Wednesday, February 01, 2006
IT villages….
…Or should I say IT in the villages of South Banaglore J. Information Technology – the expansion almost forgotten, while the acronym has become a household word, in Bangalore city.
Dear friends,
When I used to ride the BMTC (state run) buses, as we arrived in the city in Aug 2004, I had to say “Devarabeesanahalli” as my stop to alight. The conductor (ticket issuer) would not understand “Intel”. Now, he knows “Intel”, just as the masses do. Thanks to the huge Intel “Leap Ahead’ campaign.
“Halli”, in Kannada means “village”.
So, Devarabeesanahalli is where the posh offices of Intel, the high rises of Acenture, Capgemini, and sophisticated building of Huges Software, JP Morgan Chase and I-Flex are on Outer Ring Road, close to the Salapuria Supreme (where Intel has another office) and the Multi-plex theater at the next “village” junction – “Marathhalli”
Then there is “Bommanahalli” on Hosur Road. It’s the “Electronic City” where the head-offices of giants like Infosys are located, and major divisions of Wipro are…very huge campuses with state of the art buildings. There are very many “IT” companies in Bommanahalli – HP, AMD, Novell, Lucent….
For a peek into the IT scenario in Bangalore see: http://www.bangaloreit.in/html/itscbng/ecitycomp.html
Also, on that “infamous” Hosur road (due to flooding this past monsoon season and perennial dismal state of roads and daily traffic jams) is the very famous BioCon – it’s headquarters. http://www.biocon.com/biocon.asp
About Biocon: http://www.biocon.com/biocon_aboutus.asp . The page has a photo of founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw - India’s richest woman. You can take a virtual tour of their campus on Hosur road: http://www.biocon.com/start.html
“Puttanahalli” is beside the lake by the same name, the “village” that was in the news recently when Bangalore flooded – yet another place notorius for dismal roads and famous for the beautiful luxurious flats that rise in sharp contrast. Elita Promenade by the Purvankara Builders, advertise their spaces – like living abroad! World Class living spaces they say:
http://www.elitahomes.com/promenade/index.asp.
Puttanahalli – an oxymoron of sorts….if you place the dwellings and the roads leading to them, side-by-side J In Puttabahalli, there is also Brigade Millenium where Maya’s school is and where we move (braving the roads!) to another 4-bedroom rental property at the end of Feb 2006. It has an awesome clubhouse – The Woodrose Club: http://www.woodroseclub.com/thewoodrose.htm Brigade Insight – newsletter for the Brigade group of builders is att: http://www.brigadegroup.com/insight/2004_sept/page03.htm
All this is located in JP Nagar 7th phase, and beyond.
Aside: An article I chanced upon regarding living in these new and upcoming “luxury” flats: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/mar192004/realty2.asp
…
Inside Intel, just beside the lobby of the brand new SRR2 building, I visited the Innovation center recently (on Jan 31st 2006, actually), during lunch. They have on display, a “Digital Village” – built up like a hut and all, very cute and creative. Another “room” is a “Digital Home” – showcasing state-of-art technology built by Intel. Intel is getting into “Digital Health” area now, a new business and new opportunities, I’m told.
Aside: Intel also has “walls of fame” in the lobbies – with photos of employees with largest number of patents and “instructors” wall of fame that showcases the faces of highly rated teachers, employees offering training classes through Intel University. It’s by the people for the people of Intel, this Intel University is.
………
Far away, in the Northern part of the city (outskirts), “Devanahalli” (the village of the Gods? Or is it Lords?) is becoming a popular name. This “village” is close to Jakkur(u), around where the new International airport is coming up. It’s also close to the Yelanka “satellite” town (of yesterdays), no longer a satellite but very much “inside” a fast expanding Bangalore. IBM is building a HUGE campus I hear, near Devanahalli.
Then there is the….
“Ooru” also means village or perhaps “place”, “town”?
“Domlur” near Airport Road, is crowded like crazy. On the (current) airport road is Intel, IBM, also NAL (National Aeraunautics Ltd), ISRO (Indian Space Research Org), HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Lts) – close to the “Wind Tunnel road” where aerosynamic tests are conducted. Manipal hospital and the famous Leela Palace 5-star hotel are also on airport road. Close enough is TI, I-Flex and also Dell, Microsoft, EMC….and many, many MNCs on the Intermediate ring road leading to Airport road near Domluru…
Bellundur(u) is close to the Outer Ring road, a block away from the Intel buildings – SRR1 and SRR2 (Sarjapur Ring Road campus). Bellundar lake was recently in the news too, for the wrong reason. Problem with tackling effluents and wastes being dumped into this body of water, once on the outskirts, in a village, but now right in the heart of concrete jungles and huge city developments, to house the “flocks” of engineers which the IT companies employ. Jobs they are are not able to hire for, at a rate even equal to the rate of their company’s growth in Bangalore.
