BENGALURU: The heavy rain and flooding in Bengaluru for the past few weeks has cast its shadow on the state government’s ambitious three-day Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held from November 2, 2022.
This couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in an election year. It is happening at a time when Industry Minister Murugesh Nirani is conducting roadshows in the US, ahead of the GIM.
With Assembly polls round the corner, there are reports of reluctance from investors due to poor infrastructure. Even government officials are now sceptical of attracting a good number of investors as the infrastructure woes are making headlines globally.
The GIM-2022 is being held after a gap of six years. The then Congress government had hosted GIM in 2016, and got 1,201 projects approved and Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs 3.08 lakh crore signed.
Investors fear govt not doing enough: Pai
Nirani and his team of officials, who are in the US, have already completed roadshows in Japan and South Korea. The team will also be heading to Europe. In October, they are planning to hold domestic roadshows in Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai to woo investors.
Speaking to TNIE, Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal Global Education, said Bengaluru floods are in the news all over the world, especially on social media. This has raised fears among investors that the government is not doing enough to address the challenges posed by floods.
“The state government has very little time. It’s high time CM Bommai shows to the world that the issues will be sorted out in a month’s time,” he said. An industrialist who did not wish to be identified reasoned, “Why should one put one’s money in a place which has poor infrastructure?”
131.6 mm Nelamangala, Bengaluru
120 mm HAL Airport
110 MM KIA
90 MM Hoskote