Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar has asked officials to shortlist five cities outside Bengaluru to push forward industrial development in the state. He gave the directive while chairing a progress review meeting of the Commerce and Industries Department at his home office in Bengaluru.
The idea is to draw industries to these new locations by offering special incentives to investors and generating more job opportunities. Shivakumar asked officials to pick cities that have good airport connectivity and the right infrastructure to support this growth.
Faster approvals and a better investment ranking
To make it easier for businesses to set up shop, Shivakumar directed all relevant departments to clear industrial approval applications within the set timeframe under the state’s single-window system. He said he would personally take up the matter with the ministers concerned.
This system currently connects 22 departments and 119 services, with a focus on quick, digital approvals. Karnataka currently ranks ninth on NITI Aayog’s Investor-Friendly Index, and the CM wants to see that ranking climb higher. During the meeting, officials also looked at what states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are doing to attract investment, along with the kind of reforms investors are hoping to see from Karnataka.
Strong track record in manufacturing investment
Officials shared that Karnataka has ranked third nationally in attracting manufacturing investments, pulling in Rs 5.58 lakh crore over the last three years. The state is also offering special incentives for emerging sectors such as semiconductors, aerospace and defence, clean mobility and cell manufacturing.
As part of these efforts, the government held a consultative session called ‘Utpadana Manthana’ (Manufacturing Churn) with 80 CEOs. Out of 55 suggestions that came out of the discussion, 35 have already been acted upon.
(with inputs from agencies)
