Published on: October 18, 2025 | 5:17 PM IST

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday responded sharply to Biocon Chairperson and billionaire entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s recent criticism of Bengaluru’s poor infrastructure, saying she was welcome to take the initiative to improve the city’s roads if she wished to.

“If she wants to develop them (roads), let her do it. If she comes and asks, we will give her the roads,” Shivakumar remarked, as quoted by news agency ANI, during his ‘Bengaluru Nadige’ (Walk for Bengaluru) program held in the city’s KR Puram area. His comments came after Shaw took to social media earlier this week to express frustration over the poor condition of roads and inadequate waste management in India’s tech capital.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s Social Media Post

On October 13, Mazumdar-Shaw shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) recounting an embarrassing moment with a foreign business visitor who had expressed disappointment over Bengaluru’s civic conditions.

“I had an overseas business visitor to Biocon Park who said, ‘Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn’t the government want to support investment? I have just come from China and can’t understand why India can’t get its act together, especially when the winds are favourable?’” she wrote.

In her post, she tagged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and the state’s Electronics and IT Minister Priyank Kharge, urging them to address the city’s worsening infrastructure problems.

The post quickly went viral, sparking widespread public debate on Bengaluru’s civic woes. Many citizens echoed her concerns about the state of the roads, garbage management, and traffic congestion in the rapidly growing metropolis, often referred to as India’s Silicon Valley.

Government’s Response

In response to her remarks, Priyank Kharge defended the government’s ongoing efforts, saying infrastructure improvements were already underway. “I am not sure which part of Bengaluru they have seen. As I have said, the work is in progress. We are growing at a rapid pace, and whatever is necessary for the infrastructure improvement, we are doing it,” Kharge told ANI on Tuesday.

Shaw later shared Kharge’s statement on X, appreciating the acknowledgment but urging the government to act faster. A day later, on Wednesday, she posted again, saying that the current government had a “historic opportunity” to reverse years of neglect.

“We are in this dire situation because of past governments’ failure to act in time. This government has the opportunity to change this and act fast to fix these decades of deteriorating infrastructure and garbage management,” she wrote.

Shivakumar’s Jibe and the Political Context

DK Shivakumar’s remarks — “If she wants to develop them, let her do it” — were widely interpreted as a sarcastic retort. However, some political observers viewed it as a reflection of the government’s irritation with constant criticism from industry leaders.

Bengaluru’s civic infrastructure has long been a contentious issue, with business leaders frequently highlighting how poor urban management affects the city’s global competitiveness. As one of India’s most important economic hubs, home to thousands of tech firms and startups, Bengaluru contributes significantly to Karnataka’s GDP. Yet, residents and entrepreneurs alike have lamented the city’s deteriorating road conditions, frequent flooding, and waste disposal problems.

The Shivakumar-led ‘Bengaluru Nadige’ initiative — launched to assess civic and road infrastructure firsthand — is part of the government’s broader push to counter the perception of inaction. The deputy chief minister, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, has repeatedly promised to transform the city into a “world-class metropolis” through sustained investments in road repair, drainage, and waste management systems.

A Longstanding Debate

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been one of Bengaluru’s most vocal corporate figures advocating for urban reforms. Over the years, she has consistently used her platform to urge both municipal and state authorities to prioritize infrastructure development. Her posts often trigger civic discussions and draw both support and criticism from citizens and political leaders alike.

The latest exchange between the biotech magnate and the deputy chief minister underscores the continuing tension between private industry and government authorities over accountability and execution. While entrepreneurs argue that poor civic infrastructure threatens Bengaluru’s status as a global technology hub, the state government maintains that rapid urban expansion and population growth pose logistical challenges that require time and coordinated planning to overcome.

As the state moves closer to key municipal elections in 2026, Bengaluru’s infrastructure performance is likely to remain a major political talking point. For now, Shivakumar’s pointed remarks and Shaw’s persistent advocacy have reignited public scrutiny of whether India’s tech capital can finally overcome its decades-old civic challenges.