Gurgaon or Vasant Vihar?

I will be moving to Delhi in a months time, and am hugely grateful for all the information I've gleaned through the many posts!

It's a toss up between Gurgaon and Vasant Vihar...either way, commuting to work will not be an issue.

From what I've gathered, you get more for your money in Gurgaon, but the electricity and water situation is horrendous? Is it really that bad? I've heard horror stories of water being delivered home in buckets? Does 100% power back up also mean there is no additional charge when the gensets are running?

I have a rental budget of INR 100,000 pm. I will be living alone, but have reached a stage in life where I like some space, and comfort!! A quiet locality and greenery would be ideal. Is that asking for too much in Vasant Vihar, given the budget?

Anf finally, any good furniture stores you could recommend?

Not much greenery left in Vasant Vihar, but certain areas and lanes are quiet. And I think it is a better option than Gurgaon anyday, especially for a foreigner.


Gurgaon is not Delhi. Almost anything you want to do- besides shop, eat and drink- is in Delhi. Certainly anything worthwhile seeing (and experiencing) as a tourist is.

Correct, you'll get more for your housing budget in Gurgaon, but if it's not convenient for work (as it was for me) then there's really no reason to live there.

100% backup means (or should mean) that there's sufficient genset power to operate your place during outages. However, you should be clear (and get it in writing) about how many kVA would be supplied -- is it enough to run only lights and fans, or will one or all A/C units be included as well? Extra charges for use of gensets will vary with the housing society -- when I lived at Heritage City, it was included in the common charges, but during an extended period of heavy cuts one year they levied extra charges. You should be certain that details are written into your lease.

Regarding water and electricity, if you're at one of the better apartment complexes you should have no issues with availability of either. Those with standalone homes or bungalows may have a more tenuous time during shortages.

You should do OK in VV for 100k though, as noted, either Gurgaon or other South Delhi areas may give you more living space. And if you choose your location carefully, you should have a fairly quiet time.

Thanks Curt, much appreciated...that filled in the blanks very nicely!

If commuting isn't an issue, then I'd choose Vasant Vihar. If you're concerned about power cuts, then Vasant Vihar has issues too just like the rest of Delhi.

I have a flat in Vasant Vihar that I rent out. I've been told by my tenants that while power cuts aren't terribly common, they do occur. Often other parts of Delhi will be without power for several hours, and Vasant Vihar will have 1-2 hrs (or even a few more) of "load shedding".

One distinction between the two areas is that Gurgaon has a larger number of apartment complexes (likely to have their own power backup), while my impression of VV is that there are many more builders flats (that is, buildings of 3-4 floors w/1-2 flats per floor), generally less likely to have power backup.

N_cat, please correct me if I'm wrong on this...

That said, VV is head and shoulders above the 'Millennium City' by virtually any other measure.

You're right, curt. My flat's very much in the configuration you mentioned for VV, so doesn't lend itself to the economies of scale from generators. That's why I cautioned about VV though it seems to be better than other parts of Delhi.

And friends of ours there (they're on Poorvi Marg) seem to have very few power cuts. But if it's an issue, going with a larger complex -- wherever it may be -- is worth considering.

Cat/Curt..thanks guys. Is installing one's own genset an option at all in VV? Enough for basic appliances, if not A/c's?

As you might imagine, power backup systems are sold throughout India. The most common use banks of batteries that are recharged while the electricity is on. A landlord installed one in a flat I leased in 2005 that ran the fans, lights and one A/C, and he told me that it cost Rs. 80K, which may or may not be accurate. I believe the batteries require replacing every couple of years, though I'm not sure.

Petrol-powered gensets (and the mechanisms to control them) would be more complicated due to issues with placement, the wiring, noise and probably much higher cost.

I always lived in places with backup, but many Delhites manage without, and VV will be one of the better areas.

Marco, if I were you I'd stay away from petrol gensets...lots of grief to be had and few benefits. They're expensive to run and need lots of maintenance. Better go with an inverter as Curt says. Even better if you can select an area that doesn't have many cuts to begin with. In VV I think it varies a bit with the block you live in. I'd only get a genny in an area where there are long (hours) power cuts, afaik that's not the case in VV.

Sounds about right, the problem is you need a huge battery bank to run an AC from, the power required during AC motor startup is very high. If you're in an area where cuts are not frequent and/or short you can skip the AC support and choose to power fans, lighting and your fridge at a much lower price. It's only really annoying if a cut happens during summer when you're lying in bed.

Yes, the setup I had was about 12 large truck-type lead-acid batteries plus the controller. Fortunately I had a servant area just outside the flat that housed the contraption. Though it worked OK, I certainly wouldn't spend my own money for one.

No, although I was cursing my stupidity for not getting one when I arrived here (would have been paid for by my employer at that time). Today brought nothing but grief in my area, with a cut that lasted 3 hours and 2 smaller ones. Good thing it's not april/may/june. You posted some time back that things are deteriorating in Jor Bagh and it looks like you're right. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I agree with Capt Mahajan.. Vasant Vihar is a whole lot better and gets lesser power cuts. Power situation is getting better in Delhi and I believe there is no need for your own power backup if you live in Vasant Vihar.

Okay, no power, no gensets and no battery bank...any chance of a good punkahwallah?!!