Karnataka is safest place to do business; we compete internationally: CM Bommai

News Network
May 25, 2022

Bengaluru, May 25: With a number of Indian states lining up here at the WEF Annual Meeting to woo investors, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Bommai on Wednesday said his state is the "safest place to do business" and it is not competing domestically but at the international level and listed hydrogen and ammonia fuel as the next focus areas.

He also said that nearly half of the foreign companies present in India are already in Karnataka and all of them are planning to expand and diversify in the state while many more are evincing interest attracted by the robust infrastructure, and talent pool and ease of doing business in the state.

In an interview with PTI at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 here, Bommai said the process to decongest the state capital Bengaluru is underway by developing many adjoining areas as well as tier 2 and tier 3 cities while four more airports would be built this year.

"Karnataka story is different from other states," he said.

Talking about his visit here, Bommai said Davos experience has been excellent and he has witnessed that the international investor community has recognised India as an emerging economic giant and particularly Karnataka.

6"In the aftermath of Covid-19, lockdowns and China's economic downfall, most of the countries are looking at India and their first destination in Karnataka and Bengaluru, because of a highly-tech ecosystem which we have, the highest number of R&D centres and our expertise in aerospace, defence, machinery tools and of course Information Technology and Biotechnology," he said.

"Also, we have got long-standing relations with most of the forward-looking countries, both in the European and American blocks. Almost 50 per cent of the foreign companies present in India are already in Karnataka. The state is also on the top in terms of the FDI flow in the last year, with almost 42 per cent share of the total flow coming into the country," he said.

Further, Bommai said that in niche areas like renewable energy, electric vehicles and battery storage, the state government has taken a lot of initiatives.

"We are aware of climate change and everyone needs to ensure that fossil emissions are limited therefore role of renewable energy is very important. Karnataka accounts for 63 per cent of renewable energy production," he said.

The chief minister said that most of the foreign companies already present in Karnataka are planning to expand and diversify in the state.

"Many of them have already approached us and we have cleared their plans while others are in the process of finalising their plans. Companies that are present in Karnataka will not go back or move to other states, because of the ecosystem and business-friendly atmosphere the state offers.

"Not a single one has any intention to leave, rather most of them have offered their expansion plans," he asserted.

Bommai listed semiconductors, hydrogen fuel and ammonia as among the other focus areas for the state going forward.

"A lot of companies are talking to us. The hydrogen fuel initiative is on the anvil. A strategic location and certain facilities are required, which we have offered to the companies.
"We have got a renewable energy policy. We are now getting into hydrogen fuel in a big way, and also creating ammonia from different sources. We will also look at exports," he said.

The Karnataka leader said that necessary infrastructure is being created for domestic as well as export purposes.

"We are also looking beyond Bengaluru for all these projects. We are also going to decongest Bengaluru. That is necessary and the work has already begun.

"We are looking at nearby areas to the state capital and also at tier-2 and tier-3 cities. We have got very good air connectivity and we are building another four airports this year," he added.

Bommai said that investors know very well that Karnataka is the safest place to do business with all the necessary infrastructure and support system.

"We are competing internationally, not at the domestic level. Companies present in the state are with us and very happy and we want them to invest more. Both the state and the entrepreneurs should benefit from our growth story," he added. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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Agencies
November 22,2025

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New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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