Minister Patil inaugurates Amazon’s Corporate Office in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil on Monday inaugurated Amazon’s newly constructed, fully equipped 11 lakh sq ft corporate office near Yelahanka here.
Built on a five-acre site approximately 15 kilometres from Kempegowda International Airport, Amazon said this is its second largest office in Asia.
The 12-storey campus will support over 7,000 employees across ecommerce, operations, payments, technology, and seller services in India, Amazon said in a statement.
Patil said this is Amazon’s 10th corporate office in the state. The company, which has shared a two-decade association with Karnataka, plans to invest USD 35 billion in India over the next four years.
"This investment is expected to support 15 million small businesses and generate lakhs of employment opportunities. Karnataka will receive a significant share of this investment," the minister said after inaugurating the new office.
The minister pointed out that Karnataka has an annual per capita income of over Rs 3.80 lakh, ranking highest in the country.
According to him, the state also stands second in annual GST contributions to the national exchequer, contributing Rs 1.6 lakh crore. Bengaluru has climbed to the 21st position globally in the Global Innovation Index and is the only Indian city to feature among the top 30 in the Tech-Cities Index.
Last year, the city recorded 14.6 million square feet of industrial leasing, the highest in the country, he said.
Of the 900 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India, nearly 35 per cent are located in Karnataka, he added.
In a statement issued by the minister's office, Patil said the state also leads in infrastructure required for e-commerce operations, with warehousing capacity of 42.48 lakh tonne and 233 cold storage units. Correspondingly, e-commerce transactions in the state are growing at 11 per cent annually.
To further promote industrial growth, projects such as dedicated freight rail corridors, multimodal logistics parks, dry ports and truck terminals have been planned. Patil urged Amazon and other global companies to leverage Karnataka’s industry-friendly ecosystem by enhancing their investments in the state, manufacturing here and exporting to global markets.
According to Samir Kumar, Country Manager, Amazon India, "India continues to be a long-term priority for Amazon, and Bengaluru has played a central role in our journey here. Over the years, the city has been home to some of our earliest technology and business teams, and today it remains a key hub for innovation and talent."
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Three dead after drinking country liquor in Meerut, police initiate probe
Meerut (UP) (PTI): Three people died under suspicious circumstances after consuming country liquor in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Preliminary probe has not confirmed if they died due to the quality of alcohol, officials said on Saturday.
All three vomited and had abdominal pain after drinking the liquor on Friday evening and were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead. A post-mortem will determine the exact cause of death, they said.
According to the police, Baburam (60), a grocery shop owner, Jitendra (35), who worked at his shop and Ankit alias Daulat (40), purchased liquor in the evening from a government-authorised country liquor outlet and began drinking at the spot.
Shortly after drinking the liquor, the health of all three deteriorated, and they began complaining of vomiting and abdominal pain.
The three were rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared Jitendra and Ankit dead, while Baburam passed away during treatment.
Additional Director General (ADG) of Police for the Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar, District Magistrate VK Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey, and District Excise Officer Pradeep Kumar reached the spot and initiated an investigation.
SSP Avinash Pandey said that preliminary investigations have not confirmed whether the liquor was "toxic or expired". The bottling date was found to be February 11, 2026, and other bottles from the same batch received no such complaints.
He added that a post-mortem will determine the exact cause of death. Personnel from the Health, Forensic, Surveillance, and Intelligence teams have been constituted to investigate the matter.
Following the incident, the family members created a ruckus at the hospital. Police said further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
