Inside Bengaluru

There is a good chance that you have spoken to somebody in Bengaluru (AKA Bangalore)...
Whenever you have a problem with your printer, your computer, or any other piece of technology, you are usually patched over to somebody at a call center who speaks English with an Indian accent. These people are often stationed in Bengaluru, which is India's (and the world's) homebase for call centers, as well as a hub of Information Technology (IT) and software. The city has for years attracted a diverse portion of India's best and brightest. Because of this, Bengaluru has a very youthful, intelligent population, not to mention the fine dining and nightlife that comes along with it.
To the casual visitor, the city does not seem very interesting. To paraphrase my friend and Bengaluru local Amrit Dhir, 'this city is not necessarily great for visiting or sightseeing, but it is possibly the best city in India to live in.' And he is right. There are very few old neighborhoods, or interesting temples and mosques - this is not a camera-friendly place. But if you happen to live here, the standard of living is quite high. Sleek apartments and vast green spaces abound in this city, as do good restaurants and wonderful bars (it is known as the "Pub City" after all). I happened to arrive here in time for a great St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl, and after not really drinking at all in India, it was a huge change of pace (a hangover ensued to say the least). But if I did not know somebody who lived here, it's safe to say that I would not have appreciated the city nearly as much. A working city it is; a tourist attraction it is not. In many ways Bengaluru is the most uncompromising and straightforward of cities - it does not try to woo and attract tourists. I cannot tell if Bengaluru even WANTS or NEEDS tourists to come. Only those who are meant to be here come and stay. It is stricty enjoyed by insiders. The rest quickly vacate the premises.
For all of the vast potential that I saw in this city, I also saw some of the worst traffic so far in India. In fact, Bengaluru is infamous for its traffic jams. The traffic that I happened to see was mostly the result of a new Metro that is being built. Buses, cars, and motorcycles were constantly being detoured and herded around imposing concrete beams that sprouted out of the ground like fat redwood tree trunks. Traffic refused to move for minutes on end. This construction is a huge nuisance for now, but the up and coming Metro could very well transform the city into a supremely efficient urban center. Sadly, work never seems to progress much. When driving by some men working on one Metro beam, my friend Amrit told me that it was one of the few times in a long while that he had seen any work get done. Things must pick up soon, because bad infrastructure is actually undermining Bengaluru's top standing as an IT center - many investors are relocating to other cities now, such as New Delhi, Chennai, and Chandigarh.
As powerful as India has become due to its booming IT sector, the country would do well to improve its economy in other areas as well. Only about 1-2 million (if that) are employed in the IT sector. Obviously the IT sector will not solve India's problems of providing job security to its people. While those who are employed in this sector are reaping the benefits of a good job, millions of people do not enjoy such stability in their lives. India's population is quite similar to that of China. In 2005, China's formal manufacturing sector employed about 100 million people, while India employed only 7 million people. It is clear that India must improve its manufacturing sector, for that could be a great way to provide jobs to people and stimulate economic growth. Everywhere I travel in India, I see hordes of perfectly fit people just sitting in the street, with nothing to do and little direction in life. They seem dejected, and for good reason. These are the people who can be put to work, and they (and their families) can then enjoy a higher standard of life when they receive a paycheck.
Progress is being made however. I recently read an article by Saritha Rai (The Global Post) about a wonderful project that is occurring in Bengaluru. A company by the name of KK Plastic Waste Management Co. has begun to add shredded plastic waste to road-laying material (asphalt). Such plastic binds the asphalt and reduces the need for constant repair, actually doubling the lifespan of a normal road. Plastic is also water-resistant and thus allows roads to withstand the heavy rains of India. Overall, this material (called "Polymerized Bitumen") can better handle the pressure of constant traffic jams and erosion. More importantly, these "plastic roads" make use of tons of plastic waste. India has always been proud of its ability to recycle cloth, paper, and metal - but plastic has unfortunately been neglected. While many cities have taken the step of banning the use of plastic bags, plastic waste still overflows India's landfills, pollutes its rivers and oceans, and clogs its drainage systems. Bengaluru alone generates about 40 tons of plastic waste each day! The project is off to a great start - so far 800 miles of sturdy city roads have been built, and the city has been rid of 4,000 tons of plastic waste. Fortunately, rag pickers (trash collectors who are some of the poorest people in India) are paid to find plastic trash. In the end, the project has allowed roads to become sturdier, plastic waste to be reduced, and it has proven to be a great way to employ people. As of now, KK CO. is bidding for plastic road-laying projects in New Delhi and Mumbai, and governments in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria are interested in the idea as well.
Bengaluru has always been a city of innovation. It was the first city in India to switch to electric street lights, and now it is the first to change the way it builds its roads. The city's booming IT sector is further proof of the vast potential that exists here. Although there is not much to actually see in Bengaluru, the city provides a high standard of living to its inhabitants, and there is far more happening here than meets the eye...