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The Karnataka government cleared the 'Karnataka Aerospace and Defence Policy 2022-27' on Friday. With this, the state cabinet envisages attracting investments worth ₹45,000 crore. Karnataka was the first state in the country to come up with an aerospace and defence policy in 2013 and it will be valid up to January 31, 2023. "The aim is to make Karnataka a hub in aerospace and defence sectors. We want to strengthen the state's position in these sectors and encourage exports," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.
The minister said that 25% of India's aircraft and spacecraft industry is based in Karnataka, 67% of all aircraft and helicopter manufacturing for defence services is done here and the state contributes 65% of the country's aerospace-related exports, according to state government officials. Madhuswamy said the Karnataka government will offer a 5% additional subsidy for this sector. "While the subsidy limit for micro-enterprises is 30% in Zone-1 (outside Bengaluru), it will be 35% for micro-enterprises in the special category. For Zone-2 and Zone-3 (in Bengaluru), subsidy for micro units manufacturing aerospace and defence products will be 30%," the minister added.
Further, youth will be provided training for skill development in the aerospace and defence sector. According to the minister, 200 candidates will be given training in 10 institutes, And, during the training, candidates will be given a stipend of up to ₹70,000. "There is also a plan to train students at the school level," he added.
Separately, the Karnataka government also approved the Karnataka Water Policy with a focus on conservation and regulating water usage. "It will deal with water usage, storage, and supply. It has been estimated that a person may require 1,608 cubic metres of water a year, and policy deals with planning it. Also, the policy gives details about how to bring down usage for irrigation among other things, including providing drinking water," he said. The Cabinet further directed to look at the possibility of diverting, storing, and usage of flood water during the crisis, he said. Under the policy, an inter-departmental State Water Resources Authority is constituted to ensure the implementation of various strategies for the judicious use of water.