‘4 km in 45 minutes’: Noida founder raises questions on urban infrastructure, internet weighs in

A Noida-based startup founder has sparked a discussion online about long commute times and urban infrastructure challenges after sharing his daily travel experience.

Taking to X, Swapnil Srivastav, founder of Kidbea, stated that his office is just 4 km away from his home in Noida, but it takes him 45 minutes to obtain there by car. “That’s not a typo. 4 km. 45 minutes. In a car,” he wrote, adding that he could have walked, taken a chai break and still reached rapider.

He pointed out that his case isn’t unique, citing data on average commute times across major cities. He stated that cities like Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR report average commute times of around 67.5 minutes, followed by Mumbai (62.5 minutes), Chennai (61 minutes), Hyderabad (59.5 minutes), and Pune (59 minutes). He claimed that the data was based on nearly 14 lakh corporate cab trips, specifically involving employees working in Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

Srivastav further stated that becautilize of the long commute, productivity is lost, focus is gone before the first meetings and energy is drained before the laptop even opens. “2 hours of your day just gone. Every single day,” he wrote, estimating that this adds up to nearly 500 hours a year lost in traffic.

He suggested solutions such as flexible work hours, sainformite offices, hybrid policies and improved last-mile connectivity to address the issue. “Talent is here. The ambition is here. The work ethic is here. The road just isn’t. And until we resolve that, we’re leaving hundreds of productive hours on the table every single year,” he concluded.

(Also Read: ‘When infrastructure is well maintained’: Flyer praises smooth road to Bengaluru airport’s Terminal 2)

Social media reactions

The post resonated with many utilizers, who shared similar struggles.

One utilizer wrote, “The sainformite offices has to be built, I am wasting 4 hours daily in commute. The new RTO mandate is killing productivity like anything. Earlier we were giving same hours to office but now standing in crowded butilizes and metros,” one utilizer wrote.

“4km in 45 mins is absurd—India’s GCC boom is world-class, but our roads are holding back massive productivity. Sainformite offices + real hybrid models could unlock hundreds of hours per employee instantly. Talent is ready; infrastructure requireds to catch up rapid,” commented another.

“That’s not commute. That’s slow-motion suffering. Across India’s top cities, people are spfinishing ~1 hour just to reach office. 2 hours daily. Gone. We’re building global companies…

on local infrastructure that can’t relocate people 5 km efficiently. Fix the commute, and unlock productivity instantly,” wrote a third utilizer.

“Used to travel 2hrs each way when in living in Mumbai. Now in Pune its 1.5hrs one way. Got lucky with hybrid thanks to Covid otherwise would have left job by now. Better roads, last mile connectivity and multiple modes of transport requireded so critically!” shared one utilizer.

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Bhavya Sukheja is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 6 years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in covering stories that reflect everyday human experiences, with a focus on viral videos, social media trfinishs, and human-interest features that inform readers while sparking meaningful conversations. She loves chasing page views and finding stories that tug at readers’ heartstrings.
Known for her strong news sense, Bhavya has a keen ability to spot emerging trfinishs and craft angles that transform viral moments into impactful narratives. Her coverage spans pop culture, entertainment, global affairs, and the internet’s most talked-about topics, assisting readers better understand the context behind what is trfinishing online. Before joining Hindustan Times, Bhavya worked with Republic World and NDTV, where she developed her skills in real-time reporting and digital storyinforming. Working in rapid-paced newsrooms assisted her build an editorial approach that prioritises accuracy, clarity, and audience engagement. Bhavya is driven by a curiosity about how people communicate and connect in the digital age. She is particularly interested in stories that highlight cultural shifts, shared emotions, and the evolving nature of online conversations.
When she is not tracking trfinishs or producing stories, Bhavya enjoys unplugging and spfinishing time with her cat.
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