BlackBuck clears the air: 'Not moving out of Bengaluru, just relocating'

BlackBuck, one of India's leading digital trucking platforms, issued a statement on Thursday clarifying its position amid speculation about relocating its operations outside of Bengaluru. The company refuted claims that it was considering leaving the city due to poor road conditions. BlackBuck said that it was only moving to a different location within Bengaluru to better accommodate employee commutes and improve business operations.

"BlackBuck started its operations in the year 2015 from Bengaluru, beginning from a small office near the Sony Signal at Koramangala. As we expanded our operations and teams, we moved to the Bellandur - Outer Ring Road (ORR) in 2016 for larger office spaces and better-suited facilities," the company said.

"We fully understand what the city of Bengaluru has helped us achieve and how it will be playing a major role in unlocking our potential ahead. Hence, we unilaterally refute the claims made by some media outlets that we are considering moving out of the city," it added.

The clarification came a day after BlackBuck's CEO, Rajesh Yabaji, posted on X expressing frustration over the worsening infrastructure on the ORR. Yabaji wrote, "ORR (Bellandur) has been our 'office + home’ for the last 9 years. But it's now very-very hard to continue here. 💔 We have decided to move out." He cited the growing commute time for employees, with some taking over 1.5 hours each way, compounded by potholes and poor road conditions.

The CEO's comments sparked a wave of reactions, particularly around Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure. Infosys veteran Mohandas Pai also voiced concerns, saying that the city risked losing its "Silicon City" crown due to poor governance and unaddressed infrastructure issues. "Even an optimist like me is losing hope," Pai said, referencing the chaotic traffic and failing infrastructure.

BlackBuck, in its statement, assured that despite the relocation, a large part of its operations would continue on the ORR. "We are only relocating within the city to a different location, which will facilitate an easy commute for our employees. As we do this, we want to reiterate that a large part of operations would still continue to happen on the ORR, and hence we will continue to seek help from the concerned authorities to enable infrastructure improvements to facilitate smooth business operations."

"We will not only continue to remain in the city of Bengaluru, but will also expand our footprint here. Bengaluru is home for us and as always, we continue to remain committed to relay our needs and issues to the relevant government authorities and seek support to get them resolved," the company stated.

The issue also caught the attention of Andhra Pradesh's IT Minister Nara Lokesh, who invited BlackBuck to consider relocating its operations to Visakhapatnam, citing the city's clean infrastructure, safety ratings, and development efforts. "Hi Rajesh, can I interest you in relocating your company to Vizag? We are rated among top 5 cleanest cities in India, are building best-in-class infra, and have been rated the safest city for women. Please send me a DM," Lokesh wrote.