K’taka floats tender for Rs 135 cr M’luru tech park

 Mangaluru: Ina significant move to decentralise Karnataka’s thriving IT ecosystem, the state government has floated a tender for a Rs 135 crore technology park in Mangaluru, aiming to create over 11,000 direct and indirect jobs. Announced by Karnataka IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge on November 1, the project is poised to transform the Mangaluru-Udupi-Manipal region into a new economic powerhouse, leveraging its strategic location and rich talent pool.

The tech park, to be developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model by the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (KEONICS), will span 3.28 acres along Blueberry Hills Road in Derebail, less than a kilometer from National Highway 66. The facility, designed with Grade-A office spaces and modern amenities including meeting rooms, cafeterias, and conference halls, is expected to cover a built-up area of 3.52 lakh square feet. The tender, following a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) approach, is slated for finalisation by December 2025.

Minister Kharge highlighted Mangaluru’s economic potential, noting its contribution of nearly 5.5 percent to Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). “As part of our Local Economic Acceleration Program (LEAP), this tech park will position Mangaluru as the next high-growth corridor, capitalizing on its strengths in IT, fintech, and marine technology,” he said. The city’s proximity to top educational institutions like the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NIT-K) Surathkal and Manipal Institute of Technology, combined with its port, oil refinery, and connectivity via five national highways, two railway stations, and Mangaluru International Airport, makes it an ideal hub for this initiative.

The project aligns with the state’s ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ vision, aiming to distribute IT growth across regions like Mysuru, Hubballi, and Mangaluru. The tech park is expected to attract IT, ITeS, and co-working operators, drawn by lower operational costs compared to Tier-1 cities, and will cater to the city’s existing base of over 15,000 IT professionals, 200 startups, and major employers like Infosys and Cognizant.

However, the announcement has sparked mixed reactions. While some residents and netizens, hailed the move as a boon for local youth, others,questioned the government’s focus. They urged similar investments in underdeveloped regions like Kalaburagi, where thousands of graduates migrate to cities like Bengaluru and Pune due to limited local opportunities They raised concerns about why Mangaluru was overlooked for projects like the Adani-Google data centre, which was awarded to cyclone-prone Visakhapatnam, hinting at political favouritism.

Critics also pointed to the need for equitable development across Karnataka’s 31 districts emphasising Kalaburagi’s potential, boasting six engineering colleges, a state university, a central university, and three private universities. Meanwhile a barrage of queries on various social media handles techies, businessmen and activists have called for a tech park in the Vijayanagara-Ballari region, reflecting a broader demand for balanced growth.