‘Bengaluru is our home’: BlackBuck CEO Rajesh Yabaji to stay in city despite lamenting crumbling roads | Bengaluru News
NEW DELHI: Bengaluru-based logistics firm BlackBuck has denied speculation that it is leaving the city, after a post by its CEO triggered debate about infrastructure and corporate relocation. Rajesh Yabaji, CEO and co-founder of BlackBuck, clarified on Thursday that the company was not moving out of Bengaluru, but shifting offices within the city to reduce employee commute. In a post on X, he described Bengaluru as “home” and credited the Outer Ring Road (ORR) corridor and Karnataka’s tech ecosystem for supporting BlackBuck’s growth since its beginnings in a small Koramangala office in 2015. He added that while parts of its operations would continue on ORR, the firm was committed to expanding in the city and working with local government. The clarification came after widespread media reports suggested that BlackBuck was preparing to leave the ORR-Bellandur area, citing poor road conditions.
‘No one can threaten or blackmail the govt’
The speculation prompted a sharp reaction from Karnataka’s deputy chief minister, D K Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru’s development minister. “No one can threaten or blackmail the govt. I will not stop anyone from going,” he told reporters, in response to reports of firms considering relocation. He added, “I wish them all the good luck. If they are not satisfied with manpower, talent, or facilities, I cannot stop them, but no one can threaten the govt – I am telling you this.” Shivakumar insisted that Bengaluru remained unmatched as a business hub. “No one will go out of Bengaluru for infrastructure reasons. If they do, it will be due to business or financial problems. Blackmailing the govt will not help. Let them go wherever they want — no city can match Bengaluru.” The minister pointed to recent changes in civic governance, including the creation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which has split the city into five corporations and 198 wards to cope with population pressures. He acknowledged challenges in areas such as Mahadevapura, where “some localities fall under corporation limits, others don’t.”
Wider debate
The row has sparked debate in India’s tech capital, where several company leaders and start-up founders have complained about worsening road conditions in the ORR–Mahadevapura stretch. Adding to the controversy, Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh publicly invited BlackBuck to shift its base to Visakhapatnam. On X, he contrasted his state’s approach with Karnataka’s, writing: “Here is what sets AP apart from others — we don’t dismiss our people’s genuine grievances as ‘blackmail’. We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve.” BlackBuck, however, has reiterated its long-term commitment to Bengaluru. “We’re only relocating within the city to a different location, which will facilitate an easy commute for our employees,” the company said in a statement.
