Mr. Kapoor compares India’s infrastructure with that of Dubai
Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sanjeev Kapoor on Saturday took to Twitter to express his dismay over the beauty and architecture of Indian metro stations. In a tweet, Mr Kapoor compared India’s infrastructure with that of Dubai and called Indian metro stations ‘artless concrete-eyed’. The tweet angered a lot of Twitter users, who flooded the reply section to oppose his statement.
Comparing it, he wrote, “Bangalore, Gurgaon, Kolkata… why are our overground/overhead metro stations such artless concrete eyesores?” Take a look at Dubai (right) in comparison to Bangalore (left). And this Dubai station was probably built 10 years ago! He also shared pictures of Dubai and Bengaluru metro stations to emphasize his point.
Check out the tweet here:
Bangalore, Gurgaon, Kolkata… why are our overground/overhead metro stations such artificial concrete eyesores? Take a look at Dubai (right) in comparison to Bangalore (left). And this Dubai station was probably built 10 years ago! https://t.co/jSYueFwSWwpic.twitter.com/jAHSV6GF3S
— Sanjeev Kapoor (@TheSanjivKapoor) March 18, 2023
The tweet was not liked by many Twitter users who criticized his statement.
“Typical response from people who don’t appreciate their country,” one user responded to her post, while another said, “Transit doesn’t have to be pretty. If you’ve read more on urbanization and city planning you Will never congratulate Dubai again. That city is an urban planning nightmare. The way it’s set up, it’s borderline offensive to logic.”
A third wrote, “If only you had seen the ancient architecture of India. The only difference between then and now is that India had enough resources then. India can no longer afford to spend money even on aesthetics, if it costs so little.
Many also shared several pictures of beautiful and well-designed metro stations across the country to prove their point.
Delhi Metro for you! pic.twitter.com/HA8z0g6AZZ
— Rahul Kapoor (@okwithrk) March 18, 2023
This is what the same station looks like from a distance (not the right part of the picture), but yes, most stations are box shaped.
• Sri Sathya Sai Hospital Metro Station#bangalorepic.twitter.com/SCWEUxtmk6
– Bangalore Metro Updates (@WF_Watcher) March 18, 2023
Amazing artwork has been done on the walls of Bangalore Metro. They let the artists paint the walls afterwards.
Case in point, the Church Street Metro: pic.twitter.com/41ojhy7JQx
— Srijan R Shetty (@srijanshetty) March 19, 2023
from Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/5j2gfudR6j
— Vishal Anand (@im_vishal72) March 18, 2023
Although there were some users who seemed to agree with his statement. One user wrote, ‘Told right. Our public infrastructure is not eco-friendly, not cost-effective or beautiful, and many people do not even have access. Not just metro stations but other public infrastructure too. Nowadays private construction has also made a complete mess. The least importance is given to aesthetics.
Another commented, the lack of artistic appeal in ‘metro stations of India’ leaves a lot to be desired. With such a rich cultural heritage, it is a shame that the country’s public spaces are not more visually inspiring. Let’s look forward to a future where form and function co-exist.”
Notably, his tweet on the Bengaluru Metro comes in the wake of the much-awaited inauguration of the Whitefield-KR Puram Metro route (Purple Line). The 13 km stretch is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25.
Last month, the CEO shared his poor experience with Vodafone Idea, saying that he decided to switch to another service after nine years because of Vodafone’s poor coverage in some parts of the country and substandard international roaming plans.
