'World-class buildings, third-class roads’: Mohandas Pai on private vs public infrastructure gap in Mumbai & Bengaluru

A social media exchange between former Infosys executive Mohandas Pai and real estate professional Vishal Bhargava has once again put the spotlight on the state of urban infrastructure in India’s largest cities.

Pai, in his post, described what he sees as a growing disconnect between high-quality private developments and poor public infrastructure.

“The tragedy of our cities. World-class buildings, third-class roads and footpaths in many areas. Private quality, public disaster driven by deep corruption! Was in Mumbai today at Andheri—totally shocked at bad roads, huge debris on roads, slow work, poor quality of new concrete roads, never-ending works…,” Pai wrote.

 

 

 

 

Vishal Bhargava, whose original post triggered Pai’s response, highlighted a similar contrast in Bengaluru’s urban landscape.

“Bangalore: You drive on broken roads, invisible footpaths, unchecked garbage—every sign of a third-world city. And then you enter the gates of business parks, where a first-world experience awaits you,” Bhargava said.

While Bhargava focused on Bengaluru, Pai extended the conversation to Mumbai, particularly Andheri, where he flagged damaged roads, ongoing construction, debris, and concerns over the quality of newly laid concrete roads.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised Mumbai’s infrastructure in the same thread, calling out what she described as the “crumbling and neglected suburbs” of the financial capital.

“Welcome to the paradise of crumbling and neglected suburbs of Mumbai, where people fight for decent roads to drive on and non-existent footpaths to walk on. Aesthetics—none. Urban planning—none,” she wrote.

The posts have since gained traction on social media, with several users sharing similar experiences from cities across India.

“All the money spent in Mumbai is for South Bombay; suburban Mumbai is like a gutter. Internal roads are occupied by autos, tempos, and private commercial vehicles, along with temporary shops, where police collect weekly money. If BMC spends even a fraction of its budget in the suburbs without corruption, it would make a huge difference,” one user said.

Another user linked the issue to India’s broader economic ambitions, writing, “India will hit a growth ceiling if its cities don’t offer quality living. I don’t think India can become a $30 trillion economy without drastic improvements in urban infrastructure.”