Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 28 ℃ | Low: 20 ℃ | Fog/mist in the morning and partly cloudy sky later.
🧐 Did you know? Four National Highways pass through the city – NH44, 75, 948, and 275.
🏢 Amazon HQ shift
Amazon India plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from the World Trade Centre (WTC) to a new office 20 km away near the city’s outskirts as part of a cost-cutting strategy.
What’s it about? The move is expected to save Amazon significant expenses, as the rent at the new location is less than a third of the ₹250 per square foot it currently pays for nearly 500,000 square feet of office space at WTC.
- The relocation process will begin in April 2025 and conclude by April 2026.
- Amazon’s current headquarters, located within a 40-acre complex in northwest Bengaluru, offers numerous amenities, including residential flats, a shopping complex, a five-star hotel, a hospital, and a school.
Employees unhappy: The decision to move has sparked dissatisfaction among employees. The new office location near the airport will increase commute times, with some estimating over 80 minutes of travel during the day.
🚇 Metro’s plans
Bengaluru’s metro network is set for a transformative expansion, increasing its total length to 175 km by 2026.
What’s it about? The expansion includes constructing major corridors such as the Purple Line and the Outer Ring Road-Airport Line. These lines will connect key commercial zones, residential neighbourhoods, and vital city hubs, ensuring better accessibility for commuters.
- A key feature of the project is the development of advanced metro stations, which will integrate seamlessly with Bengaluru’s existing bus services, creating a cohesive multi-modal transport system.
- The plan also includes last-mile connectivity provisions, enabling commuters to easily reach their final destinations.
Green expansion: The expansion also emphasises energy-efficient operations and reduced carbon emissions, aligning with the city’s vision of establishing an eco-friendly public transport system.
✈️ Domestic travellers’ preference
Bengaluru has emerged as the second-most preferred domestic air travel destination in India after New Delhi.
What’s it about? An Ixigo report highlights an 84% year-over-year (YoY) increase in flight bookings to Bengaluru for November and December 2024. This unprecedented growth in air passenger arrivals at Kempegowda International Airport is attributed to the ongoing wedding season.
- Popular destinations like Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Srinagar, Jaipur, and Goa are witnessing strong YoY growth of 70-80%.
- Tier-II cities are also playing a significant role in driving travel demand this year.
Price drops: Airfares between domestic cities have dropped by 20-25% YoY, making air travel more affordable during this wedding season. Key routes such as Delhi-Bengaluru, Chennai-Kolkata, Delhi-Goa, and Bengaluru-Jaipur have seen substantial price reductions compared to last year.
🏗️ Unauthorised constructions identified
A recent survey by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) revealed 2,562 unauthorised constructions across Bengaluru.
What’s it about? The Mahadevapura zone, encompassing Whitefield’s tech corridor, topped the list with 528 such structures, followed by East Zone (446), Dasarahalli (348), and West and City Zones (328 each).
- Bommanahalli Zone reported 275 unauthorised buildings, Yelahanka Zone 167, and South Zone recorded the lowest with 142 despite having a large number of wards.
- The survey was prompted by the tragic collapse of an illegal building in Babusapalya last month, which had claimed nine lives.
Challenging survey: BBMP officials were directed to identify all unauthorised constructions within a week post-accident but progress has been slow since the survey began on October 28. Challenges such as local political pressures, previous leniencies by officials, and inconsistent reporting have hindered their efforts.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Does your office provide a cab facility?
- My office provides a cab facility.
- My office does not provide a cab facility.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which area in the city has the worst last-mile connectivity?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Azim Premji University has unveiled a new climate data set for the country.
- Forest Land Rights Committee will be protesting at Freedom Park on November 21 to address the issues of forest dwellers.
- India’s first K-12 School of Innovation, Creativity, and Design, Ekya Nava was inaugurated in the city.
- Sightsavers India and AbbVie India hosted the fourth state-level consultation on the ‘Prevention of Visual Impairment Caused by Glaucoma’ at the NIMHANS Convention Centre.
- Oakridge International School hosted the 9th edition of its OAK MUN with the participation of over 350 students.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I will be able to point out where Ballari is on a map of Karnataka: 25.0%
- I will not be able to point out where Ballari is on a map of Karnataka: 75.0% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!