Conference Site
Radisson Blu Outer Ring Road Hotel
Marathahalli Junction, Bengaluru 560037, India
Phone: 011 91 80670 76909
Special Radisson Blu Hotel Rates for HiPC 2018 Attendees
See Accommodations page here.
About Bengaluru (Bangalore)
Known as the Garden City, the city of Bengaluru (Bangalore) is located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of the state of Karnataka in India. Home to a demographically diverse population, Bengaluru is a major economic and cultural hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India. Many well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India are based here. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are also located in the city. Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation’s leading IT exporter. It is the main center of the Information Technology industry in India; almost every Indian and multinational IT company has a presence here.
Travel Checklist
Travel Visas
All non-Indian citizens are required to have an Indian travel visa to enter the country. Allow sufficient time (at least 4-6 weeks) to procure the appropriate visa from your nearest Indian consulate (see Indian consulates worldwide). Indian consulates in the continental US are located in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Atlanta. All participants traveling from the United States must use Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Limited to obtain an Indian visa. All other participants should contact the Indian Embassy/ Consulate General of India in their respective countries for information on obtaining an Indian visa. This is to ensure that you are in compliance with respect to latest the regulations enforced by the Indian Embassy issuing the visa.
Applications for a Conference Visa will require the applicant to supply a letter of invitation from HiPC organizers, which may be requested after you have registered for the conference and paid your fees. HiPC organizers have secured the required Indian government approvals and clearances to support applications for Conference Visas. A single pdf of these permissions and certifications for HiPC 2018 from Indian Government Agencies will be included with your invitation letter.
Important Note: Participants who require an Indian visa to travel to HiPC are advised to check the exact set of approvals and clearances that the Indian Embassy requires, including requirements for security clearance that apply to passport holders from some countries. When completing the online Visa Invitation Letter Request form, check the last section of the form and complete if your passport country is named, no matter where you may currently reside. This is to ensure that the compliance is met with respect to the latest regulations enforced by the Indian Embassy issuing the visa.
Flight Reservations
Bengaluru (Bangalore) is very well connected with major international cities. You can directly fly here or travel via other major Indian cities like Mumbai or Delhi. We recommend that you make your flight as well as lodging reservations 3-4 months in advance, to be on the safe side.
Hotel Reservations
Please make your hotel reservations ahead of time so that you get your choice of accommodation. SeeAccommodations page for details.
Vaccinations & Health Tips
Many first-time travelers to India prefer to get preventive vaccinations (shots). The US CDC Website offers the latest vaccination information on travel to India. In other countries, there may be similar advisories available from the appropriate government agency. Checking various world travel sites is another source of information, including tips for first time travelers.
Foreign Exchange
While international credit cards are widely accepted in commercial establishments in India, several places rely on cash transactions in the local currency (Indian Rupee), especially if the purchase value is not very high. We suggest that you either carry some Indian currency when entering India or purchase Indian currency at the currency exchange agencies at the Indian airports, upon arrival. The current exchange rate is about ~68 INR per US dollar. Please check the conversion rate before you travel. Once in India, you can purchase additional Indian currency from local branches of Citibank, Thomas Cook, etc. However, it is typically difficult to convert Indian currency back into foreign currency because of exchange regulations.
Time and Weather
The Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5.5 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is 13.5 hours ahead of the U. S. Pacific Standard Time (PST). In December/ January the weather is mildly tropical with temperatures averaging about 26° Celsius (approx. 79° Fahrenheit) during the day and about 14° Celsius (approx. 58° Fahrenheit) during the night. You can check the dailyweather forecast here.
Flights to India
Bengaluru is well connected by airline services to most major cities in India and abroad. All flights, national and international, operate from the Bengaluru International Airport (Airport Code: BLR). If you are planning to travel around India after/before the conference, check with your travel agent for attractive local air travel offers that are usually available with your international travel ticket.
Domestic Airlines
· Air India.
· GoAir.
· IndiGo.
· Jet Airways.
· SpiceJet.
· Vistara.