In India's tech capital Bengaluru, the morning "rush hour" lasts so long it devours half the workday, throttling productivity in a city often viewed as the poster child of a booming economy.

Entrepreneur RK Misra, co-founder of a multimillion-dollar start-up, avoids scheduling in-person meetings until nearly noon -- then squeezes them in before gridlock returns.

The "situation is pretty bad. And it hurts by not being able to plan your day", Misra said, describing his gruelling 16-kilometre (nine mile) commute, which can take up to two hours at peak times.

"It also discourages people from doing anything other than work, because there's no work-life balance any more."

Bengaluru, home to nearly 12 million people and state capital of Karnataka, is the "Silicon Valley" of the world's fifth

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