Ahmedabad's urban infrastructure has become a benchmark for modern Indian cities, according to recent observations by tech executive Siddharth Dialani, who starkly contrasted Gujarat's commercial capital with Bengaluru's deteriorating systems. His detailed thread highlights three fundamental advantages that position Ahmedabad as "at least 10 years ahead" in urban planning maturity.
Intelligent Traffic Management Systems
Here, every traffic signal has a working timer with bright lights.
— Siddharth Dialani (@siddharth_iitm) January 25, 2025
This alone reduces driver anxiety, and makes them stop with patience.
Can't believe that such a basic thing is missing in almost all signals of Bangalore.
Bangalore is so dusty that signal lights are not even…
"Every Ahmedabad traffic signal has a working timer with bright lights," Dialani noted, describing how the city's 3-color countdown clocks reduce driver anxiety and improve compliance. This contrasts sharply with Bengaluru, where "signal lights aren't even visible" due to accumulated dust and poor maintenance. The psychological impact is significant - Ahmedabad drivers reportedly "stop with patience," while Bengaluru's inadequate signalling contributes to road frustration.
Road Engineering Excellence
Roads are so wide and lane markings are quite prominent.
— Siddharth Dialani (@siddharth_iitm) January 25, 2025
It's like markings were done just yesterday.
Looking at Bangalore, I used to believe that Indian road quality is going down.
After looking at Ahmedabad, I realised that It's not India, it's just Bangalore!
I couldn't…
The executive marvelled at Ahmedabad's "85-meter-wide roads with lane markings that look freshly painted," emphasizing the complete absence of potholes. "I used to believe Indian road quality was declining nationwide," Dialani admitted, "until Ahmedabad showed it's specifically Bengaluru's problem". The city's maintenance protocols ensure road surfaces remain intact through monsoon seasons, unlike Bengaluru's notorious crater-filled streets that damage vehicles and slow commerce.
Night Infrastructure Activation
Moreover, the city is well lit.
— Siddharth Dialani (@siddharth_iitm) January 25, 2025
At night, the city looks bright and happening.
It's surprising that this can directly affect the mood of the population.
People are generally happy and smiling.
Whereas, Bangalore is dark! Forget bright happening lights, even basic street…
Ahmedabad's after-dark transformation through strategic lighting creates "a bright, happening nightscape that elevates public mood". Dialani observed direct correlations between the city's 24/7 operational street lights and residents' disposition: "People smile more here." Bengaluru's counterpart presents a grim picture - entire neighbourhoods plunge into darkness post-sunset due to non-functional lighting, which the thread suggests might explain the city's "pervasive public irritability".
The Coldplay Concert
The debate comes at a time when Ahmedabad is making global headlines—hosting Coldplay’s largest-ever concert, the biggest in the 21st century. According to Billboard, over the weekend (Jan. 25-26), the British band performed for 111,581 fans at the first show and 111,989 fans per night at the second, totalling more than 223,000 fans across the two nights. This narrowly beats the record set by George Strait, who in June played to 110,905 fans at Kyle Field at Texas A&M.
