How Karnataka’s Infrastructure Ambitions Make It India’s Most Advanced State

*This is a sponsored feature by Karnataka Government.

Karnataka owes its title as the Silicon Valley of India to a robust knowledge infrastructure. Established technology companies and startups have created an evolving ecosystem comprising academia, research and hands-on development.

However, it’s the state’s physical infrastructure that has bolstered both new and traditional sectors, such as heavy engineering, biotechnology, automobiles and aerospace. Innovations in road, air, marine and rail connectivity continue to propel Karnataka to new economic heights.

The public-private partnership (PPP) model has been key to renovating basic and advanced infrastructure. As part of the revised Infrastructure Development Policy, 2007, the government has encouraged more private sector investment across different channels.

Revamping road connectivity

Road infrastructure is one of the main reasons for Karnataka’s social and economic advancement. First-class transport connectivity is vital to maintaining Karnataka’s reputation as an industrial and technology hub. An improved road network also connects more remote areas with urban and suburban zones, increasing access to public services such as health care and education.

The government has constructed almost 30,000 km of state and district highways to unite every corner of Karnataka. Between 2013 and 2017, 8,288 km roads were constructed under the Namma Grama Namma Rasthe scheme.

In addition, the Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project (KSHIP) has entered the third phase of building and upgrading the core road network. KSHIP-III endeavours to build 418.5 km of roads at a cost of Rs 5,334.2 crore in 2017-18.

In urban centres, better roads have been central to the government’s push toward sustainable development. More than Rs 115 crore has been earmarked for the Tender SURE (Specifications for Urban Roads Execution) project in Bengaluru. This initiative aims to safely accommodate everyone who uses the city’s roads - pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and street vendors - while encouraging the use of public transport.

Aviation infrastructure takes flight

Karnataka produces more than a quarter of India’s aircrafts and spacecrafts, as well as being home to Airbus and Boeing research and engineering centres.

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is now India’s third largest in terms of passenger activity. A second terminal and runway, to ease congestion and reduce waiting times, will be completed by September 2019, allowing the airport to accommodate around 35 million passengers annually.

As an emerging hub for domestic and international travel, Mangaluru International Airport has outgrown its current space. To address this, the government has submitted a land acquisition proposal to expand its second-busiest airport by 286 acres.

A new and improved Belagavi airport, with a capacity of more than 300 passengers, was unveiled in September 2017, at a cost of Rs 120 crore. Also on the cards are proposed airstrips in Karawar, Madikeri and Chikkamagaluru.

Mobilizing maritime resources and railways for the future

Of Karnataka’s 13 ports, New Mangalore port is the busiest. It’s the ninth major port in India, handling almost 20 million tonnes between April and September 2017.

To add to marine capabilities, the government has begun work on the Tadadi seaport development project, a PPP initiative worth Rs 2,946 crore, and has started the second phase of the Karwar port under a similar model.

To ramp up import and export action in Karwar, a proposal for a new 1508 meter dock, with room for five stationed ships, is planned.

Although the Hassan-Bengaluru line is finished, the overhaul of Karnataka’s railways is just beginning.

In the last four years, the government has spent Rs 1,637 crore constructing rail links over and under bridges to reduce traffic congestion and reduce the burden on roads.

Land is currently being acquired for a 156 km long Gadaga-Vadi line, to which the government will contribute 50% of the total project cost of Rs 1,922 crore. The state has also allocated 958 acres of land to upgrade railway lines to Hubballi and Belagavi airports.

Power and connectivity to the people

Infrastructure without basic utilities only delays the rollout of services to the public. In the 2017-18 budget, the government set aside Rs 8,807 crore to improve power supply across Karnataka, thus boosting the pace of infrastructure development.

As of October 2017, the state had an installed power generation capacity of 21,632 MW, of which more than one half was provided by thermal power. Nuclear and renewable energy capacities are 698 MW and 7,773 MW respectively.

The most recent budget outlined a plan to add 3,975 MW of power in 2017-18. Renewable energy would contribute 2,375 MW of this.

With more than 72 million wireless and landline subscribers in Karnataka as of July 2017, the next step is wireless internet connectivity to rural areas. This is joint effort by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) and the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (KEONICS).

Last-mile internet connectivity has increased thanks to private and government-run players. BSNL has invested Rs. 392.8 crore to boost connectivity speeds in gram panchayats through high-speed broadband and fiber-to-home.