Ripples on the brain

The IT companies in Chennai seem to be competing with each other in making their employees commute the maximum distance possible. I remember in the 90’s most of the offices used to be in and around Sardar Patel Road, Arcot Road and the area around Anna Salai after the Gemini flyover (Cathedral Road, Nungambakkam High Road, Whites Road and Greams Road). And mostly the organizations had single offices in the city.

In early 2000, when TIDEL Park was constructed, invariably all IT companies had at least one branch in it. That, alas, turned out to be a temporary office place for most of the employees, for, most companies, when they moved to TIDEL Park, already had a construction activity in progress in their own spaces somewhere along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). Soon a distance of 15-25kms became very common and office buses started plying within the city. For the next 5 years, the companies consolidated their presence in the OMR by increasing the office space in the same premises, acquiring alternate premises on the same road and completely shutting out their operations in the rented spaces within the city. The employees were stretched in their daily commute, from a distance of 25kms to 35kms as their work locations moved closer and closer to Mahabalipuram along the OMR.

After 2004-2005, even the elaborate complexes along the OMR seemed insufficient to accommodate the ever increasing employee strength. The companies have now started to move further South along OMR and even NH-45. My organization, which has a single prominent location in Tambaram Sanatorium, makes me commute around 25kms everyday using 3 modes of transportation – a two-wheeler, a suburban train and a staff van. While I rued over the fact that I’d to commute such a long distance, I ran into an erstwhile colleague from my previous organization, who stays near my house but works in Mahindra City which is close to Paranur station (just before Chengalpattu). I can take solace from the fact that he travels more than twice my distance, 47kms, everyday to work. It was funny to know that he compares himself with some of his team members who commute up to 75kms everyday using up to 5 modes of transport to reach office and feels better.

What’s coming next? Offices in Tindivanam?