Page 7 - Karnataka

Karnataka draws ₹12 trn in investments on robust economic climate: Study

Karnataka has attracted new investment proposals worth over Rs 12 lakh crore between financial years 2021-22 and 2024-25 due to the highly vibrant and progressive investment climate in the state, a study by the MSME Export Promotion Council has revealed. It said the investment climate in the state strongly supports robust foreign direct investment (FDI) along with strategic infrastructure projects, forward-looking policy frameworks, talent and innovation ecosystem. This has been revealed by a study on Investment, Development & Growth in Progressive Karnataka: 2021-22 to 2024-25 by the MSME Export Promotion Council, according to a release on Thursday. "During the said period, the new investment projects announced amounted to Rs 12,01,175 crore. Projects completed were worth Rs 1,40,476 crore, and pending projects valued at Rs 36,078 crore were revived during the period. Investment projects worth Rs 9,49,370 crore were under various stages of implementation. The data has been ...

KMAT Admit Card 2025: Hall tickets to be out at 4 pm today on website

The KPPGCA will release the KMAT 2025 Admit Card today, September 2, at 4:00 PM on the official website, kmatindia.com. The mock tests will be held on Sept 3-4, 2025 and KMAT exams on Sept 7, 2025

Activists involved in Dharmasthala row are from RSS-BJP: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday alleged that the two activists Girish Mattannavar and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody were associated with the RSS and BJP. The two people are accused of being the brains behind the Dharmasthala row involving large-scale excavation following complaints of the burial of many young women and girl students, sources said. Two separate cases have been registered against Mattannavar and Thimarody for allegedly creating and circulating videos on social media, that disturbed communal harmony and offended public sentiments, police said on Tuesday. Kharge, who holds the Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister portfolio, told reporters that Thimarody is from RSS. "Against whom did they (BJP) speak inside the Karnataka Assembly? Wasn't that Mahesh Shetty Thimarody? This person is from RSS. The RSS is BJP's Guru. These people grew up in RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal," Kharge said. Regarding Mattennavar, the Minister said, "He is Bharatiya Janata Yuva .

$235 mn arbitration dispute: HC bars Byju Raveendran from alienating assets

The Karnataka High Court has restrained Byju Raveendran from disposing of assets after QIA sought enforcement of a $235 million arbitration award from the Singapore tribunal

Mukand Sumi Special Steel to invest ₹2,345 cr in Karnataka greenfield plant

Mukand Sumi Special Steel on Monday said it will invest Rs 2,345 crore to set up a greenfield project in Kanakpura, Karnataka. Mukand Sumi Special Steel Limited (MSSSL) is a joint venture company between Japan's Sumitomo Corporation (49:51 per cent) and Jamnalal Sons Private Limited (Bajaj Group), which owns 51 per cent. "With this collaboration, MSSSL's productive potential will increase to 7,00,000 tonnes per annum, positioning it among India's pre-eminent special steel manufacturers," Mukand Sumi Special Steel said in a statement. The new facility, to be set up with an investment of Rs 2,345 crore, will produce special high-grade steel for automotives, railways, energy, oil & gas and bearings. The company will follow a zero liquid, solid, and gaseous discharge model, with over 95 per cent of energy needs met through renewables. "The new facility will allow us to serve growing demand with greater efficiency, quality, and environmental responsibility. It is a step forward in ...

President Murmu on three-day visit to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu from Monday

President Droupadi Murmu will be on a three-day visit to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu from Monday, her office said. On September 1, the President will grace the diamond jubilee celebrations of the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysuru, Karnataka, it said. Murmu will grace the 120th foundation day celebrations of City Union Bank in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on September 2, the President's office said. "On September 3, the President will grace the 10th convocation ceremony of the Central University of Tamil Nadu at Thiruvarur," it added.

Rains lash several parts of Karnataka; IMD issues orange, yellow alerts

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Karnataka on Thursday morning, leading to the IMD issuing orange and yellow alerts in various districts, holiday for educational institutions and authorities taking precautionary measures across multiple districts. An orange alert denotes "very heavy" rainfall of 11 to 20 cm, while a yellow alert signals "heavy rain" between 6 and 11 cm. In Bidar district, overnight rainfall in Aurad taluk caused water to overflow on several bridges, including Dadagi bridge in Badalgaon-Chondimukhed in Bhalki taluk, forcing a complete closure to traffic. A stream at Narayanpur village in Aurad taluk was also reported in spate. Bidar Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma declared a holiday for schools and colleges in affected areas as a safety measure. In Dakshina Kannada district, with the India Meteorological Department issuing an orange alert and forecasting heavy rainfall, the district administration declared a holiday on Thursday (August 28), for all anganwadi .

RSS song row: Shivakumar says ready to apologise if anyone is hurt

Apparently stung by criticism from within the party for singing the RSS' prayer song, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday offered to apologise if anyone was hurt over its rendition in the state assembly and asserted he was a Congressman and would die as one. Shivakumar, also the state Congress president, had taken everyone by surprise by singing the RSS prayer song on the floor of the House. The Deputy CM said he only made a "passing reference" in the Assembly. On August 21, Shivakumar recited a couple of lines of the RSS' prayer "Namaste Sada Vatsale..." in the Assembly during a debate on the June 4 Chinnaswamy stadium stampede. Addressing reporters here, he said, "I'm not bigger than anyone, my life is there to give strength to everyone. I have stood by everyone in their difficulty, still I stand by them...as a loyal Congressman I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings... If you want an apology, yes. For all the Congressmen and many political party friends of

