Bangalore

Both names point to the same city. "Bengaluru" is the official Kannada name. "Bangalore" was the English form used under British rule. The government changed it back to Bengaluru on 1 November 2014. The name itself is old. A 890 CE stone in Begur records a battle called the Bengaluru Yuddha. The modern city was founded later, in 1537, by Kempe Gowda I.

Here is a quick look at the city's key facts.

The city splits into five broad zones. The table below lists the main localities in each.

Bangalore grows along five clear directions. The north runs toward Hebbal and the airport. The east covers Whitefield and the Old Madras Road belt. The south-east follows Sarjapur Road and the Outer Ring Road. The south leads to Electronic City and Bannerghatta Road. The west runs along Tumkur Road and Mysuru Road.

Bangalore's story spans many centuries. Early on, the Western Gangas, Cholas and Hoysalas ruled it. In 1537, Kempe Gowda I built a mud fort here. He also laid out market streets called petes. The city later passed through the Marathas, the Mughals and the Mysore rulers. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan rebuilt the fort in stone. The British set up a cantonment in 1809. After 1947, public firms like HAL, BEL and ISRO came up. The 1991 reforms then sparked the tech boom.

Namma Metro is the city's rapid transit network. The Purple Line runs east to west across the city. The Green Line runs north to south. The Yellow Line opened in 2025, linking to Electronic City. The Blue Line, the airport line, is under construction. These lines keep cutting travel times across the city.

Kempegowda International Airport lies in the north, at Devanahalli. It is among India's busiest airports. The city also has strong rail links. The main hubs are KSR Bengaluru City and Yesvantpur Junction. KR Puram and SMVT Bengaluru serve the east of the city.

Bangalore is India's top office market. It hosts hundreds of Global Capability Centres, or GCCs. These global firms drive most of the new office demand. Reported data puts their share near 60% of office leasing. The main tech belts run through Whitefield, the ORR and Electronic City.

The market has tracked the city's growth over the decades. The table below shows the main phases.

Today the market leans toward luxury homes. Premium homes above Rs 1.5 crore make up about 62% of sales. City base prices run about Rs 8,952 to Rs 12,100 per sq ft. Home sales grow about 12% to 16% a year. Unsold stock sits around 74,000 to 79,000 units, which gives buyers room to negotiate. These figures are indicative and from public reports.

East Bangalore is one of the city's strongest submarkets. Areas like Varthur and Sarjapur Road lead on price. They average about Rs 13,750 per sq ft. The Old Madras Road belt offers better value nearby. Budigere Cross is a key value corridor on this stretch.

Godrej Budigere Cross sits in the East Bangalore growth belt. It lies on the Old Madras Road, near Whitefield. The corridor offers branded homes at lower prices than core Whitefield. The project is an 8-acre pre-launch by Godrej Properties. It reflects the city's push into value-led suburbs.

A few forces keep the market strong. Steady tech jobs drive constant housing demand. New metro lines and airport links widen access. Global firms keep taking up office space here. Together these support both end-users and investors. For buyers, Bangalore still offers depth and long-term value.