'Some neighbours are feeling the burn': Nara Lokesh mocks Bengaluru after Google snub
The stakes rose after Google chose Andhra Pradesh over Karnataka for a massive $15 billion AI and data center hub, further inflaming the row. Kharge alleged Andhra lured the tech giant with Rs 22,000 crore in subsidies and waivers.
- Oct 16, 2025,
- Updated Oct 16, 2025 1:13 PM IST
After clinching a $15 billion deal with Google, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh took a swipe at Karnataka, mocking Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes and positioning his state as the new investment magnet.
Lokesh had in a recent interview to a TV channel confirmed Andhra had attracted over $120 billion in investment, brushing off criticism from neighboring Karnataka.
“They say Andhra food is spicy. (It) seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn,” he quipped on X.
His remarks followed weeks of escalating tensions with Karnataka, sparked by a viral complaint from Rajesh Yabaji, co-founder of a logistics startup in Bengaluru’s Bellandur, about poor roads and long commutes.
Lokesh jumped at the opportunity, pitching Vizag as a business-friendly alternative.
Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and IT Minister Priyank Kharge fired back, accusing Andhra of poaching and calling the move “desperate scavenging of a weaker ecosystem.” Shivakumar dismissed the challenge, insisting, “You can't match Bengaluru infrastructure, startups, human resources, and innovations.”
The stakes rose after Google chose Andhra Pradesh over Karnataka for a massive $15 billion AI and data center hub, further inflaming the row. Kharge alleged Andhra lured the tech giant with Rs 22,000 crore in subsidies and waivers.
Lokesh shot back: “If they are inefficient, what can I do? Their own industrialists say the infrastructure is bad... there are power cuts.”
Fueling the debate, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared on X a Chinese colleague’s blunt take on Bengaluru’s condition: “Why are the roads so bad... why is there so much garbage?” Her post sparked outrage, with some residents threatening to withhold property taxes unless city infrastructure improved.
As investment dollars and public frustration converge, the South’s tech rivalry has veered into open confrontation — with Andhra aiming to outpace its wealthier neighbor by turning discontent into opportunity.
After clinching a $15 billion deal with Google, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh took a swipe at Karnataka, mocking Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes and positioning his state as the new investment magnet.
Lokesh had in a recent interview to a TV channel confirmed Andhra had attracted over $120 billion in investment, brushing off criticism from neighboring Karnataka.
“They say Andhra food is spicy. (It) seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn,” he quipped on X.
His remarks followed weeks of escalating tensions with Karnataka, sparked by a viral complaint from Rajesh Yabaji, co-founder of a logistics startup in Bengaluru’s Bellandur, about poor roads and long commutes.
Lokesh jumped at the opportunity, pitching Vizag as a business-friendly alternative.
Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and IT Minister Priyank Kharge fired back, accusing Andhra of poaching and calling the move “desperate scavenging of a weaker ecosystem.” Shivakumar dismissed the challenge, insisting, “You can't match Bengaluru infrastructure, startups, human resources, and innovations.”
The stakes rose after Google chose Andhra Pradesh over Karnataka for a massive $15 billion AI and data center hub, further inflaming the row. Kharge alleged Andhra lured the tech giant with Rs 22,000 crore in subsidies and waivers.
Lokesh shot back: “If they are inefficient, what can I do? Their own industrialists say the infrastructure is bad... there are power cuts.”
Fueling the debate, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared on X a Chinese colleague’s blunt take on Bengaluru’s condition: “Why are the roads so bad... why is there so much garbage?” Her post sparked outrage, with some residents threatening to withhold property taxes unless city infrastructure improved.
As investment dollars and public frustration converge, the South’s tech rivalry has veered into open confrontation — with Andhra aiming to outpace its wealthier neighbor by turning discontent into opportunity.