Bike taxi row: Uber, Ola halt in Karnataka, Rapido continues service

This comes after the Karnataka High Court bench clarified that it has not passed any order allowing bike taxi services in the state

Promise profits, not land: Indian states need a new investor playbook

India's states should compete for investment by offering better infrastructure, fewer processes, and smarter regulations, not larger land holdings or bigger subsidies

ED arrests Karnataka MLA Veerendra in illegal betting racket case

The crackdown led to the recovery of nearly ₹12 crore in cash, including ₹1 crore in foreign currency, gold worth ₹6 crore, about 10 kg of silver, and four luxury cars

Bike taxi services resume, but Karnataka HC clarifies no judicial nod given

The Karnataka High Court has clarified that it had not passed any order permitting ride-hailing companies to resume bike taxi services, a day after such operations were seen returning to city roads. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru observed that while the state government is free to act against bike taxi aggregators in accordance with law, enforcement authorities must refrain from targeting individual vehicle owners. During a hearing on August 20, the bench had adjourned the matter to September 22, giving the government time to decide whether it intended to frame a policy on bike taxis. On Friday, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty informed the court that several operators had restarted services despite there being no judicial order permitting them to do so. Counsel representing bike taxi riders countered, saying that enforcement authorities were seizing motorcycles belonging to individual owners. The bench clarified that its earlier concern was limited to ..

SIT arrests complainant who alleged multiple burials in Dharmasthala

The complainant who had alleged there were multiple murders, rapes and burials in Dharmasthala over a period of the past two decades, was arrested on Saturday by the SIT formed to investigate these charges, official sources said. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) and its chief, Pranab Mohanty, have questioned the complainantwhose name is not revealedon Friday till late hours. Officials said the arrest was made after inconsistencies were found in the statements and documents provided. The SIT is continuing its probe into the matter. The complainant-witness, a former sanitation worker, has claimed that he worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, and that he was forced to bury a number of bodies, including those of women and minors, in Dharmasthala. He had alleged that some of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault. He has also given a statement before a magistrate in this regard.

20 stampedes happened in BJP-ruled states: CM Siddaramaiah in Assembly

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said 20 stampedes took place in the BJP-ruled states, and blamed "mass hysteria" for the Chinnaswamy stadium incident in June that killed 11 people. Replying to a discussion in the Assembly on the June 4 stampede, the Chief Minister read out the list of stampedes starting from the one that occurred on August 3, 2008, at Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, when Prem Singh Dhumal was the Chief Minister, followed by the stampede in Jodhpur in 2008, which killed 250 people. The stampedes he referred to include the one that had taken place in Ratangarh in 2013, Haridwar in 2021, Sehore in MP in 2023, and Hathras in UP in which 121 people were killed in 2024. He also spoke about the Prayagraj stampede during Kumbh Mela in January this year that claimed the lives of 39 people. CM also talked about the Gujarat Morbi bridge collapse in 2022 in which 135 people were killed. "Did Yogi Adityanath resign as UP CM" after Kum

Karnataka Bank aims ₹85K cr loan book by March 2026 as operations stabilise

After stabilising operations, Karnataka Bank aims to expand its loan book beyond Rs 85,000 crore by March 2026 with growth led by retail, agriculture and MSME lending

Bike taxis return in Karnataka after High Court lifts state government ban

Bike taxis are back on the roads in Karnataka following the High Court's "balanced and thoughtful observations", said Karnataka Bike Taxi Welfare Association (KBTWA) president Adi Narayan on Thursday. Uber, Ola and Rapido have brought back the bike taxi feature on their platforms. According to Narayan, it would benefit over six lakh riders who were without income because of the ban on bike taxis. State Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy was not immediately available for comments. Bike taxi operations had been suspended since June 16, following a single judge order prohibiting bike taxi services. On August 20, the Karnataka High Court came down heavily on the state government's ban on bike taxis, calling its arguments against the service "thin" and legally untenable. It also said the state cannot deny livelihoods by citing the absence of a formal policy. Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru, who headed the bench, noted that bike taxis are permitted in at least 13 states across the country

KCET, Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2025: Round 2 option entry activated

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has activated the link for option entry for Round 2 KCET and Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2025 today on the official website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in

Karnataka HC slams govt bike taxi ban, upholds operators' right to work

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday came down on the state government's ban on bike taxis, calling its arguments against the service 'thin' and "legally untenable". Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru, heading the bench, noted that bike taxis are permitted in at least 13 states across the country and have emerged as a lawful and essential mode of urban transport. He observed that such services are not a luxury but a necessity, especially for affordable and efficient last-mile connectivity. Rejecting the government's stance that the Motor Vehicles Act prohibits bike taxis, the court said the State cannot deny livelihoods by citing the absence of a formal policy. A mere lack of regulation cannot be the basis for a blanket ban that deprives thousands of their right to work under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, the Chief Justice remarked. The court also asked the Advocate General (AG) to ensure that no coercive or punitive action is taken against bike taxi operators in the interim. Th

Karnataka debt jumps to ₹63,000 cr in FY24; CAG blames guarantee schemes

Karnataka's debt rose to ₹63,000 crore in 2023-24, with CAG flagging diversion of ?5,299 crore from infrastructure funds to guarantee schemes, raising concerns over public finances

Welspun One to invest ₹2,150 cr for warehouses across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu

Welspun One Logistics Parks expands Karnataka and Tamil Nadu portfolio to 260 acres with Rs 2,150 crore investment, targeting 6 msf development in high-potential corridors