Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has issued a scathing indictment of Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure, likening the city’s plight to that of Gurugram — long plagued by governance failures and civic neglect. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Shaw lamented the decay of India’s tech capital, branding it another example of how “rich cities” are exploited by state governments.
“This is the fate of every rich city. Bengaluru is another Gurugram,” Shaw wrote. “The state plunders and kills the golden goose with no responsibility to provide basic infrastructure and civic amenities — building rules are flouted to make money etc.”
Her remarks were triggered by a broader conversation on India’s urban readiness, where she reposted a message questioning whether cities can withstand the growing pressure from increasing migration. “There is a need for smart villages along with smart cities,” the original post stated. Shaw tagged well-known communications consultant Suhel Seth in her commentary.
The parallels between Bengaluru and Gurugram were further underscored during a recent panel discussion hosted by The Indian Express in New Delhi, where former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Suhel Seth sharply criticized the state of governance in Gurugram.
“Gurugram today pays more taxes to the state of Haryana than all the other cities combined. And if you can’t maintain Gurugram, there’s a huge failure of governance,” Kant asserted, highlighting the city’s pivotal economic role.
Suhel Seth’s comments were even more unflinching: “Gurugram is an absolute shame on this country. We have more liquor vents than functioning traffic lights. We have more bars than we have schools.” He added, “Just take it over in a non-hostile takeover, so that there is some level of governance. You can’t have smart cities with unsmart leaders.”
Seth further criticized the Haryana leadership, stating, “You have a chief minister who is totally inept. You have a municipal commissioner who is totally absent. If you want brand India to succeed, every element of brand India must work.”
