Narayana Murthy Warns of Climate-Induced Migration to Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad

Tech visionary stresses collaboration to address climate challenges and urban pressures.

Prominent Indian entrepreneur Narayana Murthy has raised serious concerns about the impact of climate change on migration patterns within India. Speaking at an event in Pune, the Infosys co-founder highlighted the potential for mass migration to urban hubs like Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad as certain regions in India become uninhabitable due to rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions.

Key Highlights from Narayana Murthy’s Address

• Climate Change and Migration:

Murthy cautioned that in 20-25 years, climate change could make parts of India uninhabitable, forcing large populations to migrate to relatively habitable cities like Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

• Challenges in Urban Centers:

Despite being potential destinations for climate migrants, these cities face severe issues such as:

• Traffic congestion

• High levels of pollution

Murthy remarked, “Life in Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad is already challenging for locals due to these problems, making them unsuitable for accommodating additional migration pressures.”

Murthy emphasized the importance of collaboration between corporate leaders, politicians, and bureaucrats to proactively address the challenges posed by climate change and urban migration.

“We in India must cooperate across sectors to ensure mass migration is mitigated and urban centers remain livable,” he said.

Optimism for Sustainability:

Murthy expressed confidence that Indian society would adopt a more proactive approach toward environmental sustainability by 2030, moving away from the tendency to act at the last minute.

Urgent Attention Required for Urban Issues

Murthy called for immediate action to tackle the existing problems in cities like:

• Population pressure

• Traffic bottlenecks

• Environmental degradation

Failure to address these issues could exacerbate the challenges posed by increased migration, creating a crisis in urban management and infrastructure.

Murthy urged Indian leadership across sectors to adopt long-term, sustainable policies to ensure that urban centers can handle future climate-induced migration. With proper planning and collaboration, he expressed hope that India could avert a potential migration crisis while advancing environmental sustainability.