Bengaluru, 28 August

Identify five cities outside Bengaluru for industrial development, CM DK Shivakumar told officers on Friday at a progress review meeting of the Commerce and Industries Department at his home office. 

The government plans to attract industries to these cities – which have airports - by offering special incentives to investors in emerging sectors like semiconductors, aerospace and defence, clean mobility, cell manufacturing and other emerging sectors, while also creating more job opportunities, the CMO said in a statement. 

To streamline the single-window system for industrial approvals, he directed all concerned departments to process applications within the stipulated timeframe.

"Under this system, 22 departments and 119 services have been integrated, with an emphasis on digital and timely approvals. Karnataka ranks ninth in the NITI Aayog's Investor-Friendly Index. The CM directed that measures be taken to improve this ranking further," the statement said.

Officials said Karnataka had ranked third in attracting investments worth Rs 5.58 lakh crore in the manufacturing sector over the past three years.