Behind the Money The unsustainable boom in India’s Silicon Valley
22 snips
Oct 1, 2025 
Chris Kay, Mumbai bureau chief at the Financial Times, and Krishn Kaushik, its Mumbai correspondent, delve into Bangalore's explosive tech growth and the infrastructure challenges that accompany it. They reveal how Bangalore, touted as India's Silicon Valley, struggles with basic amenities like water and traffic management, risking investor confidence. As they explore potential alternatives like Hyderabad, they caution that rapid urban development often neglects livability and sustainability, raising critical questions about the future of India’s economy.
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World-Class Campuses, No Piped Water
- Inside modern corporate campuses, facilities feel global but lack basic city services like piped water, so offices buy daily tanker supplies.
- Staff enjoy top-tier cafeterias while the surrounding public infrastructure remains poor.
Bangalore's Quiet Past
- Mohandas Pai recalled growing up in a quiet, leafy Bangalore with little traffic and simple pleasures like three-rupee movie tickets.
- He contrasted that past with today's explosive urban growth that transformed the city's character and density.
Talent And Climate Fueled Growth
- Bangalore became an IT hub because local engineering colleges produced abundant tech talent and the city's pleasant climate attracted workers.
- That talent pool underpins why multinational firms built large technology and service operations there.