Karnataka’s Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday that suitable land has been identified in Belagavi district for establishing a proposed industrial park, considering the increasing demand for industrial growth in the region.
Responding to a query by Hubballi–Dharwad West MLA Arvind Bellad on the proposed aerospace park, the Minister said the State has planned two defence corridors, Bengaluru Rural–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharwad–Belagavi–Vijayapura. He added that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has personally submitted the proposal to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Emphasising Karnataka’s leadership in the aerospace and defence sector, Mr. Patil said the State accounts for nearly 65% of the sector’s contribution, supported by a strong industrial base. He noted that Belagavi already hosts a well-established aerospace ecosystem with the presence of the Aequs Aerospace SEZ, which the government intends to further strengthen. The expansion is also expected to benefit from the 3,000-acre industrial estate being developed in Dharwad district under the Bengaluru–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC) project.
The Minister clarified that the government is actively assessing opportunities for aerospace industries in North Karnataka, including Belagavi, along with the Bengaluru Rural–Kolar belt.
On land availability, Mr. Patil said the Special Deputy Commissioner has identified suitable land for industrial development in Belagavi, and discussions have already taken place with the district-in-charge Minister. He added that the proposal to develop an industrial park in the district will be finalised shortly.
He also pointed out that the State’s new industrial policy focuses on decentralising industrial development beyond Bengaluru. Under the policy, incentives are no longer extended to the Bengaluru Urban district, while higher incentives are offered to other districts.
“As per the new industrial policy, additional incentives ranging from 3% to 5% are proposed for investments in taluks classified as backward and more backward,” he said.
During the discussion, Mr. Bellad urged the government to recommend a single defence corridor, preferably in North Karnataka, noting that South Karnataka already has several advantages and that one corridor could help speed up approval from the Centre.
