K'taka industries Min. M.B. Patil announces plans to establish zone-wise industrial parks
Bengaluru: In a significant move to boost Karnataka’s industrial growth, the state government is planning to develop zone-wise industrial parks across different regions. Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil announced this during a press conference on Saturday.
Briefing the media ahead of the ‘Invest Karnataka – Global Investors' Summit,’ he said that a modern pharma park would be set up in Srinivaspura, Kolar district, a solar cell park in Vijayapura, and an agro park focused on agricultural products.
Patil outlined additional projects, including a drone park in Chitradurga, a deep-tech park in Jangamakote named after Sir M. Visvesvaraya, and a mega logistics park in Hanumanthapura, near Dabaspet. Furthermore, EV clusters will be developed in Chikkaballapura and Dharwad.
He also said that the upcoming Invest Karnataka conference is expected to attract investments of over ₹10 lakh crore. A 200-acre startup park near Hubballi airport will support over 400 startups, while a 1,200-acre solar cell and agro-tech park will be developed in Tidagundi, Vijayapura. The event will focus on future manufacturing, transportation, and eco-friendly energy sectors, with over 60 startups showcasing advanced technologies, including carbon nanotubes, autonomous systems, UAVs, and robotics.
“With 19 countries participating, 10 nations will specifically discuss key issues such as sustainable economic growth, Karnataka’s role in the global supply chain, renewable energy, and healthcare,” he added.
He further announced that, for the first time, 14 companies making major contributions to Karnataka’s economy and industrial growth will be recognized at the Global Investors Conference. The awards will honor firms from sectors such as aerospace, defense, auto/EV, and life sciences. Special recognition will be given to companies that have made large-scale investments and prioritized global R&D.
Additionally, he said that 35 small and medium industries, top-performing women entrepreneurs at the district level, and enterprises excelling in their sectors will be honored on February 13. Under the ‘Venturise’ initiative, nine cash prizes worth a total of $300,000 will be awarded, with the top three winners receiving $50,000, $30,000, and $20,000, respectively.
He also revealed that the Global Investors’ Summit will be inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on February 11 at 4 PM at Bangalore Palace. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will preside over the event in the presence of Governor Thawarchand Gehlot. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will also participate.
“During the event, a single-window portal will be launched to speed up approvals for industrial projects under the 2025-30 industrial policy. The summit will be attended by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, V. Somanna, Shobha Karandlaje, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Ashwini Vaishnaw. Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, will be present at the closing ceremony,” he said.
The Minister also said that the summit will witness agreements with domestic and international universities under the ambitious Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Innovation City (KWIN) project.
Minister Patil stated that he would be engaging with Montek Singh Ahluwalia on economic growth, Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt, and startup leaders like Sandeep Deshmukh and Chanakya Hriday on logistics innovations. Discussions with Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath and entrepreneurs Parth Jindal and Suzanna Muthoot are also scheduled.
He also revealed that this year’s summit features twice as many speakers as the previous edition. Notable industry leaders include Google X founder Sebastian Thrun, Lam Research executive Patrick Lord, General Atomics CEO Vivek Lal, and TVS Motors MD Sudarshan Venu. Additionally, the event will host top executives such as Boeing’s Rob Boyd, Nothing Company’s Akis Evangelides, and former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.
The press conference was also attended by Industries Department Principal Secretary Selvakumar, Commissioner Gunjan Krishna, and KIADB CEO Dr. Mahesh.
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Actor Pravina Deshpande dies
Mumbai (PTI): Actor Pravina Deshpande, known for playing supporting characters in films such as “Ready”, “Gabbar is Back” and “D Day”, has died.
The actor's family shared the news in a post on her Instagram page, saying that Despande breathed her last on Tuesday.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you that Mrs Pravina Deshpande has left for her heavenly abode on 17th February 2026,” the note read.
According to media reports, Deshpande died after a prolonged battle with blood cancer at the age of 60. She is survived by her husband and two children.
Desphande worked extensively in Marathi theatre, shows and films. She gained wider recognition for her work in Hindi cinema.
Some of her popular shows and films were “Pariniti”, “Avagat”, “Ghar Ek Mandir”, “Kumkum - Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan”, “Ek Villian”, “Parmanu” The story of Pokhran”, among others.
She was last seen in the Netflix series, “Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web”.
The Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA), a trade union body of actors, wrote on X, “CINTAA expresses its condolences on the demise of Pravina Deshpande ji (member since 2008).”
Deshpande’s colleagues from the film industry also took to social media to express grief.
“Beautiful person. She’d met me in 2017 to audition for our film. It was a very pleasant experience," filmmaker Aditya Kriplani said on X.
Actor Vaishnavi Dhanraj said, “May her soul rest in peace.”
Her last rites were held on Tuesday afternoon at the Hindu crematorium, Chakala Parsiwada, in suburban Andheri.
