On Thursday, CEO Rajesh Yabaji, issued a clarification that they are not relocating from the city, but are just shifting to a different location within the city.
Published Sep 18, 2025 | 8:32 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 18, 2025 | 8:32 PM
ORR Bengaluru. (Wikimedia)
Synopsis: BlackBuck’s CEO clarified they are not exiting Bengaluru but relocating within the city due to poor infrastructure on ORR. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar defended Bengaluru amid criticism from HD Kumaraswamy and Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh’s invitation to shift to Andhra.
A day after logistics tech platform BlackBuck has taken the decision to move out of Bengaluru’s ORR, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reacted to the criticism. He also responded to Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh’s invitation to the CEO, inviting them to the state.
DK Shivakumar said, “Let them welcome. If they feel that Bengaluru is very safe for them, good for them, they will stay and do business.”
He added, “If not, why so many Fortune 500 companies are here? More than 25 Lakh engineers are working here. 2 Lakh foreigners are working here. Foreign passports are here in Bengaluru. Why, because the system is good, talent is there.”
Nara Lokesh, Minister for Human Resources Development of Andhra Pradesh posted on X on Wednesday, 17 September, “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.”
On Thursday, 18 September, he further posted, “Here’s what sets AP apart from others – we don’t dismiss our people’s genuine grievances as ‘Blackmail’. We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve.”
Here’s what sets AP apart from others – we don’t dismiss our people’s genuine grievances as ‘Blackmail’. We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve. https://t.co/ZszTXYEeqG
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 18, 2025
Rajesh Yabaji, Co-Founder and CEO took to X to express his dismay. His post read: “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.”
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.
Background:
– Average commute for my colleagues shot up to 1.5+ hrs (one way)
– Roads full of potholes & dust, coupled with lowest…— Rajesh Yabaji (@YABAJI) September 16, 2025
Meanwhile, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy expressed his criticism on X.
He wrote: “The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are responsible for this disgrace. Today, Bengaluru and Karnataka are trapped in the hands of the incompetent and the corrupt. At every step, there is a death trap of potholes; everywhere one looks, heaps of garbage. Is this what they call Greater Bengaluru? What is BBMP doing swallowing taxpayers’ money while doing nothing? Industrialists are right in calling this an utter failure of governance. You don’t need a mirror to see a festering wound. For the first time in history, industries themselves have so strongly exposed the government’s failures. This government has neither shame nor self-respect. It has trampled on the pride of Kannadigas.”
The proud city of Bengaluru, built by Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, has suffered a severe blow to its reputation. It is tragic that Bengaluru is now gaining infamy as the “City of Potholes.”
The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are responsible for this disgrace. Today,…
— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | HD Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) September 18, 2025
However, Shivakumar responded, “Kumaraswamy has done nothing for Bengaluru. He himself is responsible, so why isn’t he speaking up about the funds for the city? He should ask the Prime Minister for at least ₹10,000 crore to fix all the roads.”
On Thursday, CEO Rajesh Yabaji, issued a clarification that they are not relocating from the city, but are just shifting to a different location within the city.
The note read, “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 ORR, The city of Bengaluru and The state of Karnataka has enabled the company with the needed resources, infrastructure, talent density and opportunities to grow into a large company, making a meaningful impact across the trucking ecosystem in India.”
He added, “As one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Karnataka tech-ecosystem over the last decade, 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. 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.”
— Rajesh Yabaji (@YABAJI) September 18, 2025
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto)
