Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw clarifies she never offered to fix Bengaluru roads: ‘Fabricated news’

Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw dismissed media reports about her offer to repair Bengaluru's roads as fabricated.

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has raised questions over media reports claiming she offered to repair Bengaluru’s roads, calling them “fabricated news.”

Biotechnology pioneer Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw(PTI File Photo)

The clarification comes days after a heated online exchange with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and a viral post by former Union Minister P Chidambaram praising her alleged offer.

Mazumdar-Shaw expressed amusement at the reports and said, “Please ask them to share their source of this info about my offer to repair roads.” She met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar on Tuesday to greet them for Deepavali and reiterated her willingness to cooperate for Bengaluru’s development.

The Biocon chief has frequently voiced concerns about Bengaluru’s crumbling infrastructure and garbage management on social media, drawing attention from the state government as well as criticism from political leaders.

Earlier, P Chidambaram had posted on X, “I noted with interest Mrs Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's offer to fund the development of some roads in Bengaluru. A great offer! Congratulations. The problem with our public works is not the lack of public money; the problem is in the execution of the work.”

Mazumdar-Shaw had also shared her observations on X, noting that her overseas business visitor was shocked by the state of Bengaluru’s roads and sanitation, “Why are the roads so bad and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn’t the Govt want to support investment? I have just come from China and can't understand why India can’t get its act together, especially when the winds are favourable?” She added, “We are in this dire situation because of past governments' failure to act in time.

This government has the opportunity to change this and act fast to fix these decades of deteriorating infrastructure and garbage management.”

Her meeting with the Deputy CM DK Shivakumar marks a move towards collaboration after weeks of public debate over Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes, following her critical social media posts.