The demand for establishing an IT park in Belgaum has been a longstanding issue, dating back around 13 years when the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC) allocated 41 acres of land for an IT park at Desur, located 14 km away from the city. However, this initiative faced challenges due to the distant location and the high cost of the land. With the flourishing growth of the IT industry in Belgaum, there is now a renewed push for an IT park within the city.
The discussion regarding this matter took place during the 3rd edition of the ‘HDB Techceleration-2023’ event, organized by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) in Belgaum. The Hubballi-Dharwad-Belgaum region is a significant industry cluster in the state, aligning with the government’s focus on promoting industry clusters beyond Bengaluru.
Representing IT professionals and industrialists, Venkatesh Patil, the HDB cluster lead anchor, proposed that ITBT Minister Priyank Kharge consider utilizing the previously identified five acres of land by Keonics for establishing an IT park. According to the proposal, the land near Hindalaga Ganapati temple is deemed suitable for the initial stages of the IT park.
During the BJP government, MLA Abhay Patil attempted to acquire the 744 acres of state government land from the defence department for developing an IT and semiconductor park, but the effort was unsuccessful. Additional proposals presented by the HDB cluster during the ‘Techceleration-2023’ event include establishing startup hubs in Belgaum and Hubballi, operating on a ‘plug and play’ model. For Belgaum, a 25,000 sq ft area on the third floor of the upcoming shopping complex in Tilakwadi has been proposed.
The Global Technology Centre (GTC) suggested providing plug-and-play facilities for the growing drone and electronic vehicle industry sectors in Belgaum. Venkatesh Patil proposed converting the vacant building of the Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre (VTPC) into GTC.
Furthermore, a proposal was submitted to Minister Priyank Kharge for establishing a Centre of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence in the HDB cluster. Minister Kharge responded positively to all the proposals, assuring a thorough consideration of each one.
