Karnataka to become India’s go-to destination for next-gen data infrastructure: Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka is emerging as a leading hub for AI, analytics, data centres, cybersecurity, deep tech, and sustainable technologies, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said on Wednesday, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to fostering innovation-driven growth.
Speaking at the 8th ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) Smart Datacenters and Cloud Infrastructure Conclave 2025, Kharge said the state aims to become India’s preferred destination for next-generation data infrastructure.
"We will be India’s go-to destination for next-generation data infrastructure, thanks to our policy foresight, talent density, and innovation ecosystem. In addition, we will adopt industry-standard sustainability metrics—and, more importantly, go beyond them," he said.
Kharge added that the state’s focus is to ensure data centres are more than just compliant.
"This means infrastructure that is energy-secure, aligned with renewable energy, and water-secure. We will aggressively reduce carbon footprints and incorporate new technologies such as liquid cooling, advanced thermal management, and other next-generation cooling solutions," he said.
"The roadmap will also focus on developing a skilled workforce for data centres," he added.
On the sidelines of the conclave, the minister held nine high-level B2B meetings with leading industry stakeholders.
The event also witnessed the e-launch of NTT Data Centres at Devanahalli.
According to a statement, Karnataka is a major hub for NTT, a USD 100-billion global conglomerate operating 160 data centres worldwide.
Globally, NTT has more than 150 MW of AI-driven data centre capacity live, while in India, it operates 22 live data centres, with several more under construction.
The company has three Bengaluru data centres with an investment of Rs 1,700 crore and has committed an additional Rs 2,400 crore for a new campus at Devanahalli.
"The centre is equipped with a dedicated 220 kV power substation to ensure uninterrupted power supply, and a marquee Bengaluru-based customer is going live this month itself," the statement added.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
