Bengaluru: Biocon founder and executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has drawn attention to Bengaluru’s deteriorating infrastructure after sharing a candid account of an embarrassing encounter with an overseas business visitor at her Biocon Park facility.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Shaw said her guest questioned the city’s poor road conditions and visible garbage, comparing them unfavourably to China’s urban standards.
“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?’”
Tagging Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and IT Minister Priyank Kharge, Shaw’s remarks have reignited public debate over the city’s crumbling civic infrastructure and its impact on business confidence.
In response to growing criticism, the Karnataka government has launched “Mission Free Traffic-2026”, a comprehensive 90-day drive to restore and upgrade 1,600 km of Bengaluru’s roads. The initiative includes large-scale pothole repairs, resurfacing works, public awareness campaigns, and private-sector collaboration to improve road quality and urban hygiene. Authorities expect significant progress by March 2026, aiming to enhance both traffic flow and investment appeal.
The concerns voiced by Shaw echo those of several industry leaders. Rajesh Yabaji, co-founder and CEO of logistics startup BlackBuck, recently announced relocating his company’s office away from Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) due to worsening road conditions. Similarly, former Infosys CFO T.V. Mohandas Pai described the situation as a “big failure of governance,” urging swift state intervention.
The challenges are compounded by ongoing metro construction along key arterial roads, including ORR, which continues to choke traffic movement. Although AI-enabled traffic cameras have been deployed to enforce road discipline, issues such as illegal parking and one-way violations persist, further aggravating congestion.
Frustrated commuters and IT professionals have increasingly called for temporary closures of certain tech parks to allow uninterrupted road, drainage, and flyover repair work — a demand reflecting the urgency of restoring the city’s infrastructure backbone.
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