In an exclusive interview with News9, business leader and veteran Bengalurean Mohandas Pai tore into the Karnataka government over the city’s worsening infrastructure. He accused ministers of inaction, pointed to endless delays in the metro and suburban rail projects, and alleged that corruption has crippled infrastructure delivery. Calling the pothole crisis a “daily embarrassment”, he said that it is forcing IT companies to consider leaving the city. Bengaluru, he warned, risks losing its global tech edge if basic facilities are not fixed.
However, Bengaluru is not alone in facing civic collapse. Hyderabad, India’s other IT hub, is battling its own infrastructure crisis. On September 17, the city was hit by one of its heaviest downpours, overwhelming drainage systems, flooding roads, and leaving entire neighbourhoods waterlogged. A man tragically died after being trapped in the Balkampet underpass. Less than 24 hours later, another spell of rain paralysed the city, exposing fragile civic preparedness in the nation’s top technology centres.
News9 Exclusive: Mohandas Pai slams govt on Bengaluru’s infrastructure
News9: I’m joined by Mr Mohandas Pai. This morning we all woke up to a tweet by the Blackbuck CEO saying he wants to leave the city because of the dilapidated condition. You’re not new to this, sir — you’ve been speaking about it for a long time. What do you have to say?
Mohandas Pai: No, I think it’s a total disgrace for the government. The government has been a failure. The Chief Minister came many times, saw the situation in the last two years, promised, but couldn’t keep the promise. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also came, promised, but has not been able to keep the promise.
They have to clean up and fix one road. Just one road. That road has eight lakh people working there, with some of the greatest companies in the world. There is no road like that in any city anywhere in the world. In any country, the Prime Minister would come and make sure things happen.
We are so lucky to have that street with so many people and great companies. And our Chief Minister sits in Vidhana Soudha, pays lip sympathy. The Deputy Chief Minister says, “I’ll clean up the potholes.” What have they done?
I met the Deputy Chief Minister 45–50 days ago. I gave him a list of 14–15 things to do. Some of them have been done, like the loop near the flyover at Airport Road, but others are still limping. I told him, please call R.K. Misra, who is part of WRI, to take charge, become your adviser, tell you what to do, and get it done.
Nandan Nilekani has given a plan to rejuvenate the entire stretch. WRI paid money for that, and it was given to Smart City Bengaluru headed by a former chief. But I don’t think they even invited tenders. The minister has been pushing to at least call for tenders. I have spoken to the Chief Secretary. We raised the issue. What do we do? The government is apathetic.
They don’t keep promises. Where is the credibility of this government? One road they can’t get done. They can’t fix the potholes. And then there’s the disaster of the Metro. The Metro has been going on and on — for how long? Nobody knows when it will be ready. They keep shifting dates. Costs escalate. They go to the Cabinet, raise fares, and make us pay.
They have changed 15–20 CEOs. They change CEOs like they change clothes. All IAS officers. Why have an IAS officer? Every IAS officer gets shifted in two or three years. Get somebody like E. Sreedharan from the Railways — they stay, they get it done.
The suburban rail is a mystery. Nobody knows when it’s happening. The Prime Minister came and promised. I want to ask Ashwini Vaishnaw — why is he not pushing that for Bangalore?
Bangalore exports $120 billion. Twenty-five lakh people are working in technology here. It is the greatest technology centre in the world. California has 1.5 million, Bangalore has 2.5 million. There are 65,000 IT companies here, 20,000 start-ups, 52 unicorns, $120 billion in software exports. This is the greatest city for India. What are you doing?
You can’t fix one road? Why are you in government?
News9: The government says its guarantee schemes are providing benefits. What kind of jobs are being created?
Mohandas Pai: Siddaramaiah says 60,000 jobs guaranteed. Guaranteed what? The biggest challenge for Karnataka is jobs for young people. If companies don’t come and create jobs, where will young people go?
In two and a half years, how many jobs has Siddaramaiah created with this guarantee program? What kind of jobs? They don’t bother about jobs. Ask any mother in Karnataka what she wants for her child. She will say, “Give me a good job for my son.”
But 64% of faculty seats are vacant in our public universities. People are paying Rs 15,000–Rs 20,000 fees. What kind of education are you going to give young people? Where is the education for them?
The number of children in government schools has been falling for 10 years. Today, 55% of all students are in private schools. Everybody is paying fees through the nose. The biggest problem for the middle class is paying fees for schoolchildren — Rs 50,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, Rs 3 lakh. One of our big leaders even tweeted proudly that his grandchild is in a Canadian public school paying Rs 12–13 lakh a year. They are happy, but what about the rest of us? Can we afford it? No. Colleges are Rs 2–3 lakh.
Education is the biggest issue for young people, and the government has failed. They spend Rs 40–45,000 crore on education. What are we getting for that? The poor are condemned to go to government schools. The poor can’t afford private schools. How will they come up in life?
News9: Coming back to potholes — in the last week, a foreign national made a video on the state of Bengaluru’s footpaths. Three children made a video about potholes. Only after that did the authorities act. Isn’t that embarrassing?
