IT Department keen on developing Space Park, Innovation City: Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru: The State IT Department is keen on establishing several upcoming projects including a 100-acre Space Park, Global Innovation City, and Drone Testing Centre, said Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT/BT.

Kharge held a meeting with M B Patil, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, here on Wednesday to discuss various projects that require joint implementation by both departments, as well as initiatives that need to be coordinated.

During the meeting, Kharge said the policy framework for incentives and concessions for several key industries, including the proposed Space Park and Electronic Components Manufacturing Park, is in the preparatory stage.

The IT Department is formulating a special incentive policy for the Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector. Complementing this, the Industries Department is also expected to develop a strategy to attract investments in the electronic manufacturing sector, he said.

Complementing this, the industries department is also expected to develop a strategy to attract investments in the electronic manufacturing sector. In some cases, overlaps in incentives offered by both departments have been observed. It is learnt that the meeting felt the need to eliminate such overlaps to ensure better coordination.

According to Kharge, the IT Department is keen on establishing a Space Park spread over 100 acres either at Adinarayana Hosahalli near Doddaballapura or at ITIR near Devanahalli, a 150-acre PCB Park at Kochanahalli in Mysuru and a Global Innovation City over 100 acres at KWIN City/ Adakanahalli-Kochanahalli, a 20-acre Drone Testing Centre at Hesaraghatta, and a 100-acre KEONICS Plug-and-Play facility at Adakanahalli/ Kochanahalli.

He informed that the Department of Large and Medium Industries has been requested to allocate land for these proposed projects.

Kharge further noted that there is a norm for drone testing centres to be located in relatively isolated areas. Since Hesaraghatta has now become part of the capital city, this may pose a challenge. In such a scenario, efforts will be made to identify alternative suitable locations, he added.

Commenting on data science centres and manufacturing plants, M B Patil pointed out that these industries require substantial power and water supply. At present, industries in Bengaluru are provided 2–3 TMC of water, whereas other regions lack such access. To address this, the government is considering formulating an Industrial Water Security Policy and promoting alternative power generation.

The government plans to supply 50% of the required water to industries, while the remaining 50% is expected to be managed through recycling by the industries themselves. A comprehensive plan has been drawn up to supply water to KIADB facilities across the state at an estimated cost of Rs 3,750 crore, Patil added.

Both the ministers have decided to hold detailed discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding the investment promotion incentive policy report which is being prepared by the Principal Secretaries of the Industry and IT/BT departments. The meeting with the Chief Minister is planned soon after the report is submitted by the concerned officials.