If you are one among the many that aspire to live in Bengaluru, the IT capital of the city, then Bellandur on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) should be on your list. Don’t believe me? Well then, let’s listen to the experience of Pushpakumar, an IT employee working in Whitefield. He could have picked a home anywhere along the outer ring road or even in Whitefield itself, but this 40 year-old chose Bellandur because he felt it gave him far better connectivity. “It takes me about 20 minutes to reach Marathahalli or old airport road, from areas like Madivala, the travel time can increase. Reaching work on time is very important for me and that is the reason I chose to invest in Bellandur. The area is more open and over the last 8 years, it has been growing at a tremendous pace”, he says.

Located on the ORR, Bellandur is considered a nodal point to access Whitefield and the Silk board, both of which lie at opposite ends while also connecting Marathahalli and the Old Airport Road. Investors in property here are primarily IT employees who work in and around the ORR IT corridor. Prices for homes in Bellandur start at about 5000 rupees a square foot, which is relatively affordable compared to other regions here, a factor that developers say is bringing in home buyer interest.

“80% of the employees who buy here are IT employees. I can say that more than 10,000 people are living in this area. Which is a good thing. They get value for money and prices are reasonable compared to other places on this stretch,” says JC Sharma, VCMD, Sobha Limited.

Top developers who have launched projects in this region include Sobha limited, Nitesh estates, and the Oceanus group. Despite its affordability, Bellandur does have its shortcomings. Chief among them, is being part of the infrastructure nightmare on the ORR, which currently plays host to over 4.5 lakh vehicles every day. Experts say this has the potential to cripple growth in this area.“Commuting is a major problem in Bangalore. People have invested here thinking that the situation would improve and prices would appreciate. I don’t see that happening at all. Having a Metro here could help, easing access especially to the Sarjapur Outer Ring Road where 65% of commercial office space is concentrated”, says Satish BN, executive director – South India at Knight Frank.

Pollution is also a major concern here, with reports about polluted lake bodies regularly popping up in news reports in the region. Experts say that the region’s growing traffic and pollution concerns will be major deterrents for growth in the region, if not resolved soon. From Bengaluru,Lakshmi Sivadas,Ndtv.