Under the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, the party promises to establish tech parks in Mysuru, Mangalore, and Hubli Dharwad, with the potential of creating one lakh employment opportunities in the IT sector The Congress party in Karnataka has released its manifesto for the upcoming state elections, promising a strong focus on the IT sector and startups. The manifesto aims to expand the IT sector to contribute to more than 25 per cent of the state's gross domestic product (SGDP) and 33 per cent of the total technology-related business in India.
Under the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), the party promises to establish tech parks in Mysuru, Mangalore, and Hubli Dharwad, with the potential of creating one lakh employment opportunities in the IT sector. Additionally, the party plans to provide a start-up fund of Rs 10 crore to each constituency, along with start-up subsidies of up to Rs 25 lakhs and soft loans of up to Rs 1 crore at 6 per cent interest.
The Congress party also aims to allocate a fund of Rs 1000 crore for research and development in modern technology, develop world-class fintech innovation hubs and incubation parks in Devanahalli and Davanagere, and frame a new industrial policy. The party also plans to set up a hardware park at Siddhalgatta-Chikkaballapur and an aerospace hub at Devanahalli on priority.
The manifesto outlines plans to improve public transportation systems by creating a seamless integration of Namma Metro, suburban rail projects, and public transportation systems. To improve first-mile and last-mile connectivity in the city of Bengaluru, the party plans to introduce e-rickshaws. Additionally, public charging/battery swapping points will be installed at every metro station and bus stand, providing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
In an effort to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions, the Congress party plans to bring out a state action plan on climate change and create a Green Climate Fund. The party also plans to offer SGST concessions to two-wheelers and two-wheeler electric vehicles within urban limits as a pollution-free green mobility solution.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Monday, announced plans to establish the 'State Capital Region' (SCR) of Bengaluru, which will encompass a comprehensive city development strategy, cohesive transportation networks, and cutting-edge digital integration. As per its election manifesto, one of the main projects under the development plan for the SCR is the establishment of a world-class Multi-Modal Transport Hub, named "Concorde Bangalore". The hub, similar to the WTC transport hub in New York, will act as a central node for all public and on-demand transport services, the party said. To support private incubators and accelerators in establishing incubation centres in Bengaluru, the party said it will provide a one-time capital grant of maximum 50 per cent or Rs 1 crore (whichever is less) for Fixed Cost Investment (excluding land & building) along with providing incubator setups.
“We will transform Bangalore into the world's new age intellectual capital by establishing a cutting-edge “Tech-led Transformation Research Centre”. This centre will focus on AI, ML, quantum computing, blockchain technology and robotics, fostering both original and applied research to drive innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth across various industries,” BJP’s manifesto said.