India’s Silicon Valley shuts down as riots force startups to a grinding halt

A strike in Bangalore has led to violence and crippled the city. Photo credit: patticake1601.

India’s Silicon Valley seems to have troubles that never stop – if it’s not traffic, it’s the fear of an impending meltdown. This week, in a city known for its mild climate, a violent strike is burning the city and its many startups.

#CauveryIssue: #Section144 CrPC Is Imposed In Bengaluru City From 12-09-2016 to 14-09-2016.Strict action shall b initiated agnst miscreants

— BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) September 12, 2016

A dispute over water-sharing with a neighboring state spun out of control on Monday bringing the tech city to a halt. In turn, the government imposed a curfew that bans unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons.

See: How I survived an entire day in India using only apps

The city is no stranger to strikes with different political groups or factions making various demands of the government, but the violence this time has left Bangaloreans rattled.

Water is fiery !
56 vehicles burnt in a day and loss approximately 250 crores !#Cavery #BangaloreBandh pic.twitter.com/PszikqpXHj

— Abhijit Karande (@abhiasks) September 12, 2016

IT, BT sector completely shut; Electronic City of 1.5 lakh employees stay home #BangaloreBandh pic.twitter.com/LS5PSjst2Y

— Deepa Balakrishnan (@deepab18) September 9, 2016

While the police are working to keep tension at bay, techies in the city are left in a lurch as startups have been forced to suspend operations fearing violence.

@flipkartsupport services will be unavailable today due to disturbances in Bangalore. Do reach us on 1800 420 1111. Kindly bear with us.

— Flipkart (@Flipkart) September 12, 2016

BigBasket says orders are disrupted.

When I got a taxi from the airport early Monday, Uber worked perfectly. The Ola stand at the airport was also teeming with pickups and drops. Things however quickly spun out out of control as the media reported on violence across the city, and tech firms and startups closed offices and sent employees home.

Food delivery app Swiggy is among the many not accepting orders.

Uber and Ola are still working in the city, but cab availability is sparse. Many others, however, have been forced to shut shop fearing violence or attacks on their employees. This is especially troubling in a city that runs on startups and powers its young population through various apps.

While most startups have not taken an official stance on suspending duties, food delivery apps like Zomato Order and Swiggy, grocery delivery startups BigBasket and Grofers, and many others were offline saying they had suspended services due to disturbances in the city.

The companies have so far not responded to emails asking for further details.

This post India’s Silicon Valley shuts down as riots force startups to a grinding halt appeared first on Tech in Asia.

from Tech in Asia https://www.techinasia.com/india-silicon-valley-stops
via IFTTT