Take a Blog Tour of Cisco Bangalore (And Enjoy some Chai!)

Which Cisco campus coves 25 acres, features 8 buildings, welcomes 10,000 employees and sits right in the heart of the city’s outer-ring road? Fun fact, we even have a movie theater on campus AND we LOVE (love, love) Karaoke. That would be (drumroll please) Cisco Bangalore!

My city is often called the Silicon Valley of India, as a culture hub and economic powerhouse. It’s also one of the fastest-growing! A visit to our campus is a must! The first time I stepped onto the Cisco campus here six years ago, I was awe-struck. It’s beyond mesmerizing.

If you want to know what it’s like to work here, look no further. I have complied a few photos of Cisco’s Bangalore office campus and fun facts, so you could get a glimpse of where the magic happens.

That’s me – second from the left! Cool chairs, no?

What should I wear when I visit?

We have a comfortable and fun working environment at the office. From standard suit and tie, to casuals like jeans, flip flops, to traditional Indian attire, Cisco lets us rock whatever fashion choices we make, depending on the job we’re trying to do.

What fuels innovation here?

India runs on Chai (Tea) so much so that we have our own Chai Point outlet on campus. (Chai Point is India’s largest Chai retailer which makes freshly brewed Chai.) Need inspiration? Have chai. Want to talk to a teammate? Let’s do over chai. Chai is the answer to all life’s problems.

Sit with us, have some Chai!

How do I get around?

The amazing thing about the 8 buildings on campus is they are all interconnected through sky bridges. You don’t need to step out of one building to get to another. Every Cisconian has mastered these sky bridge routes, all you need to do is follow the signs or ask.

Where should I find a spot to get some work done?

Oh, so many! Building 17 and 18 are full of amazing themes and cool spots to unwind, get a quiet place to brainstorm, or just sit with a cup of chai (I told you we’re all about Chai.)  From the English garden floor to the game floor, from the traditional Indian-artwork floor to highway-themed floor, we have amazing infrastructure to fuel our creative quotient.

Where is your favorite “secret spot?”

With an office spread across 25 acres, we have no dearth of secret spots J. I tend to like the bamboo house and the colorful cubicle rooms in Building 18.

Let’s Talk About the Food.

The Cisco Bangalore office is a foodie’s delight! We have three cafeterias divided into global, Indian and live-food counters with in-house chefs cooking yummilicious food. The Indian segment covers everything from Northern – even parathas and chhole bhature, and Southern – including fresh dosas, idlis, uttapams and even Raagi Mudde, Tandoor corner, Chaat Corner. We have an in-house coconut water counter, Baskin Robbins, Café Coffee Day, Hatti Kaapi and even Chai Point (there’s that Chai thing again!) The global segment blends delicacies around the world from Chinese, Continental, even an in-house Pizza counter. See? Foodie’s delight!

Sipping some coconut water and enjoying time together!

Where do you go when you go offsite for food?

We do go out for team lunches/ dinners to nearby restaurants a lot. We have an array of restaurants around office. Be it Indian, Chinese, Italian, American or even Caribbean cuisine! A few best ones that Cisconians love to go are The Boozy Griffin, Kanua, The Fisherman’s Wharf and Aloft.

What else makes your location a great place to work?

Our Child Care Centre/ crèche is based on an international curriculum of learning focused on children’s development and can accommodate 100 kids at a time (and we are growing immensely.) From 5 months to 5 years, employees can enroll their kids while they are at work. What’s more interesting is, parents are also given access to the CCTV camera of the crèche to check in on their kids during the day.

Also, (there will be a whole blog post on this soon, keep an eye out) every Cisconian is a “green warrior” in Cisco Bangalore. We have eliminated paper cups and replaced them with eco-friendly cups and food-grade plastic water bottles. Cisconians, all 10,000 of us rose to the occasion to makes this eco-project, this eco-lution a success and to bring about this much-needed change.

Where should I stay if I visit?

If you’re visiting from another Cisco location, or interviewing from out of town, we have handpicked a few best hotels near Cisco office premises. Aloft is right within the Cessna Business Park and most Cisconians across the globe who visit Bangalore prefer to stay here. Other great options are Park Plaza, Courtyard by Marriot and DoubleTree Suites.

If I have time to stay and sight-see, what should I put on my list?

There are myriads of tourist attractions across the city. I already told you about all the scrumptious food available, but there are many ideal locations and prominent local landmarks, so Bangalore is perfectly placed to offer an experience of a lifetime. Perhaps a scenic drive up the Nandi Hills, a stunning sunrise to welcome the day, and breathtaking views from the hilltop. Or maybe adventure sports and trekking. We also have great Botanical Gardens, wineries, forest camps, waterfalls, shopping at Commercial Street and Church Street and the twinkling lights. Plus, friendly people!

What about fun?!

Work hard, play harder! We live this slogan at Cisco. Every table game on this planet is available for employees where they like to unwind and enjoy some team building activities. Foosball, snooker, table tennis — you name it.  Everything at Cisco is with a purpose, even play has its own importance here!

Who wants to play the winner?

How can I keep fit? (Especially with all that food?)

If you’ve overeaten, worry not, we have a gym, yoga room, Aerobics, Zumba, a badminton court, a basketball court and Cricket Pitch to burn those calories!

There are certified fitness trainers available around the clock to advice employees on their training. And if you are someone who loves to walk or run, one round of Cisco Campus from inside the periphery covers a total distance of 2 KMs/ 5 miles, almost 3000 steps.

Employees here are participating in a Step-a-thon, maybe you could join us on our walks!

We have our step counters on for the Stepathon!

Picture yourself in our Bangalore office? Here’s some good news: we’re hiring!

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