Build Higher, But First Build Better: Density Needs Infrastructure.

Karnataka’s FAR Push Raises Density, But Bengaluru’s Infrastructure Still Lags by Decades.

Karnataka’s sweeping revision of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) promises to allow developers to build up to five times higher on industrial land, potentially reshaping urban growth. However, the move revives a familiar concern in Bengaluru—density is being permitted without matching investments in roads, drainage, and public transport. Across corridors such as Harlur Road, Rayasandra Road, Kudlu, and Hosa Road, high-rise towers have emerged on the assumption that infrastructure promised in the 2015 Comprehensive Development Plan would materialise. More than a decade later, many of these roads remain unchanged. The same pattern is visible in Whitefield, where planned road widenings exist only on paper while vertical development accelerates. This persistent gap between planning documents and on-ground execution is not incidental—it defines the city’s growth challenge. Without synchronising FAR reforms with real infrastructure delivery, Karnataka risks repeating Bengaluru’s most costly planning mistake.