune under British Empire (1818-1947)

The first College in Pune, the Deccan College was established in 1821, later in 1885, Fergusson College was established, both of them are still running today as a pioneer institutes of education in the city. Pune saw its first railway line in 1848 when it was connected to Khandala. The Pune Railway Station was built in 1920 and The Deccan Queen train was inaugurated here as the fastest train in India. The Municipality of Pune was set up in 1858. At the turn of the century, the Deccan Gymkhana Club was set up in 1906.

Electricity first came into the city in 1910 which then lead to the establishment of various cinema halls and the Prabhat studio (the most sophisticated studio in entire Asia during that time) which is todays Film & Television Institute of India.

Post Independence Pune

Major developments in Pune started after independence in 1947. Pt. Jawarlahal Nehru named the city The Oxford of the East due to the vast educational institutes that had come up in Pune. The city saw the establishment of The National Defense Academy, the National Chemical Laboratory and the Southern Command in the region The Industrial Sector took off in Bhosari, Hadapsar, Pimpri and Parvati. The Automobile sector saw a huge boost with the start up or Telco (now Tata Motors) in the city in 1961. The same year, the Panshet dam burst and flooded the city damaging a lot of older constructions. The unfortunate incident gave way to modern constructions. The Construction Industry grew extensively and by 1966 the City had developed and expanded in all directions.

1970s
1970 saw the city become the leading engineering city in the country with the expansion of: Telco | Bajaj | Kinetic | Bharat Forge | Alfa Laval | Atlas Copco | Sandvik | Thermax

1990s
By 1990, the Information Technology and Engineering Industries started bringing in foreign capital for the city.

The construction of the Mumbai Pune Express way began in 1998 which further boosted the economy of Pune

2000s
By 2000, Pune became the city with the most IT professionals with IT parks coming up in Aundh, Hinjewadi, Hadapsar and Nagar Road.

2008 saw the Commonwealth games take place in the city. Bringing the national games to the city, pushed the city to clean up its act and bring in some colour and get a bit more environmental friendly.

Current Scenario
Pune is growing rapidly at an annual rate of over 8% Today Pune stands as a leader in the country when it comes to: Education Information Technology Automobiles Over the period of time, Pune has emerged as the most preferred destination for Youth in India and abroad for education and career.