DK Shivakumar announces global business hub and mega infra push at BTS 2025

At the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar announced a series of big-ticket infrastructure and investment initiatives aimed at elevating Bengaluru into a global economic and technology powerhouse.

Karnataka used the stage of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025 to outline some of its most ambitious development plans yet, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announcing sweeping initiatives aimed at positioning Bengaluru as a fully global business and technology destination.

Addressing delegates on November 18, Shivakumar revealed that the state will build a dedicated international business complex, designed to host global corporations under one integrated campus. He said this would strengthen Bengaluru’s standing as an investment hub and offer international firms a long-term base in the city.

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Alongside this, the government is preparing a separate NRI secretariat, which he said would streamline services, provide faster assistance and coordinate investment-related matters. The Deputy CM also noted that exclusive residential layouts for NRIs are part of the larger plan to bring global communities closer to Karnataka.

A major announcement at the summit was the proposal for a world-class AI City spread over 9,000 acres near Bidadi, which is aimed at fostering AI-driven industries, research centres and emerging tech ecosystems. Shivakumar added that the state is considering a second airport in South Bengaluru, citing the city’s rapid expansion and rising passenger demand.

Highlighting the government’s focus on physical infrastructure, he said over ₹1 lakh crore is being invested across Bengaluru. Key projects include a 40-km twin tunnel worth ₹42,500 crore, a 41-km double-decker metro corridor estimated at ₹18,000 crore, the 110-km elevated corridor project costing ₹15,000 crore, and 320 km of buffer roads at ₹5,000 crore. A ₹500-crore sky deck and the 74-km Bengaluru Business Corridor worth ₹27,000 crore are also in progress.

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Shivakumar reminded the audience that Karnataka’s technology leadership was built through early policy interventions, noting that the state introduced India’s first IT policy in 1997 and later set up a dedicated IT Department under former CM SM Krishna.

For the first time, the Bengaluru Tech Summit has shifted from the Bengaluru Palace grounds to the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), reflecting the event’s scale and growing international reach. Marking its 28th edition, the summit continues to reinforce Bengaluru’s status as the country’s technology capital, he said.