Bengaluru: Emphasising the importance of sustainable data centres for industrial growth in Karnataka, the government has decided to establish data parks in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mangaluru.
A preliminary meeting of officials and political leaders was held at Shakti Bhavan and attended by Energy Minister K. J. George, Industries Minister M. B. Patil, and IT Minister Priyank Kharge recently.
A sustainable data centre park with a capacity of 500 MW will be established near Hosakote in Bengaluru. Solar power generated at Pavagada will be supplied directly to the park.
The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has indicated that there will be no difficulty in supplying 60 MLD of secondary treated water, while the industries themselves will undertake tertiary treatment.
The Ministers stated that the combined capacity of all three parks would be 1,000 MW.
Land is also available for establishing a data park in Mangaluru, with around 350 acres belonging to KIADB identified in the Baikampady Industrial Area.
Suitable land will also be identified in Mysuru for this purpose, Patil said.
Power and water will be provided to investors setting up data centres in these parks.
The Ministers then directed officials to make the necessary preparatory arrangements and suggested that a meeting with potential investors be convened shortly.
In the next phase, a committee of Ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, along with a team of senior officials, will be constituted. The data parks will be established at the earliest, Patil added.
₹227-crore KSDL unit approved in Vijayapura
Meanwhile, the State cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, recently approved the proposal to establish a new production unit of the state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) in Vijayapura at a cost of ₹227.91 crore.
Industries and District in-charge Minister M.B. Patil shared this information after the meeting and expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister.
He said that KSDL, which offers a range of 94 quality products including the iconic Mysuru Sandal Soap, enjoys strong demand not only in North Karnataka but also in neighbouring States such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Keeping this in view, a new soap manufacturing unit will be set up on 50 acres in the Ittangihal Industrial Area of Vijayapura, and this is expected to promote industrial growth, generate employment, and expand market reach in the region, he said.
Of the total project cost of ₹227.91 crore, ₹30 crore has been earmarked for land acquisition, ₹77.88 crore for construction of the production facility, ₹24 crore for infrastructure, ₹70.80 crore for machinery, ₹8.63 crore towards tender premium, ₹8.63 crore for contingencies, and ₹7.97 crore for other expenses.
The land cost has been fixed at ₹59.30 lakh per acre, Patil explained.
The proposal to establish a KSDL production unit in North Karnataka had been under consideration for over a year. The 110-year-old enterprise has, for the first time, recorded production of 47,494 tonnes and an all-time high turnover of ₹2,016 crore in 2025-26, along with a profit of ₹507 crore.
Patil expressed confidence that the new unit would further strengthen the organisation.
He also added that several initiatives had been undertaken over the past three years to take the organisation to new heights, including efforts in branding, promotion, marketing, quality management, export operations, and e-commerce.
