An industry body representing more than 500 companies along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road has rejected a state proposal to lean on work-from-home arrangements during a planned road revamp, saying remote work is no fix for infrastructure gaps in the city’s main technology corridor.
The Outer Ring Road Companies Association, or ORRCA, has asked the Greater Bengaluru Authority to put the 450 crore rupee ORR white-topping project on hold. The association said major carriageway work should begin only after Namma Metro’s Blue Line becomes operational, which is currently expected around June 2027, since simultaneous metro and road construction could cause severe disruption on an already congested stretch.
The friction centres on how to manage traffic during the build. State officials had been asked to engage with companies along the corridor and facilitate 50% work-from-home arrangements so construction could proceed with less disruption. ORRCA has categorically rejected that suggestion.
“Work From Home cannot be a substitute for effective infrastructure planning and traffic management,” the association said in a letter, as reported by Moneycontrol.
The association expressed deep disappointment and serious concern over reports that civic authorities plan to begin white-topping from October 2026, saying the timeline appeared inconsistent with an understanding reached at an August 4 stakeholder meeting that major road works should follow the metro becoming operational. It has sought a technical comparison between white-topping and black-topping, a traffic simulation, a diversion plan and a construction-management plan coordinated with the Bengaluru Traffic Police and the metro schedule.
ORRCA said it is not opposed to infrastructure improvements and supports ancillary works such as utilities, stormwater drains, footpaths, flood mitigation and traffic-management upgrades. The dispute reflects a recurring tension in Bengaluru, where the state has repeatedly floated wider remote work to ease strain on the ORR, and where employers have pushed back, citing client coordination, data security and operational continuity.
The 450 crore rupee project covers a 17 km stretch between Silk Board Junction and KR Puram, and includes wider footpaths, dedicated bus and taxi points and other upgrades. The Greater Bengaluru Authority is expected to consult ORRCA and the traffic police before finalising traffic-management measures.
