The government plans for a balanced growth of cities outside Bengaluru as demographics change

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar released the report for the Karnataka State Regional Urbanization Plan 2047 at the Vidhana Soudha banquet hall in Bengaluru on Friday. | Photo credit: ANI

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday outlined a seven-point development agenda to guide regional urbanization in Karnataka as he unveiled the Karnataka State Regional Urbanization Plan 2047.

The agenda focuses on expanding industries and job opportunities across districts, improving infrastructure, strengthening public transport, protecting the environment, developing human resources, ensuring inclusive economic growth and digitizing governance.

Seven nodes of growth

Mr. Shivakumar said the state needs to look beyond Bengaluru and ensure that economic growth in cities translates into better livelihoods in towns and villages. The plan identifies Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Shivamogga as seven anchor growth nodes with a specific growth plan for each region.

The chief minister said the proportion of Karnataka’s population living in urban areas is expected to rise from the current 46% to 70% by 2047. The state’s population, currently around 6.9 million, is expected to reach 7.7 million to 7.8 million by then. According to Mr. Shivakumar, the urbanization plan was aimed at preparing cities for the demographic shift and preventing increasing pressure on infrastructure.

“People are moving from villages to cities mainly for education and employment. We need to create an environment where people can find jobs in their own towns, taluks and districts instead of all coming to Bengaluru,” the chief minister added.

Bengaluru boom

He said Bengaluru’s population has grown from around 70 thousand when he was the urban development minister to nearly 1.4 million now. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles also reached approximately 1.35 million. However, infrastructure was not expanding at the same pace, he pointed out.

He said the government was considering city and town bypasses to ease traffic congestion and facilitate a smoother commute. The government would also prioritize industrial development based on the strengths of different regions. This includes steel industry in Ballari, electric vehicle manufacturing in Hubballi-Dharwad and data centers in Mangaluru.

Published – 30 Oct 2026 20:23 IST