Infosys and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Friday reacted to a comparative chart ranking states on capital expenditure (capex) versus spending on “freebies,” expressing surprise over Karnataka’s and Andhra Pradesh’s position.
In a post on X, Pai mentioned that he found the data “interesting” but expressed surprise at the rankings. He wrote that he was surprised to see “Babu garu way way down in ranking,” referring to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. He also stated that Karnataka, being one of India’s richest states, “should do better.” He also tagged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his post.
His remarks were in response to a graphic titled “Capex Vs Freebies,” which lists ten states and compares their percentage allocation towards capex and freebies, along with a capex-to-freebies ratio.
Interesting data. Surprised to see our @ncbn Babu garu way way down in ranking. Karnataka as the richest state should do better @CMofKarnataka @siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/LQBQQS850R
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) February 20, 2026
What does the data show?
The chart ranks Gujarat at the top, showing 26.0% of its total budget allocated to capex and 6.8% to freebies, translating into a 3.80x capex-to-freebies ratio. Uttar Pradesh is on the second slot with 20.4% capex and 5.6% freebies (3.67x). Bihar is ranked third with 12.6% capex versus 7.9% freebies (1.60x) whereas Madhya Pradesh is fourth with 14.8% capex and 9.9% freebies, holding its ratio at 1.50x.
Karnataka which Pai flagged in his post, is in the fifth slot with 16.6% capex and 12.5% freebies, resulting in a 1.33x ratio. The remaining states on the list include Rajasthan (9.9% capex, 7.4% freebies, 1.33 x), Tamil Nadu (11.7%, 9.3%, 1.27x), West Bengal (10.0%, 9.0%, 1.11x), Maharashtra (11.1%, 11.9%, 0.93x) and Andhra Pradesh at the last slot with 12.4% capex and 15.5% freebies (0.80x).
Why did Pai mention Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh?
Pai’s post tagged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and referred to “Babu garu” a reference to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The chart places Andhra Pradesh last among the ten states, with a capex-to freebies ration below 1.0, indicating higher allocation towards freebies than capital expenditure. Karnataka, despite being one of India’s largest state economies, ranks fifth on the list.
The chart contrasts capex, typically related to infrastructure and long-term asset creation, with revenue spending categorised as freebies.