Bengaluru culture & etiquette

Bengaluru's traffic is legendary; a 10km trip can take 90 minutes. Live near your office, lean on Namma Metro where it reaches, and use autos / Uber / Ola / Rapido (bike taxis) for the rest. Avoid scheduling back-to-back cross-city meetings.

UPI (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm) is universal — even street vendors and autos take it. You'll want an Indian bank account and UPI fast; a PAN card and (if eligible) Aadhaar unlock banking, SIMs and more.

Use filtered or bottled water and avoid ice in cheap spots until your stomach adjusts. The monsoon (roughly June-September) floods low-lying areas and the ORR; otherwise the ~900m altitude gives Bengaluru its famously pleasant climate.

Foreigners on Employment or Student visas for stays over 180 days must register with the FRRO (via the e-FRRO portal) within 14 days of arrival. Miss it and you face fines and exit hassles — make it a week-one task.

Bengaluru's tech world runs in English and many migrants use Hindi, but there's real local pride in Kannada — and a current of sensitivity about Hindi being assumed. A few Kannada words (namaskara, dhanyavada) earn genuine warmth.

Supply varies block to block: some areas get piped Cauvery water, others rely on borewells or paid tankers in summer. Power cuts happen, so confirm the building has an inverter or generator and reliable water before signing.