For years now, one of India's largest industrial parks, spread over 330 acres in two villages on Bangalore's outskirts, has been lobbying for ‘township' status.
Though these plans have not yet materialised, Electronics City has over the years grown into a landmark of global importance — one that is home to big names in IT , both domestic and global, and hosts a plethora of small and medium IT and BPO businesses.
The two villages, Konappana Agrahara and Doddathogur, where the three phases of this park is established, of course, have seen unimaginable changes over the years.
While large glass and chrome buildings took over the landscape, other changes included soaring land prices, a rapid change of demographics, and speedy growth in infrastructure both within and around the area.
Over the years, since the Electronics City Industries' Association (ELCIA) took over from government body Keonics in 1997, the park, led by IT conglomerates has focussed not only on building facilities and common infrastructure for those within the park, but also to touch the lives of those living around the park.
So while elevated roads, crèches and better public transport made things better for those working inside the campus, IT companies, under the aegis of ELCIA, charted out a plan for corporate social responsibility that ranged from helping schools in villages nearby to providing clean drinking water to localities that border them. N.S. Rama, CEO, ELCIA, explains that these programmes have happened with the will of large IT companies that established the trust that carries out these activities.
Mid-day meals
Among these are financing the mid-day meal scheme for 5,000 students in government schools, computer education schemes in government schools, contributing to infrastructure, and planting saplings, she explains. She also says that it is a “proud fact” that over 40 per cent of the employees working here use public transport. This is apart from the companies that have private chartered buses and other services.
This is a unique thing, and is part of what ELCIA and the companies here do to build community focus towards sustainable growth, she adds.
