DK Shivakumar meets Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at his residence after online spat over Bengaluru's infrastructure

The meeting comes in the backdrop of Mazumdar-Shaw’s remarks highlighting poor road conditions and the need for better urban planning in Bengaluru.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met entrepreneur and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at his residence, just days after she voiced concerns over Bengaluru’s infrastructure on social media.

An online exchange between Shivakumar and Mazumdar-Shaw had recently drawn attention to the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. (x@DKShivakumar)

Sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter), Shivakumar said it was “a pleasure” to meet the business leader and that they had an “engaging discussion” on the city’s growth, innovation, and the broader development agenda for Karnataka.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of Mazumdar-Shaw’s remarks highlighting poor road conditions and the need for better urban planning in Bengaluru, issues that have sparked widespread public debate.

An online exchange between Shivakumar and Mazumdar-Shaw had recently drawn attention to the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. The entrepreneur voiced her frustration on social media over poor civic planning, prompting a response from Shivakumar, who defended the government’s ongoing efforts and assured that long-term solutions were underway.

Recently, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has called upon the Karnataka government and civic authorities to urgently address Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure, stressing that the city has the potential to rank among the best in the world if its basic problems are resolved.

Tagging Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in a social media post, Shaw wrote, “Namma Bengaluru has the best talent and the best weather but the worst infrastructure. If we fix garbage debris and roads, we can be among the best cities in the world. GBA has a great opportunity to do this. Let’s use collective will to do this @DKShivakumar @BBMPCOMM.”

Her remarks struck a chord with many citizens who echoed her concerns about the city’s poor civic management. Several users pointed out that Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s tech hub is being undermined by overflowing garbage, battered roads, and chronic flooding.