Reimagining Bengaluru

With an eye on making Bengaluru the coolest destination for multinationals and investors, the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka is going all out to spruce up the infrastructure in India’s Silicon Valley

- Ashish Sinha

BENGALURU SHOULD be like a planet where there will be satellite towns along with the best of connectivity with rail, road, hitech travel systems and easy mode of transportation for the passengers.” Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was not just thinking aloud when he spoke about the idea of building-integrated cities around Bengaluru to accommodate the growing population and provide better amenities. He walked the talk too – he went ahead and allocated Rs 8,409 crore for the ‘comprehensive development’ of Bengaluru in the state budget presented in March this year.

In fact, Bengaluru and its development has remained an area of focus for successive state governments. As India’s Silicon Valley, the city is one of the biggest contributors to the Union’s coffers. However, its unplanned and rapid expansion – it boasts a population of 12 million-plus – has made life in the city increasingly difficult due to its treacherous roads, declining air and water quality, encroached and polluted lakes, rapid reduction in the green cover and what not.

All-round Development

Not just Bengaluru, regions surrounding Bengaluru are also being developed to meet the growing demand across sectors, state government officials say. Take, for example, global industrial townships like the 70-acre Technology Innovation International Park (CDC Taiwan) that boasts grade-A infrastructure. “Then there is Japan Industrial Area Township spread across 520 acres with 200 acres already allotted, 31 acres have been reserved for commercial activities, uninterrupted power supply,” says Bommai.