'Save Gurugram': Ex-Jet Airways CEO says city's garbage crisis shows governance breakdown

Former Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor has once again highlighted Gurugram's deteriorating urban conditions, this time using a stark visual contrast to make his point. Sharing a before-and-after image of a sidewalk on Bhagwan Mahaveer Marg in Sector 44, Kapoor wrote, "What it is, and what it could be if the Municipal Corporation Gurugram wants to really drive change. This is not rocket science (which India is ironically good at)! This is basic urban planning and upkeep, seen all over the world."

The image he shared shows the same stretch of road in two conditions. On the left, the sidewalk is strewn with garbage, broken concrete, fallen branches, and an exposed drain—virtually unusable for pedestrians. On the right, the redesigned version features neatly paved tiles, bollards, manicured lawns, and a clearly marked pedestrian lane, showing what clean, safe public infrastructure can look like with the right intent.

Kapoor, who has been vocal about Gurugram's civic problems, followed up with an appeal to the Centre. "Absolute shame, Municipal Corporation Gurugram. Dear @PMOIndia, @narendramodi sir, your intervention urgently needed to save Gurgaon! We are counting on you and your #swachhbharat vision!"

He further added, "MunCorpGurugram, actually expects people to throw their garbage on streetsides and open dumps, and sees nothing wrong with it. That is how clueless and backward they are. The public also largely does the same, not knowing any better. Failure of education and governance."

Kapoor's comments came in the wake of similar frustration expressed by Gurugram resident Mathilde R, a French expat, who posted a photo of a garbage heap near Sikanderpur's Pillar 48 and wrote, "They're doing the same at Pillar 48 in Sikanderpur — turning it into a filthy dumping ground where cows feed on trash in the middle of the road, right at Gurgaon’s gateway. MCG’s standards are nonexistent. There’s nothing to expect from them; they clearly cannot deliver a ‘world-class’ city or sanitation system."

She added, "I've lost faith in that route. At this point, I can only hope that DLF gradually takes over the city in the next decade. It’s evident that only private players are capable of building a truly world-class India."

Author and entrepreneur Suhel Seth has called Gurugram a case study in failed urban governance. Speaking on an ANI podcast, Seth said, "We have the worst civil engineers in India. Absolutely. We’ve obliterated the use of technology in civil planning and infrastructure."

Calling Gurugram’s growth unplanned, he added, "Some of India's largest companies are headquartered there—Coca-Cola, EY, HeromotoCorp, Apollo, Max, Fortis. But the city lacks even basic infrastructure. It’s bizarre. The richest people live in slumlike environments."

Seth argued that the city wasn't built with any policy foresight, but rather grew from corporate spillover. "It didn’t grow because of Hindustan Lever. It grew because GE and Genpact came in first for back-office operations. The city boomed around that, not planning."