CM urges industry to focus on developing primary education sector with CSR funds

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar recently called upon industries to channel Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives towards strengthening primary education and announced that the state government would set up a dedicated team to monitor CSR projects across Karnataka.

Addressing the Global CSR and Sustainability Summit 2026 organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Shivakumar lauded the organisation for its contribution to Karnataka’s growth.

Congratulating FKCCI, he said, “Joining together is the beginning, discussing together is progress and working together is success.”

He noted that FKCCI had played a significant role in the development of Karnataka even before the advent of the IT and AI sectors, adding that the state’s success had begun with the industry’s contribution.

Speaking on CSR, the Chief Minister remembered former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and credited him with introducing the CSR framework. “CSR is not charity; it is an investment in sustainable development,” he said, adding that responsible corporate leaders had taken the concept seriously.

Reflecting on urbanisation, Shivakumar said he came from a village in pursuit of education and never returned, describing it as a story shared by many. He pointed out that Karnataka’s urban population had reached 43 per cent and said Bengaluru’s population had doubled from around 70 lakh during his earlier tenure as a minister under S M Krishna to nearly 1.4 crore today, with about 1.30 lakh vehicles on its roads.

Highlighting Bengaluru’s global standing, he said world leaders now looked to the city because of the strong foundation laid by visionary leaders and its high-quality education ecosystem.

He noted that Karnataka had around 38 of the country’s 140 international schools.

Recalling the foundation of Kempegowda International Airport, Shivakumar said NR Narayana Murthy had been appointed chairman during the project and remembered former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s observation that Bengaluru would become a preferred destination for global leaders.

“Earlier, world leaders visited Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata first. Now they come to Bengaluru,” he said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the state’s industrial and technology ecosystem, pointing to the growth of Electronic City, ITPL and the manufacturing sector promoted by FKCCI.

Stressing the need for a balanced approach to labour welfare, he said employers and employees were equally important. “If there is no employer, there are no employees. We should maintain a balance and ensure workers are supported without burning out,” he said.

Shivakumar said Karnataka’s IT sector employed around 26 lakh people and cited data showing that of the 13 lakh engineers working in California, around six lakh were from Karnataka, underscoring the state’s talent pool.

He also said Karnataka had about 71 medical colleges and produced nearly 13,900 doctors and around one lakh other medical professionals every year, but noted that much of this talent eventually leaves the country.

Calling for balanced regional development, the Chief Minister said the state must now look beyond Bengaluru.

He said Karnataka currently had around 10,000 CSR initiatives and announced that a separate government team would be established to monitor them across districts, including Mysuru, Hubballi and other regions.

Urging corporates to focus on rural education, Shivakumar said students should not be forced to migrate to Bengaluru for quality education. He appealed to companies to adopt schools, build educational infrastructure and strengthen primary education.

“Your priority should be primary education. I want you to adopt schools and build infrastructure. Companies like Toyota are already building schools, and I want more industries to follow that example,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that he wanted companies to go beyond funding infrastructure and also provide skilled personnel to support education.

“A child has to compete on global standards. That is why we have introduced various policies,” he said.

Reiterating that a strong industry would contribute to a stronger Karnataka, Shivakumar said technological advancements such as artificial intelligence were rapidly transforming society and emphasised that the government’s immediate focus should remain on primary education alongside sustainability.

Concluding his address, he said Bengaluru continued to attract people from across the world because of its talent pool, pleasant weather and culture. While acknowledging that the city had grown beyond its Garden City identity, he said it remained more affordable than several other metropolitan cities, including Mumbai.