News: Jindal Realty CEO: Gurugram Lacks Walkability-16-05-2026
Abhay Kumar Mishra, President and CEO of Jindal Realty and a resident of Sector 22, sees Gurugram as both an achievement and a missed opportunity: a city that grew quickly into a global hub yet lacks basic infrastructure.
Mishra, 66, moved from Delhi in 2008, drawn by the airport’s proximity and the city’s rising importance for business. He says places like Cyber City reflect its global identity and draw people from across India and abroad.
His main complaint is last-mile connectivity. There are no proper footpaths or safe pedestrian routes to metro stations, he says, and walking, "the first right", is not possible. Road safety remains a dream, and cycle tracks are discussed but do not exist.
He also finds few public spaces outside gated societies and commercial complexes where people can simply spend time. Quality, he says, is selective: good housing inside societies, garbage, poor roads and haphazard infrastructure outside. He flags street lighting and waste management as well.
Mishra enjoys visiting 32nd Avenue, Cyber City and Horizon One with his family, but says such spaces are limited.
In his view, planning has been reactive, with rapid development that did not integrate mobility, sustainability and human-centric design. Infrastructure should serve people and not just vehicles, he says, calling for long-term planning over short-term fixes.
An avid reader interested in urban development, he believes the city has immense potential that may stay unrealised unless walkability, public spaces and consistent infrastructure quality are prioritised.
