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Amid growing concern over Bengaluru’s traffic crisis, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Wipro Founder Chairman Azim Premji, seeking the company’s cooperation in easing congestion on the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The CM has requested that Wipro allow limited vehicular movement through its Sarjapur campus, a move traffic experts believe could reduce snarls around Iblur Junction by nearly 30% during peak hours.
In his letter, Siddaramaiah praised Wipro’s role in shaping Karnataka’s IT ecosystem before pointing to the acute mobility issues at Iblur. “One of the key challenges currently facing Bengaluru, particularly along the ORR corridor at Iblur Junction, is severe traffic congestion during peak hours, which adversely impacts mobility, productivity, and the quality of urban life,” he wrote. Against this backdrop, the CM suggested opening up internal Wipro roads, under security protocols and mutually agreed terms, as a pressure-release valve for the bottleneck.
Iblur Junction has become one of the city’s most notorious choke points. The problem is structural - multiple arterial roads converge here, with Sarjapur Road, the ORR, and feeder roads from Bellandur, HSR Layout and Kaikondrahalli funnelling into the same space. Metro and infrastructure works along the ORR have further narrowed carriageways, reducing the junction’s capacity. The heavy volume of office traffic from tech parks and residential clusters nearby routinely overwhelms existing signal systems, while poor pedestrian infrastructure and frequent U-turns add to delays. On top of this, damaged stretches and potholes slow down movement further, often bringing traffic to a crawl.
“Your support in this matter will go a long way in easing traffic bottlenecks, enhancing commuter experience, and contributing to a more efficient and livable Bengaluru,” Siddaramaiah appealed in his letter, requesting that Wipro engage with state officials to frame a workable plan.
The CM’s appeal comes weeks after BlackBuck co-founder Rajesh Yabaji publicly vented frustration over commuting times on the ORR stretch. Yabaji initially announced that his logistics firm would shift out of Bellandur, citing average one-way commutes of 90 minutes, pothole-ridden roads and “lowest intent” from authorities to fix them. Though he later clarified that BlackBuck would stay and expand in Bengaluru, his remarks triggered alarm across the tech ecosystem.
IT veterans like Mohandas Pai and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw amplified these concerns, warning that companies could abandon the ORR if the government failed to act. “Big, big failure of governance in Bengaluru. Please see, cos are moving out of ORR. Situation beyond hope. Please intervene,” Pai posted, tagging senior ministers. Mazumdar-Shaw reposted Pai’s remarks, calling for “emergency measures” to fix the city’s roads.
Deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar responded by instructing officials to fill potholes and submit compliance reports, but industry leaders have demanded deeper, systemic interventions.
(With inputs from IANS)