It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a vehicle in Bengaluru must be in want of a faster commute. Adding fuel to the conversation—and perhaps a little hope—entrepreneur Prashant Pitti has publicly pledged ₹1 crore for anyone who can devise a robust, real-world solution to the city’s infamous traffic congestion.
Pitti, known for blending civic-tech savvy with grassroots activism, made the announcement on social media this week, sparking curiosity (and a wave of “Is it April Fool’s?” jokes) from every corner of the city. The offer is open to all: urban planners, traffic engineers, startup visionaries, or that neighborhood uncle who’s been critiquing traffic lights since 1998.
“I’m not looking for fantasy. Give me a plan that works with what we actually have—no teleporters, please,” Prashant Pitti told local media, drawing a line between imagination and practicality.
His ideal solution? Something feasible, cost-effective, and ready for implementation without having to bulldoze half the city or import flying taxis from the future.
Bengaluru’s traffic woes are the stuff of legend, a part of daily life immortalized in memes and workplace attendance excuses. With nearly 1.5 crore vehicles jostling on its roads and infrastructure stretched thin, the city’s commuters routinely spend hours crawling through snarls that could make a snail consider public transport.
Pitti’s initiative has been met with enthusiasm from tech professionals and transport researchers, while local meme-makers have already proposed solutions involving magic carpets and permanent “Work From Home” decrees. Amidst the humor, several experts agree that pragmatic fixes—like optimizing traffic signals, improving bus lanes, enforcing parking policies, or integrating real-time data analytics—could, if properly executed, shave meaningful minutes off daily commutes.
By staking his own money, Pitti hopes to galvanize practical innovation and draw attention to a challenge that affects not just productivity, but quality of life across India’s unabashedly bustling Silicon Valley. Whether this bold call leads to a congestion cure or simply provides more material for Bengaluru’s legendary traffic jokes, one thing’s clear: the city’s drivers now have a new reason to hope the next signal turns green—both literally and figuratively.
