Sridhar Vembu, Zoho’s CEO, has shared his thoughts on Bengaluru’s declining living standards amid sharp criticism of the Karnataka government’s handling of the city. Responding to Mohandas Pai’s blunt remarks on the Congress administration’s two-year rule, Vembu pointed to a fundamental cause: the relentless influx of migrants from rural regions due to widespread unemployment.
Vembu emphasized that while Bengaluru aims to transform into a “world-class city,” this ambition is stalled by deep-rooted poverty and job scarcity in villages, pushing a vast number of people into an already congested city suffering from crumbling infrastructure. He noted that cash transfer programs dominate rural politics because poverty shapes voter behavior, making migration almost unavoidable.
Drawing from his own rural upbringing, Vembu explained that his insights are not an attack on politicians but a reflection of harsh truths. He asserted that “thriving cities cannot emerge if huge populations flood into overcrowded urban areas with failing and overstretched services.”
He insisted that Bengaluru’s future quality of life depends heavily on how effectively rural employment opportunities can be expanded to reduce migration pressure on the city.
Social media users largely agreed with Vembu’s analysis. Some suggested creating multiple industrial hubs across regions to keep jobs close to people’s homes. Others remarked that no city can be truly livable without addressing the root causes driving desperate migration.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru continues to make headlines for its infrastructural failures and heavy rains that have left the city struggling under severe flooding warnings.
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