CM Siddaramaiah requests Railway Minister to extend Vande Bharat Express till Belagavi
Bengaluru (PTI): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to extend the Vande Bharat Express running on the Bengaluru-Hubballi-Dharwad route upto Belagavi city, in order to boost the connectivity between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
In a letter to Vaishnaw, Siddaramaiah said the second Vande Bharat Express in Karnataka "brought a paradigm shift in the connectivity of the region, between Dharwad, Hubballi, and Davangere with Bengaluru".
He noted that Belagavi was a significant vantage point for industrialists, students and tourists.
Calling Belagavi as an 'economically vibrant' district, he said it houses sugar, aluminum and major industries and also a support base for automobile and aerospace industries apart from several small and medium industries.
The CM pointed out that Belagavi was also a tourist destination with a rich cultural and historical background.
"I request you to extend the Bengaluru to Hubballi-Dharwad Vande Bharat train service upto Belagavi city. This will significantly boost the connectivity between the states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra," he said.
Siddaramaiah reminded the railway minister that Karnataka MLC Prakash Hukkeri had also written to him in this regard.
"I would urge you to look into the matter and instruct the officials to do the needful. The spirit of holistic development of the region will be upheld in letter and spirit by this move," the CM said.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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