Inventure Academy

To the crews from @GBA, @blrcitytraffic, @wftrps, Bengaluru East City Corporation, KRDCL & BESCOM, and every worker holding a shovel, guiding a roller or blowing a whistle: THANK YOU! Our kids see you from their bus windows every morning & evening. @krishnabgowda, thank you too! The effort is real, but the road is long. Today, 25 of our 61 buses arrived after the 7:30 bell. Ramesh (9) spent nearly 2.5 hours on the bus. Ramya (16), over 3. My own drive home (no revealing or guessing my age, please!) took almost 90 minutes tonight (this to cover 10 km). Earlier this month, only 4–8 routes were late. Better days ARE possible. Come on, folks! This is OUR city and OUR road. Let’s work collectively towards a #BetterBengaluru. How? Spot a problem, progress or good work? Share it with #OurMobilityOurVoice. Let’s bring our children home sooner. And oh yeah, we adults wouldn’t mind getting home earlier too! 🙂 @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna @sarjapuraps

Inventure Academy is among the Top 10 Schools in the World for #CommunityCollaboration at the T4 Education World’s Best School Prizes 2026! We’re also in the running for the #CommunityChoice Award. Please vote for us: vote.worldsbestschool.org/pu… This recognition is deeply personal. 21 years ago, we founded Inventure with a core purpose: to empower learners of all ages to realise their potential, ignite change and create a positive impact. As a child scared of her own shadow, I still wanted to do something meaningful—to bring a little more beauty, playfulness, joy and justice into the world. Fearful, yet somehow fearless about taking the road less travelled. My love for formal learning came later, during my master’s at Boston University. Life has taught me that when we remain open, living and learning become inseparable. That belief brought me fellow travellers who helped shape Inventure—a mission that generations of students, educators, families and partners have made their own. From government schools in Bengaluru to schools and communities in Ladakh, on the rooftop of India, we learn with and from one another to help every learner flourish. Through Inventure Community Schools, Our Voice and the Change Maker Challenge, young people work alongside teachers and mentors on challenges spanning education, water conservation, climate change, child wellbeing and mobility. Together, they discover the difference they can make. Our hope is to help redefine a good education: beyond board results and college placements, to who our learners become, how they care and what they contribute to the world. A big, heartfelt thank you to my parents, our Chairman, trustees, mentors and all of Team Inventure. Without you, I would not have had the courage to dream—or pursue that dream with conviction and passion. To every student, educator, family member and partner bringing this dream to life: thank you for making it your own. If this vision resonates, please vote and share as we work towards nurturing 100,000 changemakers. vote.worldsbestschool.org/pu… #InventureAcademy #Changemaking #WorldsBestSchoolPrizes #InventureAcademy #CommunityCollaboration #Changemaking #EducationForAll #SchoolWithAHeart #BestSchoolPrizes #BestSchoolPrizes26 #StrongSchools #WorldsBestSchools #WorldsBestSchoolPrizes #T4Education #GlobalSchoolsPrize @T4EduC @VikasPota @InventureK12 @EduMinOfIndia @Madhu_Bangarapp @CMofKarnataka @irfan_razack @SriramTadimalla @nafees_fazal

5:15 AM. Two homes, two alarms, and two sleepy students, Ramesh and Ramya, stepping onto their buses while the sky is still deciding what colour to be. Out on #SH35, the day's first wave is already rolling: two-wheelers, office cabs, delivery riders, other school buses, all heading the same way. And oh did I mention water tankers, lots of them! This week, back from the break, the two of them noticed something the moment they settled into their seats. The road looked wider. Room to breathe, room to move. Some work was done while they were away, and some is still going on. So, a thank you, out loud, to everyone working on this stretch. It shows, and it matters. There's still ground to cover. The same potholes that jolt Ramesh's bus slow the IT professional's cab behind it, and the minutes Ramya loses are lost by every vehicle behind her. It isn't a school story or a commuter story. It's our road, and we all share it. Today's bus log (no rain) •32 of 61 reporting buses reached school by the 07:30 bell (44 on Monday) •Average ride home: 71 minutes (63 on Monday) •Buses from Brigade Exotica (Old Madras Road), Clarence High (Richards Town) and Chrysalis High (Budigere Road) arrived 13 to 14 minutes after the bell •Photos from this morning's buses show how full the road was Meanwhile I just got home from school! My commute from school to home took 85 min to cover 10 km. Gunjur-Varthur stretch saw a 27 minute traffic jam (see pic). The potholes made it challenging Every day looks a little different, and we will keep logging to see what the new work changes. Thank you for reading along, and for sharing the road with us. @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna #BetterBengaluru #OurMobilityOurVoice #SH35

