Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil announced on Saturday (December 14) that SWIFT City was in the pipeline at Sarjapur in Bengaluru, which would be Karnataka’s third major planned industrial hub after Electronic City and ITPL.
SWIFT (Start-ups, Workspaces, Innovation, Finance, and Technology) City would involve reserving over 1,000 acres of land in the Sarjapur Industrial Area for this purpose, said the Minister in a statement. Sarjapur had been identified for its strategic location, being close to National Highways 44 and 48, as well as proximity to Bengaluru’s thriving IT hub, said the Minister.
Stating that many stakeholders had expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of well-planned workspaces, he said that the plan was to provide a 150-metre-wide road in Sarjapur and ensure world-class facilities, including residential clusters and schools, Mr. Patil explained.
“The envisioned city aims to become a start-up hotspot, featuring 8-10 plug-and-play infrastructure facilities, each spanning 20-25 acres,” he said in a statement.
Mr Patil promised that SWIFT City would offer state-of-the-art offices, residential spaces, and co-working environments to support startups, creating a structured industrial network that fosters collaboration. “Small and medium-sized startups will benefit from spaces ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 sq ft, available through lease, sale, or investment-sharing models. The city is hoped to become a leading hub for innovation in AI, data analytics, and fintech, the minister emphasises,” he said.
The Minister said plans are under way to develop five Mini KWIN Cities, including ones in Vijayapura and Hubballi-Dharwad, in collaboration with the IT/BT department. “More details on these initiatives will be revealed at the Invest Karnataka conclave scheduled for February,” he said.
Published – December 14, 2024 11:07 pm IST