BENGALURU: Countering Andhra Pradesh’s attempts to wean away industries from Karnataka, Industries Minister MB Patil on Wednesday said that the government would not allow any industry to leave the state due to non-availability of land.
Patil was responding to Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s invitation to firms to consider investing in AP, instead of Karnataka.
After the state government dropped its proposal to acquire 1777-acre land near Bengaluru International airport near Devanahalli, Lokesh suggested that the industries look at AP, which has an attractive aerospace policy, “with best-in-class incentives and over 8,000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru)”
Patil said they will always ensure the land and ecosystem needed to support growth as well as new investments. Karnataka doesn’t just offer land - it offers India’s No. 1 aerospace and defence ecosystem. “It isn’t about land alone - it’s about talent, innovation, and a proven ecosystem. We know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Nothing is slipping off,” Patil wrote on X.
He said they have built the country’s strongest aerospace base over many decades, contributing 65% of India’s aerospace output and ranking No. 1 nationally, 3rd globally. “Karnataka will be one of the first states to reach a $1 trillion economy,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Patil said that the proposed land acquisition at Devanahalli for the proposed Aerospace and Defence Park was dropped taking into account the interests of farmers. The move will not be a setback for the state’s efforts to attract investors, he said, and added that land will be provided to industries near Bengaluru.
“Karnataka has immense potential. We have sufficient land not only for aerospace and defence, but also for AI, deep tech, IT, and other industries. We will not let even a single industrialist leave the state due to the non-availability of land,” he said. The minister said to facilitate industries, the government will go beyond land allocation and ensure water, power, and other essential infrastructure. They have prepared an integrated plan worth Rs 3,600 crore to guarantee water supply to industrial areas across the state, he said.
NEW BIOFUEL POLICY TO BOOST RURAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
The State Government is in the final stages of preparing a new biofuel policy aimed at promoting alternative energy systems in rural areas, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge announced on Wednesday.
Speaking after the 10th annual all-member committee meeting of the Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board at Vidhana Soudha, he said groundwork for the policy has already begun. Officials have undertaken study tours across Karnataka and other states to assess biofuel project implementation and review existing policies at both the central and state levels.
The minister said the availability and accumulation of biofuel resources have been evaluated, and the process for establishing a new Karnataka State Biofuel framework has been initiated.
To understand the state’s biofuel landscape, meetings were held with entrepreneurs involved in various biofuel technologies, including bio briquettes, bio pellets, biochar, biocoal, biodiesel, 2G ethanol and green hydrogen, in Tumakuru and Bengaluru. A draft of the new biofuel policy will be released soon for public feedback, he added.