‘I WANT KARNATAKA TO CONTRIBUTE $1.25 TRILLION TOWARDS THE INDIAN ECONOMY'

Bengaluru has emerged as the largest startup hub in India, climbing two spots this year and solidifying its position in the global top 10 hotspots. At the recent Davos Summit, the state government signed Rs 60K crore worth of MoUs spanning sectors like IT, renewable energy and manufacturing. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke with Annurag Batra, BW Businessworld’s Chairman and Editor-in-Chief about his vision for Karnataka and more else. Excerpts

- Annurag Batra

You were in Davos recently, tell us about the highlights of your discussions and deliberations with the business community and leaders?

I had detailed interactions with 25 leaders from global companies across different fields, right from data centres to renewable energy to semiconductors, aerospace, and others. The entire world is looking at India as a resurgent economy in the post-Covid world, because the west has locked itself, and China is also under lockdown. Even more than India, they are looking at Karnataka, because of its strong technological base and all the new technologies and startups, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, renewable energy, hydrogen energy, ammonia manufacturing etc, that the state is known for. If you see, a lot of the new concepts that we see in the world now have already been envisaged in Karnataka, and especially in Bengaluru. We have also signed MoUs worth around Rs 60K crore. The other reassuring thing was that more than ten companies, which are already there in Karnataka, have committed that all the expansions that they are planning will be done in Karnataka alone. That shows the confidence of all these investors. All these companies have a very good experience of operating in the state. Also, the way our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dealt with Covid has given confidence to businesses in India and abroad.

What is your vision for Karnataka?