News Brief
Bengaluru: Azim Premji Rejects Siddaramaiah’s Request To Open Wipro Campus For Public Traffic
Wipro Chairman Azim Premji
Azim Premji, Wipro’s founder and chairman, has turned down Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s request to open the company’s Sarjapur campus for public traffic, NDTV reported.
While refusing the thoroughfare proposal, Premji assured cooperation on Bengaluru’s traffic issues and nominated senior official Reshmi Shankar to liaise with the state government.
Bengaluru has been grappling with a traffic nightmare across the city.
In his letter, the Karnataka CM asked whether Wipro could open its Sarjapur campus to public vehicle traffic.
Mr Premji acknowledged the gravity of the issue and expressed appreciation for Siddaramaiah's appeal for corporate support in tackling traffic congestion on Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road.
Premji acknowledged the severity of traffic woes and lauded the government’s outreach to corporates but explained that the Sarjapur campus, classified as an SEZ, is bound by strict access control rules due to its global service commitments.
"That apart it will also be appreciated that our Sarjapur campus is a SEZ providing services to global customers, our contractual conditions mandate stringent, non-negotiable access control norms for governance and compliance. Moreover, public vehicular movement through private property would not be effective as a sustainable, long-term solution," Premji said.
Premji recommended a scientific, expert-led study for Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, calling it an export-critical corridor that needs holistic, data-driven traffic planning rather than temporary measures.
"The problem's complexity, stemming from multiple factors, suggests that there is unlikely to be a single point solution or a silver bullet to resolve it. To this end, we believe the most effective path forward is to commission a comprehensive, scientific study led by an entity with world-class expertise in urban transport management. Such an exercise would allow us to develop a holistic roadmap of effective solutions that are implementable in the short, medium, and long term. To demonstrate our commitment to being a part of the solution, Wipro will be pleased to engage in this process and underwrite a significant portion of the cost for this expert study," Premji said in the letter.
