Centre, state govts should work together to make Bengaluru global hub for tech centres: Piyush Goyal
Bengaluru, Feb 12 (PTI): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that the Centre and state government should work together to make Bengaluru the global hub for technology centres looking towards India.
Speaking at the Invest Karnataka-2025 summit here, the minister mentioned the 100 new industrial hubs announced in the recent Union Budget which would be offered in a challenge mode and urged Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil to work towards creating several industrial hubs in different parts of the state.
He further said that it can be done along with the PM MITRA Park, which he had sanctioned at Kalaburagi last year, which is being developed as a joint venture between the Centre and state government.
The union minister noted that Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, has a large number of global capability centers and many more are coming in the years to come.
"I urge that we should work to promote artificial intelligence, quantum computing, the semiconductor industry, space technology, biotech industry, so that together we can work as partners in progress. We should aim to make Karnataka, to make Bengaluru, the global hub for the technology sectors that are looking to come to India."
"The government of India will always be ready and will stand as a pillar of support for Karnataka to expand and grow its global footprints," Goyal said.
Recalling his recent announcement about an industrial smart city in Tumakuru, the union minister said, "It will be one of the largest smart cities with plug and play infrastructure... will be developed as a world class walk to work township, the first phase of which will cover 1,736 acres, and for which work has already started and expected to see the first phase concluding by the end of next year."
He also highlighted the potential of the tourism sector to generate jobs and suggested the state government work towards developing Hampi into a fantastic tourist destination.
"The tremendous potential that I see in Hampi, I am sure if we present that as a good business case, as a good tourism destination, when the challenge for selecting the tourist destinations is opened up (by the Centre as announced in the budget), Hampi would be a fantastic destination which should be developed," Goyal said.
According to him, this year, exports will grow to USD 800 billion and Karnataka will play a very major part in our exports -- both goods and services.
"It's a collective effort where we will all work together to make it easier to do business, to bring transparency and a corruption free environment, to attract international investments. We have seen nearly USD 700 billion of investment coming into India as FDI in the last 10 years," he said.
Stressing on the efforts being made to promote the economy, industry, international trade investments, manufacturing and startups, the union minister cited an example of the toy sector.
"Our import of toys has been reduced to half. Our exports are now three and a half times what they were five years ago, and we will soon come out with policies to further promote manufacturing in toys and in footwear, so that we can become a global champion in these sectors, amongst many others," he said.
Goyal also mentioned about a solar park in Tumakuru and said it will only be a beacon of energy, but a beacon of inspiration to other sectors in Karnataka.
"I hope we can promote FinTech, we can promote tourism, the media and animation industry, the gaming industry, so that in the days and years to come, technology should define the growth story of Karnataka, and should become the backbone of India's growth story. Let's build the future together for Karnataka, for India, and for the globe," he added.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
