‘Leaving Bangalore for Pune after 14+ years’: Entrepreneur’s poignant note goes viral; netizens say ‘It’s a good move’

Co-founder of activewear brand Zymrat Asthana Ujjawal bid an emotional farewell to Bengaluru after more than 14 years with an emotional note posted on X (formerly Twitter). In this note, he thanked Bengaluru for giving him “all the good things in life”.

He said that even though he was not a local, he never felt like an outsider in Bengaluru. “I am not a local but there wasn’t a day when I felt like an outsider – and if you are thinking thats because I live in a bubble of high rise and car – that’s not the case. I have also lived the BMTC, auto, cab life in the city for the longest time,” the Zymrat co-founder said. 

He said that people who jeer at the mere mention of Bengaluru need to live beyond the weather, coffee, beer and startups. While he was excited to embrace Pune as his home, the entrepreneur was nostalgic about Bengaluru. 

“And while I am going to make Pune my new home, and I can’t wait to start my journey there, I will keep walking in the lanes of Bangalore – the city I have called home since I became an adult, on each trip.”

The note went viral within no time on social media, with netizens backing his decision to make the move from the southern metropolis to Pune. 

“It is a good move trust me. I moved with my family almost 4 years back, keep hopping between Bangalore and Pune and get the best of both worlds. And all the best to your journey in Pune,” a user wrote on X.

“Pune is a great city to live in – good people, weather, food, vibes. I’d say that it has the good parts of all Indian cities, and none of the extreme greats or bad. It also allows you to be an independent thinker, away from the noise and echo chambers,” a second user mentioned. 

“Pune is one of the best cities in India — I miss everyday — If I ever come back to India, I’ll live without a doubt in Pune,” a third user said. “You will love Pune. It is a beautiful city and it doesn’t fail to make you feel like home,” a fourth user said. 

“Pune has the best of both worlds. Modern infra and greenery + mountains on the outskirts. Has a rich history and amazing food too (sic),” a fifth user mentioned. 

“All the best! Pune is a great choice. Good city with positive vibes all around. The only thing I don’t like about Pune is quality of water. Be careful, people lose hair very fast here,” yet another user said.