Will Bangalore get 'Bangalored'?

BANGALORE: Bangalore city's success in outsourcing resulted in the coinage of a slang - “Bangalored,” that refers to the flight of IT jobs from the US and UK to India.

But the city, which is grappling under the strain of poor infrastructure, could find itself following the meaning of its own verb.

The clamor against Bangalore's insufficient and overburdened infrastructure reached a crescendo last week after various IT companies in India's tech capital have decided to boycott the industry's showcase annual event BangaloreIT.in.

The Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) which counts 135 IT and ITES companies in the city among its members, announced its decision not to participate in the event citing “the Government's apathy towards infrastructure woes, particularly in the areas of traffic congestion, power shortage and airport infrastructure.”

The city-based body has said that the pathetic infrastructure has led to a slowdown in investment and has led to a flight of capital to other states. To prove its point, it quotes STPI figures that show that only 30 new companies set foot in Bangalore in 2004-05 compared to 52, last year.

In response to the widespread criticism, N Dharam Singh, Karnataka chief minister saw “systemic propaganda” against him in the move and said that the government was committed to improve facilities including upgradation of 38 roads in Bangalore. Singh also agreed to have a discussion with IT industry captains on the issue.

Speaking to CyberMedia News, Ananth Koppar, president BCIC said, “In the last nine months, we have not seen any upkeep of facilities and there is a deterioration in our existing infrastructure in Bangalore. How can we put up with these conditions?”

He added that the BCIC wanted some short-term fixes for the existing problems. On whether the poor infrastructure issue would have an adverse impact on brand Bangalore, Koppar said, “So far, it has not happened. But if the same situation continues, it could happen. ”

According to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the rate of urbanisation in the city increased by 4.5% with the entry of the IT industry. The city houses a population of seven million, which is slated to touch 8.8 million in 2015. BDA Commissioner MN Vidyashankar, said that one of the reasons for Bangalore's congestion and traffic problem is because the city does not have a designated central business district (CBD) unlike other cities. The BDA's draft master plan for 2015 recommends the allocation of around 25 sq km land for high-tech industry.

While the outcry against infrastructure was prevalent even last year, this time around, the industry seems to be more active in voicing their concerns. Recent monsoon rains inundated low lying areas in Bangalore and also caused waterlogging in houses and luxury apartments, which house tech professionals among others.

Besides, the city has had to cope with long traffic gridlocks, congestion and bad roads. With 900 new vehicles appearing on the roads every day, the situation is only getting worse.

The much-touted Bangalore international airport near Devananhalli, which was caught up in bureaucratic wrangling over the last four years, has finally gotten off the ground and is slated to be ready in 2008.

Rather than looking on helplessly, some IT companies like Infosys have decided to take the collaborative way out by partnering with the National Highway of India to build a Rs 450 crore highway in Bangalore. This project is still in the planning stage.

Meanwhile, pressure on the state government to improve the city's facilities have come from different quarters like Nasscom president Kiran Karnik and Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran. The latter wrote to the prime minister last month asking for a central government fund of Rs 500 crore towards bettering Bangalore.

Further, Maran said at the inauguration of CDOT Alcatel Reseach Center in Chennai last week that if the same condition as in Bangalore prevailed in Chennai, IT companies might go elsewhere.

Bangalore, he added, had become difficult for investors due to poor infrastructure and traffic congestion.

While most of the proposed projects in Bangalore are geared towards long-term growth, the industry feels that the state government has been negligent in handling short-term issues.

Would this instance of bad PR for Bangalore be taken on constructively by the state government to improve matters before IT companies avoid setting up base in India's tech Mecca?