After Khatabook founder's tweet on Bengaluru roads, Telangana minister's offer

"Pack your bags and move to Hyderabad," KT Rama Rao told Khatabook's Ravish Naresh. (Images: LinkedIn and Facebook)

A start-up founder’s tweet about poor infrastructure in Bengaluru recently prompted Telangana minister KT Rama Rao to make an offer: “pack your bags and move to Hyderabad”.

Ravish Naresh, the founder and chief executive officer of Khatabook, a digital book-keeping startup, had tweeted on March 30 that despite start-ups in Bengaluru’s HSR Layout and Koramangala (which he referred to as India’s Silicon Valley) paying billions of dollars in taxes, roads in the area were bad and that there were power cuts every day.

“(There is) poor quality water supply, unusable foot paths,” he continued. “Many rural areas now have better basic infra than India's Sillicon Valley. Also the nearest airport is three hours away in peak traffic.”

Startups in HSR/Koramangala (India's Sillicon Valley) are already generating billions of $ of taxes. Yet we have v bad roads, almost daily power cuts, poor quality water supply, unusable foot paths. Many rural areas now have better basic infra than India's Sillicon Valley

— ravishnaresh.eth (@ravishnaresh) March 30, 2022

Another start-up founder, Nikhil Kumar of Setu API, chimed in with his views. “I swear. What a mess Bangalore has become. Please take note sir -- if you don't fix this, there will be a mass exodus!” he tweeted tagging Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

I swear. What a mess Bangalore has become. Please take note sir @CMofKarnataka - if you don't fix this, there will be a mass exodus! https://t.co/CpRk6UT0QB

— Nikhil Kumar (@nikhilkumarks) March 30, 2022

KT Rama Rao, Telangana's Industry and Commerce and IT minister, joined the conversation, saying Hyderabad had better amenities. 

"Pack your bags and move to Hyderabad," he tweeted. "We have better physical infrastructure and equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is one of the best and getting in and out of city is a breeze. More importantly our government's focus is on three i mantra: innovation, infrastructure and inclusive growth." 

Pack your bags & move to Hyderabad! We have better physical infrastructure & equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is 1 of the best & getting in & out of city is a breeze

More importantly our Govt’s focus is on 3 i Mantra; innovation, infrastructure & inclusive growth https://t.co/RPVALrl0QB

— KTR (@KTRTRS) March 31, 2022

Bengaluru is India's start-up hub. It had a 34 per cent start-up office leasing share during the 2019-21 period,  according to a report released in February by real estate company Colliers and CRE Matrix. Koramangala, HSR Layout and Indiranagar were the preferred locations. 

The report showed that the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) was growing the fastest in terms of leasing of offices by startups. 

In Mumbai, certain parts have seen startup activity but the high cost of renting in the city has proved to be a deterrent, according to the report.