‘Cities like Bengaluru, Pune at risk’: Narayana Murthy warns of urban overload due to climate change

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

“What is likely to happen is mass migration from rural parts of the states to residential areas like Bangalore, maybe Pune, maybe Hyderabad,” Murthy said while speaking at the Sustainability Crusade Awards organized by the JP Shroff Foundation.

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

Murthy did not speak about the challenges facing these urban centers. “These cities have become difficult to live in, difficult to navigate and have witnessed rising pollution levels,” he said.

He called for urgent collaboration between politicians, bureaucrats and corporate leaders to address climate-based urban pressures. That is the challenge,” he said.

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

Murthy also appealed to the young generation to have a sense of responsibility towards the society and the environment. he said.

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