Lahiri made the remarks during a meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in Bengaluru, where the two discussed Karnataka’s growth potential and the State’s role in India’s economic development.
“I am proud of Karnataka’s development. To reduce pressure on Bengaluru, there is a need to seriously consider building a second Bengaluru in Karnataka,” Lahiri said. He said Karnataka has all the potential to grow rapidly and stressed that the growth of individual States is critical to the overall development of the country.
Karnataka to Prepare Plan for New Growth Centres
Responding to the suggestion, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said Karnataka would prepare a comprehensive plan in line with NITI Aayog’s suggestions. State will also examine initiatives undertaken by other States to develop new growth centres and study how similar strategies could be adapted to Karnataka.
“The nation has huge expectations from Karnataka. Prime Minister has also acknowledged this in his statements,” Shivakumar said. He said the State would formulate a plan outlining how Karnataka could contribute further to India’s economic development while taking into account the suggestions made by NITI Aayog.
Why Does Karnataka Need Another Major Growth Centre?
Bengaluru has become one of India’s leading technology and economic centres, attracting professionals, companies, startups and investments from across the country and abroad. However, this concentration of economic activity has also created growing pressure on the city’s infrastructure.
According to Shivakumar, Bengaluru has around 26 lakh IT professionals and continues to attract people from across India. The rising population and concentration of economic activity have increased the demands on transport, housing and other infrastructure.
State has therefore planned several major infrastructure projects to improve Bengaluru’s capacity and address its growing needs. Proposal for a “second Bengaluru” could provide another way of addressing the issue by creating a major economic centre outside the State capital.
Beyond Bengaluru
Proposal also brings the larger question of balanced regional development into focus. Rather than concentrating jobs, investment, technology and infrastructure primarily in Bengaluru, Karnataka could develop several strong regional economic centres.
Existing cities such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi and Kalaburagi have their own economic, educational and industrial strengths that could potentially be expanded.
A regional growth strategy could also create opportunities for smaller cities and towns by connecting them with larger economic centres through better roads, railways, digital infrastructure and investment networks. However, the objective would not necessarily be to create another city identical to Bengaluru. Each regional centre could instead be developed around its own strengths.
What Could It Mean for Coastal Karnataka?
For coastal Karnataka, the discussion is particularly relevant because the region already has strengths in tourism, education, healthcare, ports, logistics, fisheries, agriculture and emerging technology sectors. Mangaluru has the potential to serve as a major economic hub for the coastal region, while surrounding towns could benefit from stronger connectivity and complementary economic activities.
The “second Bengaluru” proposal does not identify a specific city. But it could encourage a broader debate on whether Karnataka should develop multiple growth centers rather than rely overwhelmingly on one metropolitan city.
For regions such as Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, the opportunity would be to identify their own economic strengths and seek the infrastructure and investment needed to build them into stronger regional economies.
Source - Money control
Photo - Priyank Kharge Social Media
Keywords
Second Bengaluru, NITI Aayog Karnataka, D K Shivakumar, Karnataka growth centres, Bengaluru pressure, Beyond Bengaluru, Citizen News Puttur