Karnataka seeks two defence corridors from the center

Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil on Tuesday said he, along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, would meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to request the sanctioning of two defence corridor projects for the state.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to meet Singh in the national capital on Wednesday evening.

"As the country’s leading contributor to the aerospace and defence sector, Karnataka deserves two defence corridors—one in the Kolar–Chikkaballapura region and the other in the Hubballi–Belagavi belt. We will present this request during our meeting with Rajnath Singh," Patil said.

Speaking to reporters, he said there was a need for one corridor each in south and north Karnataka, pointing out that leading companies such as Aequs already operate in Belagavi.

Noting that Karnataka should have been granted a defence corridor when Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were allotted theirs, Patil said even the central government had realised this oversight, and Rajnath Singh himself had acknowledged it.

He added that the matter was also discussed during Rajnath Singh’s participation in the Global Investors Meet—Invest Karnataka 2025.

"We are not against projects being sanctioned for other states. We are only demanding what Karnataka rightfully deserves," he said.

Patil also mentioned that the Chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had recently met him and assured government support for land requirements.

Highlighting Karnataka’s 65 per cent contribution to the country’s aerospace and defence sector, Patil said the state ranks first nationally and third globally in this domain.

"The state is home to major players such as HAL, Safran, Boeing, Airbus, Collins, and Lockheed Martin. We already have an aerospace park near the Devanahalli airport. To further strengthen our position, the government now proposes another aerospace and defence park nearby. Farmers who lose their land will be compensated under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013," he said.

Farmer representatives and organisations have been protesting against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board’s (KIADB) notification for acquiring fertile land in Devanahalli for the proposed park.

CM Siddaramaiah will meet the farmers’ representatives on July 15 to clarify the government's stand. He had recently cited legal constraints, as the final notification for acquisition had already been issued.

In response to a question, Patil urged actor Prakash Raj to raise his voice against land acquisition in other states as well, just as he has done in Karnataka over the Devanahalli project.

"Here in Devanahalli, the government plans to acquire just 1,282 acres for the proposed hi-tech aerospace and defence park. In contrast, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has acquired 10,000 acres from Madakasira to Penukonda for a similar project and is offering the land free of cost," he said.

Additionally, he said the Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government has acquired another 45,000 acres for industrial use.

"It's been widely reported that Andhra Pradesh has allotted land to companies such as Infosys, Cognizant, and TCS at just 99 paise per acre. Does Prakash Raj not see these developments?" he asked.

Patil further noted that the Tamil Nadu government has been actively expanding industries in Hosur, just 50 km from Bengaluru, and also plans to build an international airport there.

For such projects, land is being allotted at highly subsidised rates. If Andhra succeeds in attracting the aerospace and defence park, companies in this sector may shift operations there, resulting in massive losses for Karnataka, he warned.

Clarifying his remarks, Patil said he "held no personal grudge" against Prakash Raj.