Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa bats for renewable energy tie-up with UK

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday pitched for an engagement with the UK in the renewable energy sector.

In a virtual discussion with UK’s Minister of State at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office Tariq Ahmed, Yediyurappa said Karnataka was also keen on a collaboration for wastewater treatment, solid waste management, animation, gaming and other areas.

“Karnataka is blessed with a huge potential of wind and solar power. Already, the state has around 62% of renewable energy sources meeting the demand,” Yediyurappa said. “On this renewable energy front, we want to engage with the UK in forecasting, scheduling and grid management with ancillary solutions,” he added.

Yediyurappa told Ahmed that Karnataka had prepared action plans to improve the environmental quality in industrial areas. “We’d like to discuss (with you) wastewater treatment, reuse technologies and scientific solid waste management,” he said.

Besides suggesting collaborations in the areas of animation and gaming, Yediyurappa pitched for a tie-up with the UK on AI and regulatory sandboxes.

The UK minister, who is the Baron Ahmed of Wimbledon, said the time was right to create a world that is greener, cleaner and more sustainable. “We want to work even more closely with India to mobilise global action at COP26, because we both lead by example,” he said, according to a statement from the chief minister’s office quoting him.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and Kerala, Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford, said the collaboration of startups and companies from the UK and India “will be key to address climate change issues and secure the future of the planet for generations to come.”

According to Yediyurappa, Karnataka is home to the second-largest number of UK-educated Indians in India. “Karnataka has been widely referred to as one of the fastest growing tech hubs in the world,” he told Ahmed