5:15 AM. #BackToSchool Two alarms go off in two different homes. Meet Ramesh and Ramya. Both are fictional. The journeys they represent are very real! Ramesh is 9. Ramya is 16. One commutes to school & home via Varthur-Gunjur the other Sarjapur. They have never really met, but their mornings are almost identical. Both are up before much of Bengaluru has stirred. Both board a school bus in the dark. Both end up on SH-35. Across 21 school days of tracking, many of our buses travelled at 13 km/h or less—barely faster than a brisk jog, and slower than many cyclists. When it rained, a tree fell or a truck broke down, journeys became slower still. Think about what that means for a child. For Ramesh, it’s sleep he doesn’t get back, and arriving tired before the first bell. For Ramya, it’s music and robotics classes missed, practice cut short, and study hours eaten up by the road. For both, it’s less time with family and friends. Less time to just chill and be kids! Around 40,000 children use this corridor every school day, alongside their teachers and thousands of fellow commuters. What does this road take from them—and from all of us? And what could better journeys give back? Over the coming days, we’ll look at #SH35 through children’s eyes. Its ups and downs—and yes, those go beyond potholes and speed breakers. We’ll also look at the action underway: commitments made, progress on the ground and work still waiting. And we will recognise the people helping this corridor move better. Here’s an invitation to see, understand and act together. For Ramesh and Ramya’s learning, growth and wellbeing—and for everyone who shares this road. Follow along with #OurMobilityOurVoice for a #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @TVMohandasPai @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna

26 Oct #BackToSchool hoping for a #BetterBengaluru starting with #SH35 As #Bengaluru settles back into its school routine, today gave us another useful data point on the SH-35 corridor. 44 of our 62 buses reached school by 7:30 am. The evening journey home was better and averaged 17.3 km/h, with 5 of 61 routes taking over 100 minutes. With some schools still on break and no rain today, these numbers need context. We will keep tracking as more schools return, comparing journeys, identifying patterns and understanding where better coordination and infrastructure improvements could make a lasting difference. For the 40,000+ children who use this corridor, their teachers and families, reliable journeys mean more time for learning, growth, rest and life beyond school. They also help faculty arrive ready to teach, with more energy for their students. We appreciate the efforts of traffic police and civic agencies. Our hope is that sustained progress will allow us to restore normal school hours and reclaim learning time lost to traffic. This is a shared road and a shared responsibility. Let’s keep working on it together as schools, families, fellow commuters and civic agencies. @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna #OurMobilityOurVoice

Every school day, about 40,000 children travel on #SH35 between Whitefield and Sarjapur Road. This week, two students, one in primary school and one in senior school, show us the road through their eyes. Tomorrow, we meet them. Same alarm: 5:15. Two different roads. #OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna

Excited after a vacation to go #BackToSchool Let’s see how we are doing on #SH35 towards a #BetterBengaluru #OurMobilityOurVoice Last month we met @GBAChiefComm on the Hope Farm - Gunjur stretch and @krishnabgowda between Dommasandra and Varthur, with traffic police present on both occasions. Thank you for directing the agencies and the police to improve road conditions, drainage and traffic flow on SH-35. Our students, families and faculty hope the coming school break will be used to advance this work. We look forward to restoring normal school hours, which had to be reduced because of traffic conditions. Lost learning time and exhausting commutes affect our children’s learning, growth and development, and the wellbeing of our whole school community. For faculty, long journeys also mean less time and energy for lesson preparation, supporting students and their own families. Could you please share a brief progress update: • Widening: which stretches are now open? • Drains: connected and functioning? • Asphalting: completed where, and what remains? • Bottlenecks: next steps and timelines? A weekly update would help everyone who shares this road follow the progress. @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna

Every school day, our future - 40,000 children and their teachers use the #SH35 corridor. We all share these roads. We all have a part in making the journey better. From Monday, see it through one child’s eyes. Follow his journey from 6 AM #OurMobilityOurVoice #SH35 #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @MLAShivanna

