“The Great Migration is Coming.” Infosys founder Narayana Murthy warned that India's failure to tackle climate change could push millions of people from uninhabitable rural areas into already overburdened cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.
“What is likely to happen is mass migration from rural areas of the states… to more livable areas like Bangalore, maybe Pune, maybe Hyderabad,” Murthy said at the Sustainability Crusade Awards organized by the JP Shroff Foundation.
It predicted that parts of India could become uninhabitable within 20-25 years due to rising temperatures.
Murthy did not mince words about the challenges these urban centers face. “These cities have become extremely challenging to live in, difficult to navigate and have seen rising levels of pollution. “They are moving into an unlivable situation,” he said.
It called for urgent collaboration among politicians, officials and corporate leaders to find solutions to climate-driven urban pressures. “We must ensure that there is no mass migration. That is the challenge,” he said.
While raising the alarm, Murthy struck an optimistic note, 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 made an impassioned appeal to the younger generation, urging them to develop a sense of responsibility towards society and the environment. “We have to take care of the underprivileged sections of the society or we are no better than animals. Just being wrapped in the national flag does not make one a true nationalist,” he said.
The event recognized environmentalist Madhav Gadgil and entrepreneur Alok Kale along with eminent participants like Dr. Raghanath Mashelkar and industrialist Jamshid Godrej. Murthy's warnings and call to action leave no doubt: climate change is not a distant threat, but a pressing crisis that could reshape India's future.