Rural Bengaluru sees land rush as chip, defence projects expand

Bengaluru: Proposed industrial projects in sectors like aerospace, defence, semiconductors and electronics manufacturing have pushed up demand for land in Bengaluru Rural district. Officials in the industries department said about 2,810 acres have been acquired this financial year alone. Data from Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) shows 2,669 acres were acquired in 2024-25, more than double the 1,010 acres in 2023-24. MB Patil, minister for large and medium industries and infrastructure development, told TOI marquee projects are fuelling the momentum. "The aerospace and defence park, KWIN City projects are driving demand," Patil said. "High tech and defence projects are coming up around the airport area for practical purposes, while eyes are also on Belagavi, Karwar, Dharwad, with core cement and steel firms looking to set up businesses there." Nelamangala, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli and Chikkaballapur have seen major acquisitions. These include Dabaspete (520 acres), Manchenahalli and Kambalu (486 acres), Ballagere (460 acres), Kodigehalli (363 acres), Linganahalli (518 acres), Hulikunte, Doddamankanala and Kadatippanahalli (1,013 acres), Rabnahalli and Ramnathpura (499 acres), and Kenchanapura (483 acres). A KIADB official said the pace has picked up in the past two years. "Most of these parcels are being developed and taken over by large industries," the official said. "The KWIN City (Knowledge, Wellbeing and Innovation City) project will draw research and development institutions and foreign universities near Doddaballapur and Devanahalli. The Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) continues to attract IT and ITES sectors, though the city already has a substantial presence in these segments. Other sectors showing interest include semiconductor manufacturing and automotive industries, including 2-km vehicle testing tracks." He said companies seeking land are being interviewed by the minister and senior officials to ensure serious proposals. "Earlier, private players would acquire KIADB land but would not implement projects, leaving large industrial parcels unused. The interview process helps overcome that hurdle," the official said. An official from Karnataka Udyog Mitra said electronics is leading the expansion. "We are seeing significant interest from aerospace and mobile parts manufacturing companies," the official said. "With FOXCONN's presence, we are developing an ecosystem to support mobile phone manufacturing. For instance, there is focus on manufacturing cameras, batteries, and other phone components, as well as oxygen suppliers required for fabrication." He said 73 acres have been earmarked for a semiconductor research and manufacturing centre, 20 acres allotted to Wipro for electronics research, and 100 acres to a solar cell manufacturer.