Mohandas Pai: It’s a shame. Do we need a Canadian foreigner to come, take photographs, and only then the corporation commissioner jumps and cleans up? Then he even sits with him on the road. It’s shameful.
Every day we hear, “Madam told me, so I cleaned the road before and after.” What rubbish is this? You’re supposed to keep the roads clean all the time.
I’ve been telling Maheshwar Rao: Why don’t you sack the people who are not doing their work? They’re drawing salaries. Many of them are involved in corruption and deals. Sack them. If they don’t clean the road, sack them. But they don’t have the guts. There is no performance; nobody cares.
At least now we have five corporations and younger commissioners. Hopefully, they will do something. We are seeing some action. But don’t say, “Madam told me, so I did it.” Just do your job. Keep the city clean. Bengaluru is a walking city. It’s the best city in India.
This is India’s richest city. Karnataka is India’s richest state. The government spends Rs 4 lakh crore. Vidhana Soudha should take responsibility. The Chief Secretary should go there. I’ve told them, form a committee with secretaries to clean it up. Focus on it.
I told D.K. Shivakumar, when I met him, please appoint R.K. Misra to take charge. If you get this road done, you’ll be the hero of Bengaluru. Everybody will respect you. This is the most important road in India — get it done. Everything is ready. I can’t understand how any political leader cannot use this opportunity to win glory.
News9: But is this about funds? Just last week the Chief Minister announced Rs 1,100 crore for road development. GBA will get Rs 25 crore each. But officials say there are no contractors willing to take up the work.
Mohandas Pai: Contractors are not coming because they haven’t been paid in the past. Contractors don’t trust the government. They know if they take up work, they won’t get paid because money will be siphoned off. Corruption has gone to the highest level.
Yesterday I was speaking to a real estate person. He said you have to pay Rs 250–300 per square foot to get all permissions. In BDA, there are 12–14 people you have to pay. Everyone knows who has to be paid.
They even have tariff cards. In BDA, they say you have to pay Rs 4 lakh per acre to the top person. For power connections, the tariff card says Rs 25,000 for a two- or three-bedroom apartment. Go ask who runs BDA. Go ask Minister Zameer Ahmed how much collection is happening. Go ask Harris what the collections are in BDA.
I am shocked. I was born here. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve seen many governments, met many Chief Ministers. When Siddaramaiah was Finance Minister, he brought discipline. Karnataka became revenue-surplus. But as Chief Minister now, he’s a disaster. He promised Rs 7,000 crore for Bengaluru. Where is it?
Instead, Rs 60,000 crore goes into guarantee schemes — free power, free benefits for people who don’t even need it. Why? Karnataka is already the richest state, with per capita income of Rs 4.25 lakh. What we need are jobs and education for young people, not freebies.
News9: You mentioned jobs. Are young people at risk of being left behind?
Mohandas Pai: Yes. In higher education, 64% of posts in state universities are vacant. Where will young people go? This IT corridor alone has 9.3 crore square feet of office space. Real estate developers like Jitu Virwani have built massive campuses. But what are they doing to fix the road? They should work with the government.
When lakhs of people enter and exit tech parks every day, there’s a huge traffic jam. Jitu built a big bridge, but that’s not enough. There are at least 10 real estate billionaires in Bengaluru. Why don’t they all come together and lobby the government? Business must rise, citizens must rise, and tell the government: perform.
This is not rocket science. With Rs 300–400 crore and proper management, you can fix that road.
News9: Are you seeing a bleak future for Bengaluru?
Mohandas Pai: Yes. I’m getting more and more disheartened, more angry, more frustrated. I’ve lived here all my life, worked 35 years for Bengaluru, brought industries here, built the city’s brand. But now, I’m sick and tired of these political leaders.
I don’t see any hope. I’ve always been optimistic about Bengaluru, but today, even I don’t see hope. They can’t keep one street clean. Go on Outer Ring Road and see the muck, the dirt. Even the media is failing. The media is not critical enough. And I know why — because of political pressures.
The system here is simple: collect money, squeeze people, and hope they keep coming. But people are leaving. GCCs call me every month asking: Should we still invest in Bengaluru? I try to be positive, but they don’t want to come. If companies don’t come, where will the jobs be? What will young people do?
We don’t want Karnataka to end up like Nepal or other countries where young people, with no jobs or future, turn to anger and destruction. We want our youth to prosper in their own state.
News9: Mr Pai, you’ve said before that Kannadigas are asking: “Nam Kannadigaru enu ide illi?” (What do Kannadigas have here?). What do you mean by that?
Mohandas Pai: What do they do? What opportunities do young Kannadigas have? Where are the jobs? What guarantee is this government giving? Corruption is very high.
What is the problem in cleaning the city? Why don’t the leaders come here and talk? Why don’t they make the roads better? Why is the Chief Minister not working?
What has he done in two years? What has he done for Bengaluru? Nothing.
News9: But officials say funds are being allocated and works are being planned.
