Bengaluru, Oct 15, 2025:
A public exchange over Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes erupted this week after Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw posted a sharp critique of the city’s deteriorating roads and waste management on social media, drawing widespread attention and prompting an equally spirited response from senior Karnataka ministers.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru’s civic and infrastructure affairs, urged citizens to “build Bengaluru up, not tear it down,” asserting that the government was actively working to address the city’s long-standing civic challenges.
Shivakumar’s comments came a day after Mazumdar-Shaw shared her disappointment on X (formerly Twitter), recounting how a foreign business visitor to Biocon Park was taken aback by the city’s poor road conditions and piles of garbage.
“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?’” Mazumdar-Shaw wrote.
Her remarks struck a chord with many residents, sparking a wave of similar complaints online about Bengaluru’s traffic snarls, flooding, and civic neglect. But they also triggered a strong defense from the state government, which maintained that major infrastructure upgrades were already underway.
Government Defends Its Record
Responding directly to Mazumdar-Shaw’s concerns, Shivakumar outlined the government’s efforts to repair and upgrade Bengaluru’s roads and waste management systems.
“Yes, challenges exist, but we’re addressing them with focus and urgency,” Shivakumar said. “₹1,100 crore has been sanctioned for road repairs. Over 10,000 potholes have been identified, and 5,000 have already been fixed on priority.”
He added that under the newly constituted Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the East Corporation would retain ₹1,673 crore of its own revenue for local infrastructure improvements across 50 wards, including key IT corridors.
“With major works like the CSB-KR Puram redevelopment and elevated corridors, we are strengthening infrastructure for citizens, employees, and companies alike,” he said, calling on citizens and industry leaders to collaborate rather than criticize. “The world sees India through Bengaluru, and we owe it to our city to rise united.”
Shivakumar’s remarks were seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between the government and corporate citizens who have long been at the forefront of pushing for better urban planning in India’s technology capital.
IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge Steps In
Backing the deputy chief minister’s remarks, Karnataka’s Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge also weighed in, defending the government’s track record and ongoing projects.
“I am not sure which part of Bengaluru they have seen,” Kharge said, responding to Mazumdar-Shaw’s tweet. “We are growing fast, and whatever is necessary for infrastructure improvement, we are doing it. Work is in progress.”
Kharge argued that Bengaluru’s problems were not unique, likening its rapid urban growth to that of global cities such as San Francisco and London, which also grapple with infrastructure strains amid expansion.
“Every global city faces challenges. It is the prime responsibility of the government, and we are doing it,” he said.
Kharge also framed Bengaluru’s openness to criticism as a sign of democratic health and political tolerance.
“If you make constructive criticism in Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh, you might end up in jail. If you do it in Madhya Pradesh, you’ll be trolled. But here, we respond positively and work on it. It’s our responsibility,” he said.
Rains and Rapid Growth Blamed
The IT minister acknowledged that parts of the city were in poor shape but attributed the sudden deterioration in roads to “unprecedented and continuous rains” over the past six weeks.
According to Kharge, the heavy rainfall has created new potholes and slowed repair works. However, he assured citizens that the GBA commissioner was updating data daily and coordinating with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to expedite filling potholes and cleaning drains.
“Bengaluru is growing at a very fast pace. We grew at 10.5 percent last year. We are not denying the issues, but we are finding solutions,” Kharge said.
Call for Constructive Collaboration
When asked why business leaders often take to social media instead of reaching out directly to the government, Kharge emphasized that industry figures like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and T.V. Mohandas Pai have long been part of formal consultative task forces that help shape Bengaluru’s policies.
“Their suggestions are always taken into account while forming policies,” he said. “We are just a phone call away to address issues. If everyone works with collective responsibility, such posts will reduce.”
Kharge’s remarks underscored the state’s sensitivity to public perception — especially given that Bengaluru’s infrastructure has been under persistent scrutiny both nationally and internationally.
Industries Minister Appeals for Balance
Adding his voice to the debate, Karnataka Industries Minister M.B. Patil adopted a conciliatory tone, acknowledging Mazumdar-Shaw’s role in shaping Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s innovation hub while urging moderation in public criticism.
“Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a big asset to our state and our country. She has created a name for Bengaluru with Biocon, and the city has given back to her — it is mutual,” Patil said.
However, he also cautioned that public criticism during the implementation of major projects could distort the city’s global image.
“Thousands of crores have been allocated, and the work is ongoing. When development work is underway, tweeting again is not in good taste,” he added.
The Broader Context: Bengaluru’s Urban Dilemma
The controversy has reignited public debate over Bengaluru’s fragile infrastructure, even as it remains India’s most significant technology hub, contributing nearly 40 percent of the country’s IT exports.
For years, civic experts have warned that Bengaluru’s infrastructure has lagged far behind its population and economic growth. The city’s road network, drainage systems, and waste management have struggled to keep pace with its expanding urban sprawl.
The problem has been compounded by successive waves of unplanned development, encroachments on stormwater drains, and fragmented governance between multiple civic agencies.
The government’s recent decision to create the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) aims to address these long-standing coordination challenges by integrating planning and infrastructure development under a single supervisory body.
Still, residents remain skeptical, pointing to recurring flooding, potholes, and garbage pile-ups as signs of systemic failure.
Political Backdrop and Accountability
This is not the first time Bengaluru’s civic issues have drawn the ire of business leaders. Over the years, several prominent entrepreneurs — including Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Biocon’s Mazumdar-Shaw — have criticized poor infrastructure, arguing that it hurts investor confidence.
Earlier this month, Deputy CM Shivakumar blamed the previous BJP government for neglecting the city’s roads and drains, asserting that the current Congress-led administration was cleaning up years of civic mismanagement.
“We inherited a broken system,” Shivakumar said at a recent event. “But we are determined to fix it. Our focus is on long-term, sustainable solutions — not patchwork repairs.”
A City at Crossroads
For Bengaluru — a city synonymous with India’s technological and entrepreneurial success — the debate over civic infrastructure cuts to the heart of its future. The tension between growth and governance, between global aspiration and local administration, continues to define its story.
Mazumdar-Shaw’s criticism, ministers’ rebuttals, and the ensuing public discourse underscore a shared truth: Bengaluru’s challenges are too vast for any single entity to solve. What remains to be seen is whether this latest exchange becomes another passing controversy — or a turning point that finally compels sustained, coordinated action to restore the city’s livability and global standing.
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