Bengaluru is known as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of India. The city’s trademark is its numerous IT companies. Yet the Government of Karnataka has done so little to promote IT companies in the city and state. The major problems which hamper the growth of IT startups in Bengaluru are Power cuts and Poor infrastructure. Areas in Bengaluru such as HSR Layout, Koramangala, Whitefield, Electronics City and Jayanagar, which have numerous IT companies, face an average of 1,505 power cuts per year! This figure was revealed by a survey conducted by BESCOM. Read more on Startups
After studying the findings of the survey, BESCOM has allocated Rs. 20 crores to increase the electricity supply in Bengaluru, especially for IT companies and startups. Previously, BESCOM’s moves to increase the number of power substations in the city had landed up in court due to land acquisition issues. BESCOM officials say that IT companies and startups in the city have drastically increased the power consumption but the power supply infrastructure in the city has been unable to meet the demand so far, leading to large number of power cuts.
“Our analysis of South Circle says the load growth in some of these areas is 12% to 15% every year for the past two or three years. The number of power interruptions in these areas is also highest, more than 742 hours on an average every month. This has pushed us into planning ahead of crisis situations”, said P. Rajendra Cholan, MD at BESCOM.
BESCOM is purchasing new transformers that will be installed in places which have higher capacity.
“For this, we need to separate the network and need additional infrastructure to place these high – powered transformers. A tender has been floated”, the BESCOM MD added.
BESCOM plans to address the power crisis in Bengaluru by replacing damaged poles and installing advanced transformers. The BESCOM MD said, “Many more 66kV stations are required to increase the capacity of lines, for which land is required”.
Bengaluru is the IT hub of India. There are many promising IT startups in Bengaluru. If they need to grow to MNCs and produce quality software, they require uninterrupted power supply and proper road connectivity in Bengaluru. These are two problems which BESCOM and related government bodies need to address as soon as possible. If this problem is addressed properly and promptly, it will lead to growth and stabilization of IT startups in Bengaluru, thereby leading to more number of jobs and improved standards of living. Read more on Startup News
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