Hosur in Tamil Nadu promises to be a silver bullet for all problems associated with the heavily-congested Bengaluru. Lying nearly 40 km away, it is aiming to be a twin for the IT City. Pleasant weather akin to that in the Garden City, a proposed international airport and an already-thriving industrial hub have the makings of a good pairing. The DMK government has lined up several ambitious projects to make Hosur a dream destination for technocrats and seekers of high-end jobs. Apart from an airport spread over 2,000 acres, the proposed projects include a 500-acre tech city planned with hotels, schools and recreation facilities.
Tamil Nadu also plans to establish an urban development authority that would work on a master plan focused on improving the city’s connectivity, public transport and housing. Clearly, the state is placing a lot of emphasis on developing Hosur’s physical and social infrastructure.
Several corporate houses have already made a beeline for the city. The Tata Group has identified Hosur an IT hub. Tata Electronics, which manufactures parts for Apple iPhones in Hosur, is expanding its facility and is set to become one of the largest employers in the area. Other companies such as Ashok Leyland, TVS, Ather and Ola have also established their presence with manufacturing facilities. The M K Stalin government is leaving no stones unturned to attract investments to the city and ramp up employment opportunities in the state.
To make public transport between the two cities smoother, Tamil Nadu is pushing for a metro line between Hosur and Bengaluru’s Bommasandra. It would be South India’s first inter-state metro connection and would cover about 23 km—11 km in Tamil Nadu and the remaining in Karnataka, with 12 stations en route. A team from Chennai Metro Rail recently visited Bengaluru to discuss the nitty-gritties.
At this time, the parochial argument that Hosur might emerge as a competitor to Bengaluru’s business interests should be nipped in the bud. A crammed Bengaluru should be delighted that Hosur can take some load off it and eventually ease its congestion. The two states and the central government should join hands and ensure that the metro line is up and running soon. It would help the two cities thrive as cross-border twins.