Single-party Karnataka govt makes stronger pitch to NRIs

In a well-attended luncheon and presentation meeting at the Indian Consulate in New York last Wednesday, state chief secretary Sudhakar Rao started his address by asking, “What is new in Karnataka today?” and drew attention to the new advantages that the state had to offer in his attempt to allay lingering doubts:

“The government has made clear and palpable pronouncements on its policies and its commitment to development, and the bureaucracy will deliver. The previous problems will not present a bottleneck now.”

Karnataka’s exponential industrial growth in recent years, particularly in InfoTech and biotech sectors, has been frustrated by the government’s inability to keep pace through infrastructural growth. Some uncertainty has brewed in the recent past by both investor experiences and some unfavorable media.

To that end, the government and the administration seem to realise the task on hand is to first lay to rest previous investor skepticism about the government’s commitment to implement infrastructure projects, to lay out the vision, and then provide evidence of implementation.