Bengaluru
Wipro founder and chairman Azim Premji has rejected Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s proposal to allow limited vehicular access through the company’s Sarjapur campus to ease congestion on Outer Ring Road (ORR). In a letter dated September 24, Premji said Bengaluru’s traffic woes were “complex” and could not be solved by a “single-point solution or a silver bullet.”
CM’s appeal for access
On September 19, Siddaramaiah wrote to Premji, requesting him to consider granting conditional access through Wipro’s premises near Iblur junction. The Chief Minister argued that allowing vehicles to pass through a small stretch within the campus could temporarily decongest critical choke points on ORR, which is home to several IT parks and sees heavy traffic during peak hours.
He assured that access could be regulated, with security and operational safeguards in place to address Wipro’s concerns.
Premji’s reply and objections
In his September 24 response, Premji respectfully declined the request, citing legal, security, and governance issues. He explained that the Sarjapur campus is part of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) bound by contractual and statutory obligations, making it difficult to open the premises for public use.
Premji also highlighted that opening private property to public traffic was not a sustainable solution. “The traffic problem in Bengaluru is complex and cannot be solved through a single-point solution,” he wrote, urging a broader and more structured approach.
Alternative proposal from Wipro
Instead of opening the campus, Premji proposed commissioning a comprehensive expert study on Bengaluru’s traffic management. He offered to fund a significant portion of this exercise, which would focus on short-, medium-, and long-term solutions, including urban transport planning, road infrastructure, and public mobility options.
Premji reiterated Wipro’s commitment to collaborating with the state government in finding data-driven, sustainable answers to Bengaluru’s long-standing traffic woes.
Larger implications
The exchange highlights a growing friction between government efforts to resolve urban mobility crises and the constraints faced by private corporations. Bengaluru, often dubbed India’s Silicon Valley, has faced severe traffic congestion, especially in the ORR corridor where major IT companies, including Wipro, Infosys, and Accenture, have large campuses.
Premji’s rejection underlines the legal and operational challenges of turning private property into public thoroughfares. At the same time, his suggestion for an expert-led study reflects a push for systemic solutions rather than temporary fixes. Urban planners note that Bengaluru’s traffic gridlock is the outcome of unplanned urbanisation, inadequate public transport, and high vehicle density—factors requiring coordinated policy interventions.
Conclusion
While Siddaramaiah sought a quick solution to Bengaluru’s traffic woes through limited road access in Wipro’s Sarjapur campus, Azim Premji firmly turned down the idea, insisting that piecemeal measures would not suffice. By proposing a government–corporate partnership to fund a long-term traffic study, Premji emphasised the need for holistic and sustainable approaches to urban mobility.