Mohandas Pai: Funds are not the issue. Corruption has gone to the highest level. In BDA, everybody knows there’s a tariff card. You have to pay so much for every approval. For power connections, for real estate projects, for layouts — there is a price list. Go ask the minister in charge how much money is being collected.
I was born here. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve seen so many governments. When Siddaramaiah was Finance Minister, he was disciplined. He made Karnataka revenue-surplus. But today, as Chief Minister, he has done nothing for Bengaluru.
He promised Rs 7,000 crore. Where is it? Instead, Rs 60,000 crore is going into guarantee schemes. Freebies for people who don’t even need them. Free power for everybody. But what about jobs? What about education?
News9: And education is where you see the biggest crisis?
Mohandas Pai: Yes. In higher education, 64% of posts are vacant in state universities. Where will young people go?
This city has 9.3 crore square feet of IT campus space. Companies here generate jobs at scale. But if the government doesn’t support them, if the roads are broken, if the Metro is delayed, they will leave.
What are the real estate people doing? Why don’t they talk to the government? They all pay bribes for approvals, everyone makes money, and then people suffer.
Go to the tech parks. You can’t get in and out in the mornings and evenings. At least Jitu Virwani built a bridge, but it’s not enough. Bengaluru has 10 real estate billionaires. Let them all come together, work with the government, push them to perform.
Our citizens must rise. Business must rise. With Rs 300–400 crore and proper management, that road can be fixed.
News9: You sound deeply frustrated.
Mohandas Pai: Yes. I am getting more and more disheartened, more and more angry. I’ve worked for Bengaluru for 35 years. I brought industries here, I built the brand of this city, I worked with every Chief Minister.
Now I feel fed up. I’m sick and tired of political leaders who do nothing. I’ve always been the most optimistic person about Bengaluru, but today I see no hope. They can’t even keep one road clean.
Go on the ORR — there’s muck, dirt, garbage everywhere. Even the media is not as critical as it should be. They too, are failing, maybe because of political pressure.
The model now is: collect money, squeeze people, and let them suffer. But people are protesting. Companies are shifting out. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have called me in the last two or three months asking, “Should we stay in Bengaluru?” I tell them I’m positive, but they don’t want to come here anymore.
If companies don’t come, where are the jobs? What will young people do? We don’t want a Nepal-like situation where frustrated youth, with no jobs and no future, turn destructive. We want young Kannadigas to get good jobs and prosper in their own state.
News9: Mr Pai, if we look at the last two years, what exactly has the government done for Bengaluru?
Mohandas Pai: What has he done in two years? Nothing. Where are the results?
Corruption is very high. Everybody knows there’s a system — a tariff card. For every permission, there’s a rate. Real estate approvals, BDA sanctions, power connections — everything has a fixed price. Go ask the minister in charge, go ask the officers, how much is being collected.
I’m shocked. I was born here, I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve met many chief ministers. Siddaramaiah, when he was Finance Minister, was good. He brought discipline, made Karnataka revenue-surplus. But today, as Chief Minister, he has done nothing for Bengaluru.
He promised Rs 7,000 crore. Where is it? Instead, Rs 60,000 crore goes into guarantees — free power, free benefits, most of which are not even needed. We are the richest state, with Rs 4.25 lakh per capita income. What we need are jobs and education for young people.
News9: And in higher education?
Mohandas Pai: 64 per cent of posts are vacant in state universities. Where will the young people go?
This IT corridor has 9.3 crore square feet of office space. Real estate billionaires are making money. What are they doing to make the roads better? They all go to the ministers, pay for approvals, and then let citizens suffer.
Tech parks are choking. Getting in and out during peak hours is a nightmare. At least Jitu Virwani built a big bridge, but that’s not enough. Ten real estate billionaires in this city — let them come together, push the government, create a lobby, and fix this.
Citizens should rise. Businesses should rise. With Rs 300–400 crore and good management, you can fix that road.
News9: Are you saying you see no future for Bengaluru?
Mohandas Pai: Yes. I am getting more disheartened every day. More angry, more frustrated. I’ve worked for 35 years for Bengaluru. I brought industries here. I built the brand of this city. I worked with chief ministers, with governments.
Today, I’m fed up. I’m sick and tired of political leaders. I don’t see hope. I’ve always been the most optimistic person in Bengaluru, but now even I don’t see hope. They can’t keep one road clean.
Go to ORR and see the muck, the garbage. Even the media is failing — they’re not as critical as they should be. Why? Because of politics.
The system is: collect money, squeeze people, let them suffer. But people are protesting, and companies are leaving. In the last few months, GCCs have called me: “Should we invest in Bengaluru?” I say I’m positive, but they don’t want to come.
If companies don’t come, where will the jobs be? What will young people do? We don’t want a Nepal-like situation where young people, with no jobs and no future, turn destructive. We want Kannadigas to get good jobs, to prosper in their own state.
News9: Mr Pai, that frustration you’ve voiced today is something every Bengalurean resonates with. It is high time the authorities woke up, or the future of this city will only worsen.