Bhubaneswar: The Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal (BSABT) at Baramunda is set to emerge as a major transport-cum-business hub, with IT companies expected to begin operations from the facility soon.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Housing and Urban Development Minister and Chairman of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, during a special function at BSABT held to hand over shop keys to beneficiaries.

Addressing the gathering, Mahapatra said the integration of IT companies would significantly enhance the terminal’s importance beyond transportation. He recalled the Chief Minister had earlier announced the operation of a global visa application centre at BSABT.

“With IT companies also functioning from the terminal, overall activity and footfall will increase substantially. This will create a vibrant atmosphere and help small vendors operating here flourish in the coming days,” the Minister said.

The BDA, which currently manages the state-of-the-art terminal, has decided to rent out space across two floors of BSABT to IT companies.

BDA Vice-Chairman Chanchal Rana, the local corporator and senior officials of the authority were present during the key handover ceremony.

Rana said the presence of IT firms would lead to a significant rise in daily footfall, directly benefiting vendors operating within the terminal.

Earlier in September, the BDA conducted a lottery for the allotment of 112 shops at BSABT on a monthly rental basis. Beneficiaries were selected following a detailed survey conducted by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), which had managed the old Baramunda bus terminal.

The allotted shops are equipped with uninterrupted power supply, water connections and round-the-clock security. Agreements have already been signed with the BDA.

Spread over 11 acres, BSABT is Odisha’s largest bus terminal, handling more than 1,500 buses and nearly 20,000 passengers daily on inter-state and intra-state routes, making it a vital transit hub for the state.