Azim Premji
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Citing the Wipro campus being an “exclusive private property,” Wipro founder-chairman Azim Premji has declined Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s request to allow limited vehicular movement through the company’s Sarjapur campus in Bengaluru.
In a letter, he said that it is “an exclusive private property owned by a listed company, not meant for public thoroughfare.” He also highlighted that the Sarjapur facility, being a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), is bound by contractual conditions that mandate “stringent, non-negotiable access control norms for governance and compliance.”
According to him, public passage through the campus would not serve as a “sustainable, long-term solution.”
The letter, dated September 24, 2025, came in response to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s appeal on September 19 to explore the possibility of allowing limited vehicular movement through its campus to help ease traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road, Iblur junction.
A Bengaluru Traffic Police traffic simulation study showed this would cut down congestion by nearly 38%. Mr. Siddaramaiah wrote to Mr. Premji at a time when the State government has been under pressure over infrastructure gaps and severe traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), an issue that reportedly led a logistics technology firm to shift out of the corridor.
In his reply, Mr. Premji acknowledged the gravity of Bengaluru’s traffic woes and praised the Chief Minister’s initiative. He wrote: “We sincerely appreciate your leadership for initiatives concerning critical issue of traffic congestion in Bengaluru. As stated in your letter, urgent and effective measures are indeed required for the traffic situation, particularly along the Outer Ring Road, being an export oriented economic hub.”
At the same time, he expressed reservations over opening the Sarjapur campus to public vehicles. “With respect to the specific suggestion of allowing public vehicular movement through our Sarjapur campus, we apprehend significant legal, governance, and statutory challenges since it is an exclusive private property owned by a listed company not intended for public thoroughfare,” Mr. Premji stated.
Moots study by experts
Instead, Mr. Premji recommended a more comprehensive approach, suggesting that the government commission “a scientific study led by an entity with world-class expertise in urban transport management”. He assured that Wipro would “underwrite a significant portion of the cost” of such a study.
“Wipro nevertheless stands committed to partner with the Government of Karnataka to find a lasting solution for Bengaluru’s mobility challenges. We believe a collaborative, data-driven approach will yield the most impactful results for our city,” Mr. Premji concluded in the letter.
Published – September 25, 2025 11:12 pm IST