Wipro’s headoffice is also on Sarjapur Road, via which you go to TISB (The International School Bangalore) and the Indus International School. The Sarjapur Road is yet another terribly bad road, in growing South Bangalore. It ends in “Sarjapura”, yet another nearby village.
Jalahalli, an old village, a name I rememberb but don’t hear often. Perhaps because there is no IT city around it… as yet? This is were the old HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools) factory and housing quarters was (we called it HMT Colony). And, that’s where we lived when I was 2 years old! However, memories of the place eludes me now J
…..
Downtown offices are becoming few and far between. NetApps (Network Appliance), the company I am soon to join has their office just off of MG Road, on Dickinson road, in the Tanishq building (diamond jewellery shop). But, they too are moving to their “own” building on Intermediate Ring Road – typical MNC building with marble and granite, international interior decorators designing their lobbies and walls, I’m assuming. My first day is Feb 20th. On that day, I will know how the building looks J
There are towns too, in Bangalore, mainly in the Cantonment area and Bangalore East.
Cooks Town, Benson Town, Richmond Town,
Then there is the famous ITPL - Information Technology Park Ltd.
http://www.intltechpark.com/virtualtour/exteriors.htm
http://www.geocities.com/andrewjohn_2000/wf_itpark1.jpg
It’s in Whitefield (link to history): http://www.geocities.com/andrewjohn_2000/whitefld_new.htm
Real Estate costs in Bangalore and the neighbouring “villages” (hallis, oorus, puras, nagars and towns) is comparable to Portland, Oregon USA for similar facilities, lesser quality and much less space.
… How long will the growth continue? Will this spread to other cities of India? Is it already spreading – the IT and the infrastructure woes that go along with it I mean and the skyrocketing prices too.
Bad roads or good, terrible traffic or not, high prices and high rises, bad infrastructure or none, it’s Burgeoning Bangalore for sure.
-Sri
Dear friends,
When I used to ride the BMTC (state run) buses, as we arrived in the city in Aug 2004, I had to say “Devarabeesanahalli” as my stop to alight. The conductor (ticket issuer) would not understand “Intel”. Now, he knows “Intel”, just as the masses do. Thanks to the huge Intel “Leap Ahead’ campaign.
“Halli”, in Kannada means “village”.
So, Devarabeesanahalli is where the posh offices of Intel, the high rises of Acenture, Capgemini, and sophisticated building of Huges Software, JP Morgan Chase and I-Flex are on Outer Ring Road, close to the Salapuria Supreme (where Intel has another office) and the Multi-plex theater at the next “village” junction – “Marathhalli”
Then there is “Bommanahalli” on Hosur Road. It’s the “Electronic City” where the head-offices of giants like Infosys are located, and major divisions of Wipro are…very huge campuses with state of the art buildings. There are very many “IT” companies in Bommanahalli – HP, AMD, Novell, Lucent….
For a peek into the IT scenario in Bangalore see: http://www.bangaloreit.in/html/itscbng/ecitycomp.html
Also, on that “infamous” Hosur road (due to flooding this past monsoon season and perennial dismal state of roads and daily traffic jams) is the very famous BioCon – it’s headquarters. http://www.biocon.com/biocon.asp
About Biocon: http://www.biocon.com/biocon_aboutus.asp . The page has a photo of founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw - India’s richest woman. You can take a virtual tour of their campus on Hosur road: http://www.biocon.com/start.html
“Puttanahalli” is beside the lake by the same name, the “village” that was in the news recently when Bangalore flooded – yet another place notorius for dismal roads and famous for the beautiful luxurious flats that rise in sharp contrast. Elita Promenade by the Purvankara Builders, advertise their spaces – like living abroad! World Class living spaces they say:
http://www.elitahomes.com/promenade/index.asp.
