‘Cities like Bengaluru and Pune are at risk’: Narayana Murthy warns of urban overburden due to climate change

“Mass migration is coming.” Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, sounded the alarm, warning that India’s failure to tackle climate change could push millions from uninhabitable rural areas to already overburdened cities such as Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

“What will likely happen is a mass migration from rural areas in the states… to habitable places like Bangalore, maybe Pune, maybe Hyderabad,” Murthy said, speaking at the Sustainability Campaign Awards organized by the JP Shroff Foundation.

He pointed to expectations that rising temperatures could make parts of India uninhabitable within 20 to 25 years.

Murthy did not mince words about the challenges facing these urban centres. “These cities have become very difficult to live in, difficult to navigate, and have seen rising levels of pollution. They are moving toward becoming unlivable,” he said.

He urged urgent cooperation between politicians, bureaucrats and corporate leaders to address climate-induced urban pressures. “We have to ensure that there is no mass migration. That is the challenge,” he said.

While Murthy sounded the alarm, he sounded a tone of optimism, expressing confidence in India’s ability to achieve its 2030 climate goals, despite what he described as the country’s habit of acting “at the last minute.”

Murthy also made an impassioned appeal to the younger generation, urging them to embrace a sense of responsibility towards society and the environment. “We must take care of the deprived sections of society, otherwise we are no better than animals. Merely wrapping oneself in the national flag does not make one a true nationalist,” he said.

The event honored environmentalist Madhav Gadgil and businessman Alok Kale, with notable attendees such as Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar and industrialist Jamshed Godrej. Murthy’s warnings and call to action leave no doubt: climate change is not a distant threat, but a looming crisis that could reshape India’s future.