- People closely following the fortunes of states in India would nod in agreement how Karnataka has evolved over the years to become not only one of the most developed in the country but also endowed with some of the choicest epithets and encomiums as well. Of course, the state capital Bengaluru is internationally renowned for ushering in epochal information technology-led transformation, completely altering the face of the city in the last couple of decades. Not for nothing, Bengaluru is termed the Silicon Valley of India, the Garden City of India, and IT/BT capital of India, the startup capital of India, and the moniker continues. The biggest advantage for the city is the ready availability of trained tech manpower to supplement the big enterprises setting shop.
PC: Built In
- Unfortunately, the ecosystem to support investment opportunities is restricted by the administration’s efforts not reaching the expectations of the investors willing to pump in huge amounts of money. The incumbent government in Karnataka assumed power on the back of five popular guarantee schemes for serving the poor, women, the unemployed, and the downtrodden strata of society. Even though the government confidently allays fears about a lack of funds or the revenue generation taking a hit because of the free guarantee schemes, the reality on the ground is something else. Developmental work in the state has taken a definite hit, with some of the basic work not finding enough funding allocation to come to fruition. Ask the unhappy MLAs.
PC: The Hans India
- Note that the major revenue generation in the state originates from the capital, Bengaluru. Naturally, since investors find the available ecosystem and bandwidth attractive for establishing numerous setups, the government of the day is expected to ensure provisioning of the same, keeping in mind the opportunities for the local talent. Sadly, the infrastructure woes in the city vis-à-vis transportation including alternatives like metro and public transport, motorable roads, uninterrupted power supply, adequacy of potable water, efficient law and order, and investor-friendly atmosphere is sorely lacking/missing here. The less said, the better about the condition of the potholed roads, making commuting an extremely hellish experience for one and all.
PC: Sakshi Education
- More than the basic infrastructural/amenities woes in the city and state, it’s the relentless one-upmanship between the two power centers in the government, between the CM and the Dy CM, that is causing concerns for all stakeholders. The talk of imminent change of the top leadership – read as power sharing agreement between the CM and the Dy CM – keeps hitting the headlines with leaders from both sides airing views openly. Despite the party high command and the leaders themselves denying any such arrangement/change in the offing, the leaders owing allegiance continue to air opinions unabashed. Karnataka and Bengaluru have huge potential to scale up economic metrics. But the political shenanigans are causing hindrances. This must stop forthwith.