Puttanahalli – an oxymoron of sorts….if you place the dwellings and the roads leading to them, side-by-side J In Puttabahalli, there is also Brigade Millenium where Maya’s school is and where we move (braving the roads!) to another 4-bedroom rental property at the end of Feb 2006. It has an awesome clubhouse – The Woodrose Club: http://www.woodroseclub.com/thewoodrose.htm Brigade Insight – newsletter for the Brigade group of builders is att: http://www.brigadegroup.com/insight/2004_sept/page03.htm
All this is located in JP Nagar 7th phase, and beyond.
Aside: An article I chanced upon regarding living in these new and upcoming “luxury” flats: http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/mar192004/realty2.asp
…
Inside Intel, just beside the lobby of the brand new SRR2 building, I visited the Innovation center recently (on Jan 31st 2006, actually), during lunch. They have on display, a “Digital Village” – built up like a hut and all, very cute and creative. Another “room” is a “Digital Home” – showcasing state-of-art technology built by Intel. Intel is getting into “Digital Health” area now, a new business and new opportunities, I’m told.
Aside: Intel also has “walls of fame” in the lobbies – with photos of employees with largest number of patents and “instructors” wall of fame that showcases the faces of highly rated teachers, employees offering training classes through Intel University. It’s by the people for the people of Intel, this Intel University is.
………
Far away, in the Northern part of the city (outskirts), “Devanahalli” (the village of the Gods? Or is it Lords?) is becoming a popular name. This “village” is close to Jakkur(u), around where the new International airport is coming up. It’s also close to the Yelanka “satellite” town (of yesterdays), no longer a satellite but very much “inside” a fast expanding Bangalore. IBM is building a HUGE campus I hear, near Devanahalli.
Then there is the….
“Ooru” also means village or perhaps “place”, “town”?
“Domlur” near Airport Road, is crowded like crazy. On the (current) airport road is Intel, IBM, also NAL (National Aeraunautics Ltd), ISRO (Indian Space Research Org), HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Lts) – close to the “Wind Tunnel road” where aerosynamic tests are conducted. Manipal hospital and the famous Leela Palace 5-star hotel are also on airport road. Close enough is TI, I-Flex and also Dell, Microsoft, EMC….and many, many MNCs on the Intermediate ring road leading to Airport road near Domluru…
Bellundur(u) is close to the Outer Ring road, a block away from the Intel buildings – SRR1 and SRR2 (Sarjapur Ring Road campus). Bellundar lake was recently in the news too, for the wrong reason. Problem with tackling effluents and wastes being dumped into this body of water, once on the outskirts, in a village, but now right in the heart of concrete jungles and huge city developments, to house the “flocks” of engineers which the IT companies employ. Jobs they are are not able to hire for, at a rate even equal to the rate of their company’s growth in Bangalore.
Wipro’s headoffice is also on Sarjapur Road, via which you go to TISB (The International School Bangalore) and the Indus International School. The Sarjapur Road is yet another terribly bad road, in growing South Bangalore. It ends in “Sarjapura”, yet another nearby village.
Jalahalli, an old village, a name I rememberb but don’t hear often. Perhaps because there is no IT city around it… as yet? This is were the old HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools) factory and housing quarters was (we called it HMT Colony). And, that’s where we lived when I was 2 years old! However, memories of the place eludes me now J
…..
Downtown offices are becoming few and far between. NetApps (Network Appliance), the company I am soon to join has their office just off of MG Road, on Dickinson road, in the Tanishq building (diamond jewellery shop). But, they too are moving to their “own” building on Intermediate Ring Road – typical MNC building with marble and granite, international interior decorators designing their lobbies and walls, I’m assuming. My first day is Feb 20th. On that day, I will know how the building looks J
There are towns too, in Bangalore, mainly in the Cantonment area and Bangalore East.
Cooks Town, Benson Town, Richmond Town,
Then there is the famous ITPL - Information Technology Park Ltd.
http://www.intltechpark.com/virtualtour/exteriors.htm
http://www.geocities.com/andrewjohn_2000/wf_itpark1.jpg
It’s in Whitefield (link to history): http://www.geocities.com/andrewjohn_2000/whitefld_new.htm
Real Estate costs in Bangalore and the neighbouring “villages” (hallis, oorus, puras, nagars and towns) is comparable to Portland, Oregon USA for similar facilities, lesser quality and much less space.
… How long will the growth continue? Will this spread to other cities of India? Is it already spreading – the IT and the infrastructure woes that go along with it I mean and the skyrocketing prices too.
Bad roads or good, terrible traffic or not, high prices and high rises, bad infrastructure or none, it’s Burgeoning Bangalore for sure.
-Sri
