‘Move to Hyderabad,’ KTR responds to Bengalurian startup founder's concerns

Bengaluru startup founder's tweet expressing dismay and inconvenience due to Bengaluru's bad roads got a response from Telangana's IT Minster KT Rama Rao, asking IT people to move to Hyderabad instead.

Bengaluru's infrastructure was bashed in yet another instance after Telangana's IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao threw shade and asked a startup founder to “pack his bags and move to Hyderabad” after he expressed dismay at basic amenties like roads, footpaths and electricity in the Karnataka capital.

K T Rama Rao, threw shade after startup founder expressed despair regarding Bengaluru's bad infrastructure. (HT Photo)

Ravish Naresh, who has set up both Housing.com and Khatabook, a digital ledger app, raised concern over Bengaluru's bad roads, frequent power cuts, bad footpaths, and bad water supply, writing on Twitter that many rural areas now have better basic infrastructure than the so-called ‘silicon valley’.

The founder wrote, “Startups in HSR/Koramangala (India's Silicon Valley) are already generating billions of $ of taxes. Yet we have very bad roads, almost daily power cuts, poor quality water supply, unusable foot paths. Many rural areas now have better basic infra than India's Silicon Valley.”

He added that the nearest airport is about three hours away in peak traffic and tagged the prime minister's office, Narendra Modi, Karnataka BJP and Tejasvi Surya, asking for help.

To this, KT Rama Rao chipped in and said, “Pack your bags and move to Hyderabad! We have better physical infrastructure and equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is one of the best and getting in and out of city is a breeze. More importantly, our government's focus is on 3 I Mantra: innovation, infrastructure & inclusive growth.”

More netizens joined the conversation, with one user writing, “Sadly, the focus is on Hijab and removing Muslim vendors near temples. Karnataka, slowly but surely, is turning into the Uttar Pradesh of the South.”

Nikhil Kumar, who is the co-founder of Setu API, also agreed, tweeting, “I swear. What a mess Bangalore has become. Please take note sir @CMofKarnataka - if you don't fix this, there will be a mass exodus!”

Recently Biocon founder and a prominent Bengalurean, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had expressed concerns over doing business in the city, “Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion — if IT/BT became communal it would destroy our global leadership,” Kiran Mazumdar Shaw wrote and tagged CM Bommai as she appealed: "Please resolve this growing religious divide."

Later after a backlash, she showed hope and optimism towards Karnataka's growth.

The concerns over doing business in Bengaluru due to infrastructure concerns have been escalated several times in the past, with many questioning if the city deserves to be called the IT hub of India. Now the recent communal discord due to Hijab, Hindu temple authorities not giving tenders to Muslim shopkeepers for opening stalls during festivals and the most recent being campaign against halal meat trade has only made the voices grow louder.