Chevron to invest Rs 8,300 crore in Karnataka: Minister MB Patil
Bengaluru: Chevron, a global leader in providing energy solutions, on Saturday announced an investment of Rs 8,300 crore to set up its Engineering and Innovation Centre of Excellence here.
The investment was announced during a high-profile meeting attended by the Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, M B Patil and others.
"Karnataka has been consistently leading the way in promoting economic growth and development. The collaboration between the state government and Chevron company in implementing this Rs 8,300 crore investment is a clear indication of the significant progress in engineering and innovation in Karnataka. The state government is committed to promoting innovation, economic growth and job creation," he said.
Akshay Sahni, Country Head of Chevron India, shared the company's vision for the new centre and said, "It will provide an opportunity for India's exceptional talent to work with the resources and expertise of our global network to provide affordable, reliable clean energy."
According to a statement shared by the Minister's office, the centre will hire 600 engineers by 2025 in engineering and digital services to accelerate energy system technology innovations. The state has taken exemplary steps to promote technological progress through progressive policies that have created an enabling environment for innovation.
The minister noted that Bengaluru is already home to more than 500 Global Competence Centres (GCCs) and accounts for more than 30 per cent of India's GCCs, including finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and other sectors.
Chevron Centre of Excellence (ENGINE) will create significant employment opportunities for local professionals. It will allow them to respond to the challenge of meeting current global energy demands and contribute to the production of clean, low-carbon fuels in the future, the statement said.
Patil explained the Chevron team that will be operating here will execute complex global operations and energy projects in collaboration with international stakeholders.
"The establishment of the Chevron Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru will be in line with the Government of Karnataka's priorities for technology, innovation and skill development. This investment reflects the importance of Karnataka as an important destination for global companies," it stated.
Karnataka: Always the Investor's Favorite Destination!
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) August 24, 2024
Our government is committed to taking Karnataka’s ecosystem to greater heights!#Chevron #InvestInKarnataka #ReimaginingGrowth pic.twitter.com/o9as9Pjm6i
ಭಾರತದ ಅತಿದೊಡ್ಡ ಆರ್ & ಡಿ ಹೂಡಿಕೆಯೊಂದನ್ನು ಗಳಿಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಯಶಸ್ವಿ!
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) August 24, 2024
ಅತ್ಯಾಧುನಿಕ ಆರ್ & ಡಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ "ಎಂಜಿನ್" (ENGINE) ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಲು @Chevron, ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ರೂ. 8,300 ಕೋಟಿ ($1 ಬಿಲಿಯನ್) ಹೂಡಿಕೆ ಮಾಡಲಿದೆ. ಈ ಮಹತ್ತರ ಹೂಡಿಕೆ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಉದ್ಯಮ ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯವಹಾರಸ್ನೇಹಿ ನೀತಿಗಳ ಸಫಲತೆಯನ್ನು ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ… pic.twitter.com/WxDStHfk7J
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Women''s Bill: Stalin says proposal amid polls raises suspicion; backs 33 per cent reservation
Chennai (PTI): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday alleged that the proposed amendment to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in the midst of polls in states including Tamil Nadu appeared to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives.
Stalin alleged the timing for the proposed amendment led to serious suspicion.
"Why push such a far-reaching decision in the middle of state elections. This appears to be yet another political manoeuvre aimed at shaping electoral narratives, much like earlier attempts to influence women voters ahead of the 2024 Parliament elections," he alleged in a statement titled "This is not reform, this is reengineering power."
Further, he said: "Let me be unequivocal: we strongly support 33 per cent reservation for women. Our support is absolute. But it must be implemented without increasing seats and without punishing states that acted responsibly. If the intent is genuine, nothing prevents immediate implementation within the existing framework."
Demanding fair delimitation, he alleged there was complete opacity on the basis for delimitation and asked would the exercise rely on 1971 figures from a pre–population control era or the 2021 Census. "Conflicting signals and vague assurances only deepen suspicion." This move would also impose a massive financial burden on states, forcing them to expand or rebuild Legislative Assemblies, all without proper consultation.
"This is a direct assault on cooperative federalism. This is not reform, it is a unilateral, politically driven exercise designed to concentrate power, weaken Parliament, marginalise the South, and undermine social justice," he alleged. "The nation deserves answers: why this undue haste, why shift the goalposts, and who truly stands to benefit."
The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is systematically eroding the very foundations of Parliament, he alleged.
The Dravidian party chief claimed: "What should be a vibrant forum for debate and accountability is being reduced to a hollow ritual, a stage where members may not even get fair time to speak or represent their people. This proposal to increase seats is a direct contradiction of their own slogan of minimum government, maximum governance. It will only inflate expenditure, burden taxpayers, and dilute the quality of parliamentary functioning."
This also went against the spirit of Article 1 of the Constitution, which defines India as a Union of States. Ignoring the voices of states and bypassing meaningful consultation is not democratic - it is unitary overreach that undermines the country's federal and plural character.
More alarmingly, this exercise will blatantly skew representation and tilt the balance of power in favour of northern states dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, while silencing the voice of south India, he claimed.
"As forcefully pointed out by veteran leader Siddaramaiah (Karnataka CM), this is not a neutral exercise; it is a calculated political restructuring. Northern states stand to gain nearly double the (Parliamentary) seats, while the South’s share stagnates at around 24 per cent. This is nothing short of penalising states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Keralam and Telangana for their success in population control."
Chief Ministers across the South, including Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan and A Revanth Reddy have rightly warned that this move will distort federalism and concentrate power in a few regions, the DMK president alleged.
PM Modi said on Thursday that the proposed amendments to the Women Reservation Act are not just a legislative exercise but a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India and urged all MPs to come together to support this significant move.
He had last week announced an extension of the Budget session of Parliament by three days, from April 16 to 18, so that the Women's Reservation Act can be amended for its implementation from 2029.
