Bangalore blues

The move from Mumbai was much anticipated but was the enthusiasm misplaced, wonders Pankaj Patel

Bangalore blues

The move from Mumbai was much anticipated but was the enthusiasm misplaced, wonders Pankaj Patel

Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, has earned its stripes for its entrepreneurial strength and lucrative business opportunities, primarily in the IT sector. Over the last few years, the city has become home to world-class IT companies, as it has a vast pool of skilled and talented youngsters, cost-efficient resources, a high number of English-speaking graduates, and a wonderful climate. Companies like Texas Instruments, Wipro, Infosys, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Lucent Technologies, HP, and Oracle have huge offices in the city.

Therefore, with the growing worth of Bangalore as an IT hub, a few years ago I too had several strong reasons to move to the city from Mumbai. However, I soon realised how different both the cities were in lifestyle, culture, food habits, and even modes of transport.u00a0

When I first set foot in Bangalore, I sang praises of its strengths and looked forward to embracing life in my new city. Now, I unfortunately realise that the same strengths have become weaknesses and the several challenges that the city faces, are getting bigger by the day.

I believe that the software revolution that once brought growth and prosperity to Bangalore, has now become a barrier to growth. Prosperity put pressure on the city's infrastructure.

The growing influx of people has added to the congestion. To negotiate traffic at peak hours is a nightmare.

Mumbai is no stranger to traffic jams, but compared to Bangalore, it seems to be city that's got some semblance of order. For frequent travellers to Bangalore, the commute to the airport is a waste of precious time.

During my first few visits, I was charmed by Bangalore's greenery. But trees are now being cut to widen roads and develop residential layouts. How long Bangalore will be able to protect its proud tag as Garden City remains to be seen.

Unscheduled power cuts, which last for hours, add to the city's woes. It is believed that at present the state is facing a power shortage of 1,500 megawatts, and predictably, with the widening gap between power supply and growth of people, the power shortage may rise to about 4,000 megawatts in the next five years, which is obviously also detrimental to industry. Unable to cope with the power crisis, many IT companies are now moving to Chennai and Hyderabad.

The public transport system too is in a dismal state. Try to get home by bus after 11 pm and you'll know what a nightmare it is.u00a0

I really miss the nightlife of Mumbai as most restaurants and pubs in Bangalore shut down by 11 pm. I understand this is an initiative taken by the government to arrest the increasing crime rate, but I am not too sure if this is the solution.

These issues are alienating people from the city. The only way forward is for the government to involve the residents and the stakeholders in public-private partnerships so that future development is structured and painless.

(The writer is Vice-President (India), Logix Microsystems Ltd, and CEO of carazoo.com)