Bengaluru: Traffic Hell Grips India's Tech Hub

Bengaluru, India's bustling tech hub, is grappling with severe traffic congestion, ranking third globally for the slowest traffic in 2024. The city's "Silicon Valley" status is overshadowed by gridlock, transforming "rush hour" into a half-day ordeal and significantly hindering productivity. Entrepreneurs face disrupted daily schedules, with commutes of just nine miles sometimes stretching to two hours, impacting work-life balance and discouraging activities beyond work.

The Outer Ring Road (ORR) business district, a vital corridor hosting numerous Fortune 500 offices and over a million employees, is plagued by traffic, potholes, and water shortages. This critical infrastructure failure has prompted drastic measures, such as a CEO relocating his company due to colleagues' 1.5-hour one-way commutes and deteriorating road conditions. Business leaders question the government's support for investment amid such challenges.

Authorities acknowledge the urgency, with plans to fix over 10,000 potholes and restructure municipal governance. Historically known as the "garden city," Bengaluru's rapid development has strained resources, leading to pollution, flooding, and water scarcity. While acknowledging the "pangs of growth," optimism persists for the city's future, albeit with a recognition of the pain accompanying its prosperity.