Investor and Indian Business Chamber of Luxembourg president Himanshu Upadhyay has sparked a fierce online debate after revealing that he left India because he and his family no longer felt safe living there. Responding to a social media post lauding Noida’s quality of life, Upadhyay said his decision to relocate was driven by the environment he experienced firsthand — one he described as deeply frustrating and morally corrosive.
In a candid post on X (formally Twitter), Upadhyay said, “I lived in a so-called posh colony in Noida. The only reason I left India was the incompetent and morally bankrupt people around me.”
He painted a grim picture of daily life, adding, “There wasn’t a day that I didn’t struggle with basic things, not only outside of the house but also indoors. Electricity, water, pollution, neighbour’s, commuters. Everyone seemed to be always angry and frustrated, ready to kill. Even the most educated around me were involved in rampant corruption. For instance, electricity theft in this very Noida.”
Upadhyay didn’t mince words about what ultimately pushed him to leave. “I didn’t want to raise my children in that environment. As much I love the country, people around me made it hell. So, matter how many tall buildings, how many trees, it’s still a hell,” he said.
He suggested India’s social structure needs a generational overhaul. “So to answer your question, one needs civility and morality and common sense. It will probably take 2 generations,” he wrote.
The post drew swift reactions online. One user responded, “I also stay in Noida. Never faced any problem… Yes India has corrupt people, but imagine those who are not having resources what they will do.”
Upadhyay replied, “Go to Sri Lanka or even Nepal. You will see the difference, despite a low quality of life. Some of the worst and most vile people in India are the rich.”
When another commenter suggested the problem might lie with him, Upadhyay countered, “So you are telling me that there are cities in India where people are morally sound, ethical, with no fights over parking, no road rage, no corruption, no disruption in water and electric supply, no pollution and everyone using common sense?”
A different user weighed in, “Exactly. Civility and common sense existed earlier but with each passing generation, it’s going worse… Blaming the govt is secondary, people around themselves are to be blamed first.”
Yet another voice added a note of pragmatism: “I stay in Noida. Happily. Accepting that life has thorns in the bunch of red roses it offers.”