My City My Views: Pune can be most livable city in India, says Sudhir Mehta

Infrastructure and cleanliness are two aspects in which Pune needs to improve, says Sudhir Mehta, the CMD of Pinnacle Group.

A former president of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), Mehta led delegations to seek a new airport for the city.

As CMD of the multi-pronged Pinnacle Group, Sudhir Mehta has been active in Pune’s social and business circles for a very long time. A former president of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), Mehta led delegations to seek a new airport for the city.

He also coordinated the unique model wherein industries coordinated closely with the authorities during the pandemic. He is now actively lobbying for a full-fledged international airport for Pune. Mehta spoke to The Indian Express about Pune.

What do you like about the city?

Pune is unique because it has the perfect recipe for success. Here, we have a city which is bustling with young energy and has a sizeable portion of senior citizens who can guide them. The city has its energy, culture and vibrancy, making it stand out worldwide. What I love the most about Pune is that it has the capacity and potential to be the country’s fastest-growing, most livable city.

What do you dislike about the city?

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Unfortunately, Pune has been neglected by the government on some accounts, and thus, its full potential is yet to be harnessed. The most chronic pain for Pune is its lack of infrastructure and cleanliness. Both the citizens and the government are to be blamed for this. A world-class city needs world-class infrastructure and Pune is far from having that.

What can be done to address this?

As a city, we have to make efforts to ensure the lacunae are filled. The citizens have to take care of their surroundings and the government has to ensure the city gets the infrastructure and attention it deserves. We have to lobby as citizens for the same.

Parthasarathi Biswas

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

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