The rains saw average fleet speed fall 34%, from 19.1 to 12.6 km/h compared with yesterday. Of 61 routes, 18 took over 100 minutes. This morning, 56 of our 62 buses reached school by 7:30 AM, with none more than 15 minutes late. Awesome. By evening, waterlogging near Kodathi Gate, Kaitota Road and along SH-35 changed the picture. The flooding reflected a combination of heavy rain, inadequate drainage, and water accumulating on already congested or poorly maintained stretches. We do not yet have a verified rainfall total from an authoritative source. It would be useful to understand what level of rainfall leads to this degree of waterlogging, and how much collective time is lost in traffic as a result. The route near BNM College took 3 hours 11 minutes—109 minutes longer than yesterday. That is almost half the school day. These delays affect students, families, drivers and teachers. Teachers are often expected to be “super people” - arriving on time, managing classrooms, nurturing and supporting students, and doing their best for every child. That is a demanding responsibility even without a long and difficult commute. When transport delays become routine, the pressure on teachers grows too. Addressing drainage, road conditions and traffic management together can make journeys safer and more reliable for everyone. We look forward to working with the wider community, sharing our route data and observations to support lasting solutions. I say this from the comfort of Singapore, where I am attending an education conference. I have chosen to walk along the beautiful footpaths, taking in the sights and sounds despite the haze (thanks to fire in Indonesia) and humidity. These simple pleasures of life are what one misses in Bengaluru. We will be on a break until 26 October and will certainly welcome a break from the traffic and roads. Wishing everyone a happy, safe and peaceful festival season. Thank you for your efforts towards a #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @ArvindLBJP @MALimbavali @PCMohanMP @TVMohandasPai @dpkBopanna @SruthySUllasTOI @ChristinMP_ #OurMobilityOurVoice #SH35

One of our Grade 1 students, on this evening’s long, rain-soaked bus ride home. As roads flooded, our teacher turned the wait into a conversation about the problem we keep raising here. Here’s what this six-year-old came up with, on his own: “First we take all the pictures, then put it into a drive, then give it to the government. Then they see it, they see what’s the problem, and they make some pipes, so all the drainage water…” Document the problem. Share it with those who can fix it. A six-year-old has just described the thinking behind Our Mobility, Our Voice! That’s the Inventurer spirit & approach - identify a problem and thinking about what we can do to be positive #changemakers Proud of our learners - students and teachers for nurturing that spirit, and converting a challenging ride home, into a learning opportunity #OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru #SH35 @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @BShivannaAnekal

#OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru SH-35 corridor - Our team was out again this afternoon, at #Varthur and on Old Madras Road. What we saw was trucks, not the road. Heavy vehicles backed up through the same stretches where our school buses lose an hour or more, almost every single evening. This is not a one-off, it is the pattern. We also saw former MLA @ArvindLBJP , husband of the current MLA @MALimbavali examining the work in Varthur. Thank you for your efforts in working with the current govt / Minister @krishnabgowda on improving this stretch. Long over due Here is the thing: next week is the break for us, and for most schools in the area too. Fewer school buses, fewer children and families away on vacation for a few days. If there is ever a window to take up major repair and widening work on this corridor with the least disruption to residents, it is this one. We would urge the authorities to use it. We keep saying this because we believe it: we are not pointing fingers, we just want this corridor fixed, properly and for good, not patched until the next complaint. Thousands of us use this road every single day, and we want to contribute to making it better. #SH35 @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @BShivannaAnekal

For a week now, our team has noticed 1–2 traffic personnel at Dommasandra crossing through the day, along with preparations for repairs on the Dommasandra–TC Halli stretch and the flyover up to Oakridge. Thank you @blrcitytraffic and @wftrps. Please keep going. The numbers have improved too. Morning buses arriving more than 15 minutes late have fallen from an average of 6.5 a day in our September baseline to none so far this week. The average evening ride is down from 76 to 56 minutes. But most schools are on Dussehra break this week, so lighter traffic is likely contributing. We’ll keep tracking after schools reopen to see how much of this improvement lasts. This is also a good window to push ahead with road repairs. Afternoons still need attention. Our team’s photos today show: • 2:26 pm: R34 on Marathahalli bridge • 2:47 pm: R42 on Panathur Road • 3:49 pm: R35 on Hosur Road towards St Marks Road The signal and road towards Sapphire Toys remain congested, and one Attibele route took 2 hours 30 minutes today. Let’s keep reporting these bottlenecks and working together for improvements that last. If you travel these roads, tell us where you lose time and what changes made by the govt / elected reps are working Happy to see all stakeholders on including across political parties working on a #BetterBengaluru #OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @b_shivanna_anekal

Today’s school bus data offers encouragement & a reason to keep going - MORNING 48 of 60 routes on time or early. Just 12 late…the fewest in the 10 mornings tracked since 28 September, compared with last week’s average of 28. Ten of those 12 were within 5 minutes. Varthur–Gunjur routes averaged 1.8 minutes early, compared with 18.9 minutes late on 1 October. Balagere routes averaged 1.2 minutes early, compared with 22.2 minutes late. Routes serving Hoodi and Channasandra recorded the biggest improvements since Thursday - arrivals 21–23 minutes earlier. EVENING 56 of 61 routes on time or early against the schedule for our 1:50 PM departure. Arrivals averaged 23.6 minutes ahead of schedule, compared with 19.5 last week and 15.0 the week before. 44 routes have been on time or early for all six evenings tracked. STILL ON OUR WATCH LIST HSR Sector 6 and La Ville were more than 10 minutes late this morning. Skylark Arcadia, Rainbow Drive and KSRP Quarters, Kudlu have been late on all six mornings, though by a few minutes. Law College and Surya Elegenza were late on four of six evenings. One good morning does not mean the problem is solved. Rain, breakdowns and other incidents can change the picture. We’ll keep measuring, sharing and working together And yes, schools are beginning to go on vacation, so that may be contributing to less traffic on SH35 Thank you @blrcitytraffic @wftrps, the government, GBA and our school team for the sustained effort. Let’s make days like today the rule. #OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @GBAChiefComm @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @AntoniDaszo

