The city is home to companies such as Amazon, Flipkart and Wipro, all of whom run logistics and other operations from there.

Several firms, including Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs and Indian food delivery company Swiggy asked emplyees to work from home, several people who work there told Reuters.

Social media asked commuters to avoid certain routes because of heavy water-logging.

Local television showed wading in waist-deep water and long traffic jams.

(Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Kim Coghill)