E-Paper
'Bengaluru is my favourite city': Nandan Nilekani on HT Dialogues
The economic might of India’s flourishing technology capital propelled Bengaluru to the top spot in central government's Ease of Living Index.
Infosys co-founder and entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani said that Bengaluru is his favourite city. Speaking to Hindustan Times Editor-in-chief Sukumar Ranganathan on HT Dialogues, Nilekani said he is always very happy to come back to Bengaluru.
"I have lived everywhere, even abroad, but I am always very happy to come back to Bengaluru," Nilekani said. "Most recently, it was voted as the most livable city," he added.
Watch the session here:
He was talking about the Ease of Living report 2020 released by the central government recently. The economic might of India’s flourishing technology capital propelled Bengaluru to the top spot. "With a score of 78.82, Bengaluru’s performance (economic ability) surpasses the rest (of the other urban centres) by a long distance," the government report said.
When asked if he agrees with the ratings, Nilekani said that every city has its strenth and weakensses, "but I feel this is the best city to live in".
"It's a unique city, the city of innovation, city of the future and I'm really pleased with how it is and living there is always fun."
Talking about the evolutionary journey of Bengaluru, Nilekani said, "It is on an upswing. The city has a good metro train network, the electronic city gets connected with the other parts of the city. The Bengaluru airport is probably the best airport I have seen in India, and among the best in the world. There's also a lot of road work going on. Bengaluru is a very synthetic city which has had influences of different people at different points in history. And all that is coalescing now."
"It has always been a hub of innovation. If you look at the early part of the 20th century, Bengaluru was the first city to get electric light. In 1905, an electric poll was set up in KR Market because the Maharaja had set up a power plant in Sivasamudram to provide electricity to Kolar Gold mines. In 1909, the IISc was set up, a forward looking science centre, then the Maharaja brought in a German botanist in 1908 who came up with the idea of serial blooming. So these people were way ahead of their times," Nilekani further said.
Bengaluru, classified and categorised among other urban centres with a population higher than a million people (49 of the 111 surveyed), has been ranked 12th in quality of life and 13th in sustainability, according to the central government report.
Bengaluru, India’s technology capital, is an economic powerhouse on account of the presence of some of the world’s largest corporations. It is the country’s largest software exporter and also home to some of the biggest public and private sector companies that have helped create a thriving ecosystem, providing employment and growth.