Three weeks on, our children’s school commutes are improving. Now we need to sustain the gains. Across 61 GPS-tracked routes, morning late routes fell from 41 to 12, while evening late routes fell from 9 to 3. Average rides are now 20 minutes shorter in the morning and 16 minutes shorter in the evening. Our slowest routes - the slowest 10% - remain a priority. In the morning, a 10 km journey took 57 minutes in the week of 21 September and 49 minutes on 12–13 October. The gap against Bengaluru’s 2025 average of 41 minutes has halved, from 16 to 8 minutes. In the evening, the same journey improved from 59 to 47 minutes. The gap against the city’s evening average of 45 minutes has narrowed from 14 minutes to just 2. Some schools are on vacation, which is also helping these numbers. This is a good window to dedicate resources and accelerate road works so these gains hold when schools reopen. This is encouraging progress, but mornings remain uneven and some routes still need help. The test is making better journeys an everyday reality. Thank you to the, GBA, our drivers, government ministers, parents and Team Inventure for the continued effort. And finally our elected reps (past and present!) - are working on a solution too @PCMohanMP @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @b_shivanna_anekal #OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC

I was with @krishnabgowda when he visited #Dommasandra, #Gunjur. He seemed taken aback that basic fixes apparent even to a layperson, were not carried out by the officials responsible The Dommasandra flyover remains unfinished (six years?) after construction began, (with land acquisition / technical challenges reportedly holding up progress). But why has the junction been left in this condition, without adequate interim fixes to keep traffic moving safely? Few questions Why does it take a Minister’s visit to address the basics? Do officials & elected MLAs & MPs @MALimbavali @ArvindLBJP @PCMohanMP @b_shivanna_anekal representing the area lack authority? Is responsibility unclear? Is accountability missing? Or have we simply come to #AcceptTheUnacceptable? Thank you KBG, for listening and acting. We need timely action to become the everyday norm. Thank you @dpkBopanna for your reporting, and working towards a #BetterBengaluru @DKShivakumar @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @sarjapuraps @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @BJP4Karnataka @INCKarnataka

Our children’s school commute, one week on. The data for 5–9 October shows encouraging progress compared with 18–25 September: Morning: buses arriving more than 15 minutes past 07:30 fell from 6.5 a day to 1.6. Evening: average journey time fell from 76.3 to 62.5 minutes. Evening speed rose from 14.0 to 16.8 km/h. ✅ Friday: all 61 evening routes with a schedule finished within it our quickest evening in this tracking period. Thank you to @blrcitytraffic, @wftrps, @GBAChiefComm and @krishnabgowda who have listened, engaged and mobilised action on the ground. We appreciate the coordination and continued attention to our children’s commutes. With schools beginning to close for vacation, lighter traffic may account for some of the improvement. Tracking what happens when all schools reopen will help us understand how much of this progress holds. Some routes still need attention. HSR Layout, Vaswani Exquisite and Skylark Arcadia continue to reach school after 07:30 on most days. Our longest rides home still average around 1 hour 45 minutes to nearly 2 hours. For children, every minute saved means more time for play, family, rest and learning. Let’s keep sharing the data and working together to make these gains last. Thank you to every team member helping make this happen. #OurMobilityOurVoice #BetterBengaluru @krishnabgowda @PriyankKharge @GBAChiefComm @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @GBA_office @BPACofficial @dcpwhitefield @WFRising @SarjapuraRWA @rk_misra @MansoorKhanINC @MALimbavali @AntoniDaszo @ArvindLBJP @manasgond @TVMohandasPai

A heavy truck carrying steel at Gunjur at 7:31 this morning (when they are not allowed ) right when school buses are on the road. As per the Whitefield Traffic Police advisory, heavy vehicles are restricted on the #Varthur–#Gunjur Road (SH-35) from 7–11 am, 1–3 pm and 4–9 pm A rule only helps children & other residents / commuters when we all know & follow it. Police, real estate developers, Transporters, contractors, drivers, parents, schools: together for a #BetterBengaluru @blrcitytraffic @wftrps @CPBlr @Jointcptraffic @DCPTrEastBCP @PriyankKharge @rk_misra #OurMobilityOurVoice #SH35