Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has sparked a discussion online after questioning why Indian tech talent cannot be used to solve basic civic problems.
In a post on X, the founder of the biopharmaceutical giant wrote, “What use is tech talent without civic sense? Can’t we use technology to keep our city clean, to discipline our traffic and improve infrastructure? If China can use robots to collect garbage, clean sewers n control traffic offenders, why can’t we? Come on techies rise to the challenge - waste to wealth n to a clean and green city.”
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How did social media react?
Her remarks quickly went viral, prompting a flood of responses from users divided over whether technology or governance and behavioural change holds the key to cleaner cities.
{{/usCountry}}Her remarks quickly went viral, prompting a flood of responses from users divided over whether technology or governance and behavioural change holds the key to cleaner cities.
{{/usCountry}}Some users argued that civic issues go beyond technology. “Anything to do with gov is the hardest thing to navigate for a ‘techie’. Also not everything is a tech problem. Tech cannot make humans behave. Cleanliness, not being corrupt etc cannot be handled by building tech,” one person wrote.
Another pointed to cultural habits, saying the focus should be on preventing littering in the first place. “The key is not cleaning up first is to stop the littering culture ! Learn from Japan starts fm cleaning home toilets schools and no one litters ! No garbage bins ! Aging population very limited municipal workers who only collect organised bags not clean!” the user commented.
“This is incredibly surprising. A well respected business leader asking techies to solve for political corruption and bad governance? Things will change when influential people start questioning the Govt, not the Techies. But alas! Very surprising,” remarked another.
Others, however, backed Mazumdar-Shaw’s call. “Tech talent isnt just for startups and unicorn valuations it should fix the streets we actually live on. Smart sensors for waste, AI traffic enforcement, civic apps that actually work… the solutions exist. What’s missing is intent + execution. Clean cities wont come from speeches, they’ll come from builders. Time to code for the country, not just for funding,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Spot on! Techies can build apps for smart bins, AI traffic cams like China’s — let’s make our cities clean & green!”
“We build world-class code, yet struggle with basic civic order. The challenge is integration, not invention. Worth serious reflection,” expressed another.