‘Dubai-like Bengaluru Design District will generate 37K jobs’

The proposed Bengaluru Design District (BD2) is expected to generate over 37,000 jobs in five years, Electronics, IT&BT and Science and Technology Minister C N Ashwath Narayan’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

Late on Friday evening, Narayan sat down for a presentation on the BD2 by a delegation of the International Skill Development Council (ISDC), which has come forward to anchor the project along with Jain (Deemed-to-be University) and the World Design Council (WDC).

The idea of BD2 was born last month during Narayan’s visit to the Dubai Expo. The BD2 has been planned along the lines of Dubai Design District (d3).

“Envisioned as the creative hub of the world, BD2 will be a space where design, art and technology coexist. It will become a home for young designers, artists, creators, freelancers and creative startups. Once the project is commissioned, it is estimated to create 63,500 economic opportunities, including 12,500 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs, in five years when the project completes,” ISDC director Tom Joseph told Narayan, according to the statement from the minister’s office.

The delegation told Narayan that BD2 will require 150 acres of land near the Kempegowda International Airport. Allocation of land should be done in six phases of 25 acres each, it said, adding that the government has to fund road, power and water connections.

The minister was told that as per the terms of the project, a Bengaluru Design Festival will be held annually as a global-scale event as well as a Bengaluru Design Biennale.

The delegation asked the government to formulate a design policy and cover at least 50% of the cost of hosting the design festival, which will be the world’s largest.

Narayan asked the delegation to submit “a concrete proposal” that includes all the modalities of the project.

“Action will be taken following the submission of a concrete proposal by the delegation representing three organisations that have come forward to take up the project,” Narayan said.

The proposed Bengaluru Design District will be set up with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, Narayan had announced earlier.