Brand ‘Bengaluru’ finds many takers

Brand ‘Bengaluru’ finds many takers

Corporates welcome the Karnataka government's move to re-christen IT capital, but doubts persist

Daily News and Analysis


Taking a cue from neighbouring states Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka is slated to change the name of its capital from Bangalore to Bengaluru on November 1, 2006. Chief Minister Dharam Singh has made this announcement on the suggestion of litterateur and Janpith awardee, U.R. Ananthamurthy.

From the early 90s, a few state capitals like Chennai and Mumbai underwent a change of name to shed their colonial past. Now the IT capital of India will follow suit, but doubts persist if this move will bode well, though some welcome it. “This move shows the quality of people we have in the government,” says a spokesperson for Accenture.

Big players like Wipro and Infosys reserved their comment on the issue, but many others welcomed the move. “I think it is a great idea. History should be valued and changing the name from the “English” version reflects pride in the history of the city,” says Bob Hoekstra, CEO, Philips Innovation Campus.

“Bengaluru,” many feel, will not dent the city’s brand value or image, but help regain its cultural identity. “Bangalore’s roots and identity lies in its vernacular name, Bengaluru. There is bound to be some early dissonance, but it will not affect the brand,” says Harish Bijoor, brand consultant.
Industry leaders believe the name change adds local flavour and will have no impact on the city's corporate fortunes. “Bengaluru will remain the technology capital of the country,” says Venkat Kedlaya, VP, Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

As for its recall value, “Bengaluru and Bangalore are similar sounding names and will co-exist like Bombay and Mumbai do,” Hoekstra adds.
And just as in the case of Mumbai, the name change will not diminish Bangalore’s prospects, argues Gautam Sinha of TVA Infotech.

The general sentiment in industry circles is that the re-launch will do the city good, provided problems like infrastructure and traffic are dealt with. “It is a positive step and gives the city a fresh start,” says B.S. Murthy, HR consultant.

The name change comes in the wake of the spat between former PM, Deve Gowda and Infosys chief, N.R. Narayana Murthy, which was discussed at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia on Monday.