Following public outrage over crumbling infrastructure, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge and Bengaluru civic chief Maheshwar Rao met representatives of leading companies along Outer Ring Road (ORR) corridor at a townhall organized by the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) on December 5.
The meeting focused on addressing critical infrastructure, civic, and mobility challenges along one of India’s most important technology and business corridors.
Also, read: BlackBuck CEO’s post on Bengaluru’s crumbling Outer Ring Road jolts Karnataka into action
Industry leaders highlighted issues such as last-mile connectivity to Metro stations, poor conditions of service roads and footpaths, congestion at major junctions, garbage accumulation in high-density stretches, telecom disruptions due to ongoing construction, and the need for smoother integration between Metro, buses, and workplace transport solutions.
Addressing the gathering, Kharge said ORR corridor is among the most economically dense and strategically important business districts in the country and must be supported with matching infrastructure and governance.
He said that the state government has earmarked Rs 450 crore for comprehensive road upgradation along the Silk Board-KR Pura stretch, covering black-topping, service roads, street lighting, and pedestrian facilities.
“This corridor is central to Karnataka’s global technology economy. While large infrastructure projects like the Metro take time, we are committed to fixing immediate, high-impact issues on the ground. Regular reviews will track progress, and this engagement with industry will not be a one-off exercise,” Kharge said.
He added that the government plans to replicate this structured engagement across other major technology corridors such as Whitefield, Peenya, and Nagawara to systematically address area-specific challenges.
Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), said the authority has improved coordination and speed of execution across departments. “With the GBA framework in place, decision-making is more effective, and issues are being addressed in a time-bound manner. Road revamping along ORR, coordination with BMRCL for Metro integration, and streamlining civic services are being actively monitored,” he said.
He added that close coordination between BBMP, BMRCL, Traffic Police, and other agencies is underway to ensure smoother project implementation, particularly at high-traffic nodes such as Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur, and Marathahalli.
It may be recalled that when Rajesh Yabaji, CEO and co-founder of Bengaluru-based trucking platform BlackBuck, highlighted the poor condition of Outer Ring Road (ORR) on social media, it triggered sharp reactions from industrialists and citizens, prompted a high-level meeting by CM Siddaramaiah, led officials to inspect ORR, and sparked protests and widespread online outrage.
Also, read: Crumbling Outer Ring Road pushes more startups, firms towards North Bengaluru, Whitefield
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