Unacademy CEO Lauds Bengaluru As India's 'Best City' For Startups, Social Media Has Split Response

Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal sparked a heated debate on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by referring to Bengaluru as India's "best city". Munjal claimed that everyone he has met recently wants to move to Bengaluru, praising the city for its appeal, especially for entrepreneurs and founders.

"Everyone I meet these days wants to move to Bangalore. Best City in India," Munjal posted on Friday. He further added, "And the only place you should be if you’re thinking of starting a company."

Munjal's tweet received a mixed response from users on X. Some agreed with his views, pointing to Bengaluru's vibrant startup culture and dynamic environment. One user commented, "Bangalore does have that magnetic pull, doesn't it? With its vibrant startup culture and dynamic environment, it's definitely a top choice for entrepreneurial ventures."

Others, however, pointed out several issues plaguing the city, such as high rent, water shortages, and traffic congestion. A user commented, "Literally the worst. Only gud if u have a lot of money. Extremely high rent, water issues, transport issues. If u r not living in prime areas then be prepared to get stuck in traffic fr hrs where the cab driver won’t even turn on the AC + only god can hlp u when it starts raining."

Munjal's post also led to discussions comparing Bengaluru with other Indian cities and international locations for starting businesses.

One user wrote, "Agreed, Bangalore is amazing. Though I'm curious, why some Indians are still looking outwards to Bay Area? Comparable or just different?" To which Munjal replied, "If you’re building for India, then Bangalore is the place to be. If you’re building for US, then SF is the place to be."

Other users mentioned alternatives to Bengaluru for building a career in tech, such as Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Pune, and Chennai. A user commented, "If you are looking to build a career in tech there are still alternatives to Bangalore like Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Pune, Chennai. But if you want to build a career in finance, there is no other alternative to Mumbai."

Some users expressed a starkly different view, suggesting that Bengaluru's appeal is limited to the wealthy and powerful. One user wrote, "Only for powerful & rich people. Working class has to deal with racism (language), abuse, traffic, corruption and inflation on a daily basis." Another user added, "Opposite situation here, everyone I know wants to get out of Bangalore."