BENGALURU: Karnataka Minister M B Patil announced plans on Saturday to advance the development of ‘SWIFT City’ in Sarjapura, aiming to establish it as the state’s third major planned industrial hub after Electronic City and ITPL. The initiative, as detailed in a statement from Patil’s office, will focus on fostering startups, innovation, workspaces, finance, and technology.
Patil highlighted that despite Bengaluru hosting thousands of companies, there has been dissatisfaction with the availability of well-planned workspaces. To address this, the project will feature 150-ft-wide connecting roads in Sarjapura, along with world-class infrastructure, including residential clusters and educational institutions.
The development will span over 1,000 acres of land in the Sarjapura Industrial Area, strategically located near National Highways 44 and 48, and close to Bengaluru’s IT hub. Patil emphasized that the city would cater to small and medium-sized startups, offering spaces ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 sq ft on lease, for sale, or through investment-sharing models.
In his vision to transform Karnataka into a ‘Silicon State,’ Patil explained that the initiative would extend Bengaluru’s recognition as the Silicon City to the rest of the state. Additionally, the government plans to develop five Mini KWIN Cities, including those in Vijayapura and Hubballi-Dharwad, in collaboration with the IT/BT department. Patil warned that innovation and proactive steps are crucial to attracting investments and staying competitive with neighboring states.