Karnataka Minister for Electronics, Information Technology, Priyank Kharge during an interview with Hindu, in Nový Dilli on Friday 1 August 2025. Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Karnataka does not have to distribute the land for cheap to attract it and companies in the technology industry, because the state “motivated it as a sun for the sun for 30 years”, while others “now motivated” the State Minister for Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology and Development of Rural and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge.
Mr. Kharge spoke on the edge of the event in the capital to promote Bengalur Tech Summit, which is to be held in November.
“If my counterpart in another state gives free large countries, it does not mean that I also have to do it,” said Mr. Kharge, claiming that they were not needed because of Karnataka and especially Bengaluru’s strong presence in the IT sector.
International competition
“Competition with other countries and states (IT and electronics) has always been there,” Kharge said. “We are competing with Tamil Nadu on production, telangana and Andhra Pradesh on the Ites and Maharashtra for FDI. We are also very competitive with countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, where there is potential for smaller production and technology centers.
For 1,777 soil acres in Devanahali, which was set aside for the Aviation Park, Mr. Kharge said that the land was never specifically informed for any specific industry or society. “This country was fertile and negotiated and look, that’s democracy, right,” said Mr. Kharge. “You will come and say that there has been an error in the announcement and now we do not want to give (the country) because it is fertile. It is a socio-economic demographic group to which we have to satisfy, so be it.”
“It’s not like what happened in West Bengal two decades back, where the country was returned to a particular entity after its announcement. This sent the investors an incorrect signal.”
Permiss
As for the losses of employment in some IT companies, Mr. Kharge recently mentioned AI as a cause. “Whenever a new technology comes, there will be a great disruption,” Kharge said. “It has always been a constant thing. Jobs are taken, new jobs are created … and I think we were extremely skillful. That’s why we’re coming up with the Nipuna Karnataka program, for heavy disguise and increasing. No other state spends what we are, 300-400 Crores.”
About the role of non-channadigs in the State Fund of Talents, Mr. Kharge said: “My responsibility is to work for a policy that pushes the ecosystem in my state, it is my responsibility to ensure that more of our people receive opportunities.
“Therefore, the problem with the influx of migration is one of the things we asked for the 16th Financial Commission to consider: Give us money, we build better infrastructure, create more jobs for people not only Karnataka but for people throughout India.”
Published – 1 August 2025 22:40 is
