Over the past 25 years, Bengaluru, still popularly known as Bangalore, has transformed into India’s Silicon Valley. The South Indian city of nearly 15 million people is now home to global tech giants including Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Adobe and Boeing, as well as thousands of startups. But this rapid development comes with environmental consequences. Our correspondents report.
Bangalore’s transformation began in the 1990s, after India opened up its economy and introduced new software and computer policies. Global companies like Dell, IBM and Bosch started outsourcing operations to Bangalore, attracted by lower labour costs, a large English-speaking workforce and the city’s strong educational ecosystem.
Alongside IT services, Bangalore also became a major hub for Business Process Outsourcing, handling customer support, finance and back-office operations for companies around the world.
In the 2010s came a shift: the city was no longer just outsourcing, it was innovating. Bangalore shifted from backend services to R&D and entrepreneurship. The city saw a startup boom and is now home to over 16,000 startups.
From seven to 15 million inhabitants in a quarter of a century
But Bangalore’s growth came at a cost. Millions of people moved there in search of opportunities, placing enormous pressure on the metropolis. Bangalore is now ranked as the world’s second most congested city after Mexico City.
Wetlands, lakebeds and natural drainage channels have been built over to make space for offices and housing, leaving parts of the city flooded during monsoon rains. Shrinking lakes and excessive groundwater extraction have also deepened water shortages. With a daily water deficit of nearly 500 million litres, many residents now depend on private water tankers.
As India pushes to become a global data-centre hub, concerns are growing over sustainability. Bangalore alone hosts around 31 data centres, with a single one-megawatt facility consuming nearly 68,000 litres of water every day for cooling. Environmentalists warn that unchecked urban growth without ecological planning could leave the city increasingly vulnerable to climate change.
