Wipro Founder Azim Premji Declines Government Request for Campus Vehicular Access, Proposes Scientific Traffic Study
In a significant development affecting Bengaluru’s traffic management efforts, Wipro founder and billionaire Azim Premji has declined the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s request to permit public vehicular movement through Wipro’s Sarjapur campus. The decision marks a setback for government plans aimed at easing the city’s notorious Outer Ring Road (ORR) congestion.
Legal and Contractual Roadblocks Prevent Campus Access
In a letter dated September 24, 2025, Premji highlighted the major legal and contractual constraints that prevent opening the campus to public traffic. The Sarjapur facility operates as a Special Economic Zone and is bound by strict access control norms that are non-negotiable due to governance and compliance requirements. Premji emphasized that Wipro's campus is exclusive private property and not intended to function as a public thoroughfare. Public vehicular access, he asserted, is unlikely to serve as a sustainable or effective solution for the city’s complex traffic issues.
Government's Traffic Relief Proposal and Industry Pressure
The proposal from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, made on September 19, aimed to reduce traffic by an estimated 30% at peak hours on the congested Iblur junction through limited vehicular movement across the Wipro campus. This plan gained urgency following complaints from industry leaders, including BlackBuck CEO Rajesh Yabaji, who disclosed plans to relocate his business due to the worsening road conditions on the ORR.
Wipro’s Alternative: Data-Driven Scientific Study
While declining the access request, Premji reaffirmed Wipro’s willingness to collaborate with the Karnataka government on traffic solutions. He offered for Wipro to underwrite a significant part of the costs for a comprehensive scientific study focused on urban transport management.
This initiative would aim to develop a holistic and data-driven roadmap with short, medium, and long-term solutions tailored to the ORR corridor, a vital export-oriented economic hub. Premji stressed that such a collaborative approach involving experts could deliver more impactful and sustainable results to address Bengaluru’s notorious traffic congestion.
Conclusion
Azim Premji’s decision underscores the legal complexities involved in utilizing private infrastructure for public traffic relief. Yet, Wipro’s proactive offer for a scientific study signals a constructive pathway forward, focusing on evidence-based and collaborative planning to tackle Bengaluru’s mounting traffic challenges. The coming months may reveal if this partnership yields innovative and practical mobility solutions for the city’s critical transport corridors.
This development highlights the balancing act between private property rights and public infrastructure needs amid rapid urban growth.