Stuck in traffic, potholes: Startup exits Bengaluru's ORR after 9 years

'Nine years in Bellandur, but time to go': BlackBuck CEO blames bad roads and long commutes as company looks to move out of Bengaluru's ORR

Online trucking platform BlackBuck has decided to shift out of its office in Bellandur on Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), one of the city’s busiest tech stretches. The company’s co-founder and CEO, Rajesh Yabaji, announced the decision on X on Wednesday.

 

“ORR (Bellandur) has been our office + home for the last 9 years. But it’s now very-very hard to continue here. We have decided to move out,” Yabaji wrote.

The reasons: traffic, potholes, dust

Rajesh Yabaji explained that the daily commute for many employees has stretched to over 1.5 hours one way. On top of that, he said the roads are filled with potholes and dust, and he does not see any of it getting fixed anytime soon.

 

 

“Didn’t see any of this changing in the next 5 years,” he said. 

ORR (Bellandur) has been our “office + home” for the last 9 years. But it’s now very-very hard to continue here. ????  We have decided to move out.  Background:  - Average commute for my colleagues shot up to 1.5+ hrs (one way)  - Roads full of potholes & dust, coupled with lowest…

— Rajesh Yabaji (@YABAJI) September 16, 2025

What is BlackBuck?

BlackBuck is a digital platform for truck operators, offering tolling, fuelling, telematics, load and vehicle marketplace services, and financing solutions.

 

Zinka Logistics Solutions Ltd, the parent company of BlackBuck, delivered strong results in the April-June quarter. The company’s adjusted Ebitda jumped 290 per cent year-on-year to ₹47.21 crore, up from ₹12.10 crore during the same period last year, with margins improving sharply to 35.8 per cent from 13.1 per cent. Net revenues rose 43 per cent to ₹131.85 crore compared to ₹92.17 crore a year earlier.

 

Bigger frustrations around ORR

BlackBuck’s exit points to a bigger issue: Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, home to hundreds of IT and startup offices, is struggling with crumbling roads and endless traffic jams. On rainy days, social media is often filled with videos of vehicles stuck for hours. 

 

Earlier this year, when Karnataka banned bike taxis, many commuters complained online that it only made travel harder and more expensive.

'Wake up call for ORR'

Krishna Kumar Gowda, general secretary of the Greater Bengaluru IT Companies & Industries Association (GBITCIA), said companies leaving ORR should be a wake-up call.

 

"The decision of leading firms to move out highlights the urgent need for government intervention. We call for a transparent roadmap to improve roads, metro connectivity and public utilities, and reiterate our willingness to collaborate with authorities to restore Bengaluru's status as the tech capital of India," he said in a statement to news agency PTI.

Government promises action

Earlier this week, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar announced that ₹1,100 crore has been set aside for road repair and construction across the city. He stated that ₹50 crore had been approved for 14 assembly constituencies each, with the remaining receiving ₹25 crore each.

 

"We are committed to ensuring every constituency benefits from these funds and to building smooth, pothole-free roads across the city," Shivakumar said. 

What’s next?

For now, BlackBuck is preparing to move but this raises a bigger question: will this spur authorities to act faster or will India's IT hub see more exits?