Can the new ‘Bengaluru Business Corridor’ end the city’s decades-long traffic woes?

Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday gave the green light to the Peripheral Ring Road project and renamed it the ‘Bengaluru Business Corridor’ (BBC). The move aims to fast-track one of Bengaluru’s most delayed infrastructure projects, pending for nearly two decades.

Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, said after the cabinet meeting that the government is committed to resolving long-standing hurdles that have kept the project from moving forward.

“Previous governments wanted to drop it. Now an alternative road is needed. We thought no road will be denotified,” Shivakumar told reporters, adding that the notifications for the project had been issued years ago but no decision had been taken until now.

The project, estimated to cost around ₹27,000 crore, will span 117 km, connecting Tumakuru Road to Electronic City via Doddaballapur Road, Bellary Road, and Old Madras Road.

New compensation model for land losers

In a key development, the cabinet also approved the grant of development rights for farmers and landowners whose property will be acquired for the project. This is expected to reduce the state’s financial burden while expediting land acquisition.

Officials said the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) has confirmed it will provide 100% funding for the Bengaluru Business Corridor. In response, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has appointed eight land acquisition officers and established four new offices near the affected 76 villages to speed up the compensation process.

The project requires around 2,560 acres of land, and authorities have faced challenges due to multiple ownership claims and land partitions over time. A senior official said, “The number of land losers eligible for compensation now exceeds 4,000. The new local offices will ensure payments are made without requiring owners to travel to the BDA head office.”

Implementation and next steps

The Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, L. K. Atheeq, who also chairs the project’s Special Purpose Vehicle, and Vice-Chairman N. A. Harris reviewed progress earlier this week with senior officials from the BDA and district administrations.

According to officials, land acquisition and compensation are expected to be completed within six months, after which tenders for the project will be floated. HUDCO’s Chief General Manager is also expected to visit Bengaluru soon to finalise the funding formalities.

With the new measures in place, the state government hopes the Bengaluru Business Corridor will ease traffic congestion and transform the capital’s connectivity by linking key industrial and commercial corridors.