Bangalore Cantonment railway station to get Rs 525 cr makeover
Bengaluru, Dec 16: The Cantonment Railway station, which is one of the oldest railway stations of Bengaluru, is undergoing a substantive makeover to cater to the increased transportation needs of the city, railway authorities said on Friday.
The remodelling of the station will be done in two phases with the entire project estimated to be completed by 2025.
"The upcoming structure will conserve the existing heritage elements of the historic building. The architectural elevation and facade attempts to capture the spirit of Bengaluru -- the silicon-city -- which breathes technology, without compromising the elements that make up its history, essence and heritage," the South Western Railway said in a statement.
In the first phase, the yard of the Cantonment station is being remodelled at a cost of Rs 45 crore. Two additional island platforms are being constructed. Effectively, four additional platforms will come up, the SWR authorities said.
Three additional lines, which would enable operation of increased number of trains to and from this station, will be laid to reduce the stress on Bengaluru City Railway station, the statement read.
It added that the upgraded yard would be integrated with the quadrupled section between Bengaluru Cantonment and Whitefield.
"The yard will also be integrated with the suburban railway network for the facilitation of seamless mass transportation. Further, a foot overbridge is also being constructed which would connect Borebank Road to Netaji Road for the convenience of passengers/pedestrians," the SWR said.
The renovated Bengaluru Cantonment railway yard is targeted to be completed by February 2023, the statement said.
In the second phase, the station building will be redeveloped making Bengaluru Cantonment a world-class airport-like terminal at a cost of Rs 480 crore, which will be a fully air-conditioned 216-metre wide concourse.
There will be segregated arrival and departure points to avoid congestion and a five-storey multi-level parking facility.
There will also be a roof plaza over the platforms with earmarked space for commercial activities such as retail outlets, food courts and infotainment zone.
The second phase of the project is expected to be completed by December 2025, it said.
The SWR added that the upgraded station will be a green building with rainwater harvesting system, energy-efficient LED lighting, sewage treatment plant and energy conservation systems.
There will be seamless multi-modal integration with local public transport along with well-demarcated pick-up and drop zones.
A glimpse of the proposed design of the to-be redeveloped Bengaluru Cant. Railway Station:
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Karnataka offers extensive incentives in its proposed IT policy
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has proposed a new Information Technology Policy for 2025–2030, offering extensive financial and non-financial incentives aimed at accelerating investments, strengthening innovation and expanding the state's tech footprint beyond Bengaluru.
The Karnataka Cabinet gave its nod to the policy 2025–2030 with an outlay of Rs 445.50 crore on Thursday after the Finance Department accorded its approval.
The policy introduces 16 incentives across five enabler categories, nine of which are entirely new, with a distinctive push to support companies setting up or expanding in emerging cities.
Alongside financial support, the government is also offering labour-law relaxations, round-the-clock operational permissions and industry-ready human capital programmes to make Karnataka a globally competitive 'AI-native' destination.
According to the policy, units located outside Bengaluru will gain access to a wide suite of benefits, including research and development and IP creation incentives, internship reimbursements, talent relocation support and recruitment assistance.
The benefits also include EPF reimbursement, faculty development support, rental assistance, certification subsidies, electricity tariff rebates, property tax reimbursement, telecom infrastructure support, and assistance for events and conferences.
Bengaluru Urban will receive a focused set of six research and development and talent-oriented incentives, while Indian Global Capability Centres (GCCs) operating in the state will be brought under the incentive net.
Incentive caps and eligibility thresholds have been raised, and the policy prioritises growth-focused investments for both new and expanding units.
Beyond incentives, the government focuses on infrastructure and innovation interventions.
A flagship proposal in the policy is the creation of Techniverse -- integrated, technology-enabled enclaves developed through a public-private partnership model inside future Global Innovation Districts.
These campuses will offer plug-and-play facilities, artificial intelligence and machine learning and cybersecurity labs, advanced testbeds, experience centres, and disaster-resistant command centres.
There will also be a Statewide Digital Hub Grid and a Global Test Bed Infrastructure Network, linking public and private research and development, and innovation facilities across Karnataka.
The government has proposed a Women Global Tech Missions Fellowship for 1,000 mid-career women technologists, an IT Talent Return Programme to absorb experienced professionals returning from abroad, and broad-based skill and faculty development reimbursements.
Shared corporate transport routes in Bengaluru and tier-two cities will be designed with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation and other transport entities to support worker mobility.
The government said the policy is the outcome of an extensive research and consultation process involving TCS, Infosys, Wipro, IBM, HCL, Tech Mahindra, Cognizant, HP, Google, Accenture and NASSCOM, along with sector experts and stakeholder groups.
It estimates an outlay of Rs 967.12 crore over five years, comprising Rs 754.62 crore for incentives and Rs 212.50 crore for interventions such as Techniverse campuses, digital grid development, global outreach missions and talent programmes.
