Bengaluru (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in poll bound Karnataka's northern districts of Yadgiri and Kalaburagi on Thursday to lay foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth more than Rs 10,800 crores.

This will be the second such visit by the Prime Minister to Karnataka this month. He was in Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the National Youth Festival, during which he had held a massive road show.

According to an official release, at around 12 noon, in Kodekal, Yadgiri district, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various developmental projects related to irrigation, drinking water besides a National Highway development project.

Later, at around 2:15 PM, Modi will reach Malkhed, Kalaburagi District, where he will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages and also lay the foundation stone for a National Highway project.

The visit also gains significance, as the ruling BJP prepares for assembly polls in Karnataka and has set a target of winning a minimum of 150 out of total 224 seats which will go for polls by May.

Aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all households, Modi will lay the foundation stone for Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply scheme under Jal Jeevan Mission at Kodekal in Yadgiri District, also a Water Treatment Plant of 117 MLD will be built under the scheme.

The project, which costs more than Rs 2,050 crore, will provide potable water to about 2.3 lakh households of more than 700 rural habitations and three towns of Yadgiri district.

During the programme, the PM will also inaugurate Narayanpur Left Bank Canal Extension Renovation and Modernisation Project (NLBC ERM).

The project, with a canal carrying capacity of 10,000 cusecs, can irrigate 4.5 lakh hectares of command area. It will benefit more than three lakh farmers in 560 villages of Kalaburgi, Yadagir and Vijaypur districts. The total cost of the project is about Rs 4,700 crores.

Later, he will also lay the foundation stone of the 65.5 km section of NH-150C. This 6-lane Greenfield road project is part of Surat Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore.

Further pointing out that about 1,475 unrecorded habitations have been declared as New Revenue villages in five districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura, the release said, at Malkhed village of Sedam Taluka of Kalaburagi district, the Prime Minister will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of these newly declared revenue villages.

The issuance of title deeds to more than 50,000 beneficiaries, who are largely from the marginalised and vulnerable communities from the SC, ST and OBC, is a step to provide a formal recognition from the government for their land, and will make them eligible for receiving government services like drinking water, electricity, roads etc.

During the programme, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the 71 km section of NH-150C. This 6 lane Greenfield road project is also part of Surat Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a cost of more than Rs 2,100 crore.

Surat Chennai Expressway will pass through six states- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. It will reduce the existing route from 1,600 Kms to 1,270 Kms.

The PM after finishing with his engagements in Karnataka will leave for Mumbai.

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Mangalore: The Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bearys Institute of Technology (BIT), Mangalore, successfully hosted a two-day workshop on “The Indian Startup and MSME Ecosystem in the Age of AI” on December 4th and 5th, 2024. The event, aimed at equipping participants with knowledge about the evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem and the transformative role of artificial intelligence, was attended by around 150 students, faculty also Research Scholars and facutly from other institutes as well participated in the event.

The workshop commenced with a Welcome Address by Dr. Vasantha Kumar, Organizing Chair and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, emphasizing the importance of startups and MSMEs in India’s economy and the potential of AI in fostering innovation and sustainability.

The Inaugural Speech was delivered by Dr. S I Manjur Basha, Patron of the event and Principal of BIT, who spoke about the institution’s commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry through such initiatives.

Prof. Gokuldas M, Assistant Professor and one of the Event Coordinators, introduced the Chief Guest, Mr. Chetan Kumar G S, Founder and CEO of Initium Incubation and Mentoring Consultancy and Mr. Santhosh V., Project Director at Skill & MSME,Initium Incubation and Mentoring Consultancy Bengaluru.

In his keynote address, Mr. Chetan Kumar shared his experiences as a national startup mentor and provided deep insights into navigating the challenges of the startup ecosystem in the AI age.

The workshop featured technical sessions by the speakers. Their presentations covered government support schemes, funding opportunities, and AI-driven business models, offering actionable insights for budding entrepreneurs.

A key highlight of the event was the Student Activity Session, where participants pitched innovative ideas with the potential to become startups. This session provided a platform for students to showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills while receiving constructive feedback from the Chief Guest and Resource Person.

The event concluded with a Valedictory Note and Vote of Thanks by Dr. Sandeep Nambiar , Assistant Professor and Event Coordinator.

During the Validity Ceremony, the Chief Guest, Resource Person, were honored for their invaluable contributions. Certificates of participation were distributed to all attendees.

The workshop culminated with participants motivated to apply their learnings and contribute to India’s startup and MSME ecosystem.

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