Mysuru’s 44,600-Talent Opportunity: Can Housing Keep Pace With the City’s Tech Ambitions?
Certainly. Here is the introduction with **Darshan Govindaraju** brought in more naturally: Mysuru is entering a new phase of growth, driven by the expanding presence of technology companies, GCCs, startups and manufacturing enterprises. With 44,600 technology professionals expressing interest in relocating to the city, the emerging opportunity is not only about employment but also about whether Mysuru’s urban infrastructure and housing ecosystem can keep pace. As investment gathers momentum, the city faces the challenge of accommodating a new generation of residents while preserving its distinctive heritage and quality of life. **Darshan Govindaraju, Executive Director, Vaishnavi Group,** shares his perspective on how Mysuru’s evolving economic landscape is shaping real estate demand, the growing need for quality housing and the opportunities for developers to build communities that support the city’s next phase of growth.
Darshan Govindaraju, Executive Director, Vaishnavi Group
Where employment opportunities emerge, people follow and housing is the first litmus test of whether a city can keep pace with development.
The same holds true for the erstwhile princely kingdom of Mysuru which is witnessing an increasing inflow of man, machines and material, thereby transforming the silent city into a bustling hub of manufacturing and IT services.
From Infosys’s largest campus to McLaren Strategic Solutions (MSS)’s major new GCC, IBM’s Client Innovation Center (CIC), Wipro’s Mysore IT Zone along with other major players including ArisGlobal, LTIMindtree, TVS Electronics, and DNA Consulting, the interest and investments are rising rapidly.
Along with large enterprises, the city is also becoming home to startups with over 2,800 startups. And this is brewing demand for real estate with property consultant ANAROCK suggesting project Grade-A office leasing in Mysuru is expected to touch 2–3 million square feet over the next 5-7 years in comparison to a net office absorption of just 20,000–40,000 square feet per annum currently.
This inflow of investments is creating significant employment or entrepreneurship opportunities, leading to 44,600 technology professionals expressing interest in relocating to Mysuru as per Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) – Xpheno talent report. Interestingly, professionals from Bengaluru are now choosing to live in Mysuru while commuting to Bengaluru periodically courtesy the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway, making it a hybrid-work corridor between the two cities.
However, there’s a third pillar which is essential for the success of this growth story – housing.
As per the master plan, the current (2009) housing shortage remains at around 20,000 dwelling units in Mysuru. This shortage is going to increase to around 40,000 by 2031. To bridge this gap, the government has proposed to expand the residential area (including the vacant land in the developed area) to 29,242 hectares from 8,966 hectares to accommodate the future growth in population which is expected to touch 21 lakh by 2031.
This would require coordinated efforts from the government, developers, city planners, architects and experts to expand the housing network considering Mysuru’s hundreds of heritage buildings. These heritage buildings bring into force special development regulations stipulating demolition and height regulations to maintain the prominence and vista of the site.
Therefore, a fresh playbook has to be adopted for Mysuru in order to allow sustained growth while preserving the city’s heritage.
Better Quality of Life Equals Opportunities
Mysuru also offers a more healthy way of life with improved public transit systems, ample open spaces and large green cover, providing working professionals a much needed respite from the hustling metro culture. This is fueling a steady demand for mid-income housing in the city with several developers intensifying land acquisition and launching projects at an accelerated pace. It also opens up opportunities to develop large gated societies enabling residents to experience the comfort of Bengaluru in an affordable manner.
Furthemore, the low population density of 476 people per kilometre in Mysuru as against several thousands in comparison to other cities makes it effective for professionals from work and investments perspective.
As we look forward to the next 20 years of Mysuru, it’s going to emerge as one of the most robust success stories of economic growth while creating dividends for individuals, companies, investors and the society at large. The first 10 years will witness aggressive expansion of real estate fulfilling the housing needs of the city while the next 10 years will be about tapping into emerging micro markets around the city with early investors or residents benefitting from the developmental activities.
