‘We do not need short-term measures but long-term ones. Companies seem to have given up on the infrastructure part. Long delays are fuelling more traffic crisis.’
IMAGE: Potholes on Bengaluru roads. Photograph: ANI Photo
The challenges of Bengaluru’s infrastructure and the growing frustrations among citizens and companies have once again come to light, even as Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar assured that contractors have been given a final deadline of November to fill the city’s potholes and ensure smooth traffic flow.
Rajesh Yabaji, co-founder and chief executive of online trucking platform BlackBuck, announced the company’s decision to relocate from its Bellandur office along the city’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), citing increasing commute time and deteriorating road conditions as key reasons for the move.
ORR (Bellandur) has been our ‘office + home’ for the last 9 years, but it’s now very, very hard to continue here, so we have decided to move out,’ Yabaji posted on X.
His statement highlights familiar concerns about Bengaluru’s infrastructure: Roads full of potholes, persistent traffic congestion, insufficient public transport options, and a slow pace of metro railway development, all contributing to challenging daily commutes.
For over a decade, the ORR has been the subject of ridicule among those familiar with the city’s crumbling infrastructure.
The road flanks gleaming state-of-the-art business parks housing global giants such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, Microsoft, Google, and IBM.
Yet beyond the corporate complexes, the reality of poor road conditions and traffic congestion remains a pressing issue.
Yabaji underlined the difficulties faced by employees, noting: ‘The average commute for my colleagues has shot up to 1.5+ hours (one way), the roads are full of potholes and dust with the lowest intent to get them rectified, and we don’t see any of this changing in the next 5 years.’
Sources indicated that BlackBuck, currently valued at around ₹11,000 crore (Rs 110 billion), does not intend to leave Bengaluru entirely but plans to shift its office to a different location within the city.
‘Big big failure of governance in Bengaluru,’ posted former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on X, maintaining his long-standing call for more effective infrastructure planning by successive state governments.
‘This is serious. Emergency measures needed to fix these issues,’ added Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics.
Bengaluru, often referred to as India’s Silicon Valley and home to over 3,500 IT firms, continues to grapple with serious infrastructure woes — from crumbling roads and chronic water shortages to inadequate drainage that leaves parts of the city waterlogged even after moderate rainfall.
Rising frustration over the city’s traffic snarls, placing Bengaluru third on the list of the world’s most congested cities in 2024, is drawing increasing concern among startups and multinational companies, with executives citing lost productivity and missed business opportunities.
Several prominent figures in the tech industry, including Setu API Co-Dounder Nikhil Kumar and EaseMyTrip’s Prashant Pitti, have publicly expressed concerns about the city’s traffic issues and aging infrastructure, with some hinting at shifting talent and operations to more navigable hubs such as Hyderabad.
In July, Pitti found himself trapped for more than 100 minutes on Bengaluru’s congested Outer Ring Road.
Frustrated by the experience, he posted on X offering ₹1 crore to anyone who could deploy AI to map the city’s traffic choke points and share the insights with local authorities.
Krishna Kumar Gowda, general secretary of the Greater Bengaluru IT Companies and Industries Association, told Business Standard that the government should accelerate the completion of the Blue Line Metro and improve last-mile connectivity, seen as crucial to reducing reliance on private vehicles.
“We do not need short-term measures but long-term ones. Companies seem to have given up on the infrastructure part. Long delays are fuelling more traffic crisis. The government should fast-track comprehensive ORR modernization projects with improved signage, dedicated bus lanes, upgraded footpaths, and proper skywalks for pedestrian safety and throughput,” Gowda said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka deputy chief minister acknowledged the deepening infrastructure woes and assured that contractors have been given a final deadline of November to fill the city’s potholes.
In a post on X, Shivakumar stated: ‘Contractors have been given a final deadline to fill the potholes within November to resolve the problem. Since a clean Bengaluru and smooth traffic are our goals, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will provide relief from potholes as soon as possible.’
In a bid to woo tech firms battling Bengaluru’s ongoing gridlock, Nara Lokesh, who holds key portfolios in the Andhra Pradesh government — human resource development, information technology, electronics and Communication, and real time governance — issued a direct appeal.
‘Hi Rajesh, can I interest you in relocating your company to Vizag? We are rated among the top 5 cleanest cities in India, are building best-in-class infrastructure, and have been rated the safest city for women. Please send me a DM.
As Bengaluru’s infrastructure continues to face challenges, such offers from competing states present an alternative for companies seeking a smoother operating environment in India’s fast-growing technology sector.
Peerzada Abrar adds:
BlackBuck clarified on Thursday evening that it would remain in Bengaluru despite earlier comments from CEO Rajesh Yabaji triggering speculation about the company leaving the city due to infrastructure challenges.
Yabaji stated in a press release that BlackBuck was ‘only relocating within the city’ to facilitate easier commutes for employees, while maintaining its significant operations along Bengaluru’s outer ring road.
‘We will not only continue to remain in the city, but will also expand our footprint. We will remain committed to relay our needs and issues to the relevant government authorities,’ he said.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
