DK Shivakumar Urges Czech Firms To Invest Beyond Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday urged Czech companies to invest in districts beyond Bengaluru, identifying energy, automobile components, future mobility, aerospace and defence as potential areas of cooperation.

A delegation led by Czech Republic Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek met Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha to discuss investment opportunities and strengthen economic ties between Karnataka and the European country.

"Karnataka will be a long-term partner of the Czech Republic, and Czech companies should invest in various districts of Karnataka instead of limiting themselves to Bengaluru," Shivakumar said, according to a statement issued by his office.

Highlighting the state's strengths in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and floriculture, he urged Czech companies to consider Karnataka as an investment destination.

Pointing to opportunities in the energy sector, Shivakumar said Karnataka was home to some of India's largest solar power plants and oldest hydroelectric power plants, besides having substantial energy requirements.

He specifically invited Czech energy major EPH (Energeticky a prumyslovy holding), which he said had no presence in India, to explore investment opportunities in the state.

On automobile and future mobility, he said Czech companies could explore cooperation in automobile components, electric vehicles, next-generation vehicles, testing and specialised manufacturing.

"I am informed that you are proceeding with an MoU with Gopalan Aerospace. We wish that this partnership further opens up more avenues for co-operation between Karnataka and the Czech Republic," he said, referring to the proposed agreement in the aerospace sector.

Shivakumar said the state government would facilitate investments through Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) and the state's single-window clearance system.

"Our priority is to attract investments that bring technology, strengthen local industry, create quality employment and support exports," he said, expressing hope that the delegation's visit would result in concrete investment proposals and follow-up action.

He also urged the AGROFERT group to consider Karnataka as a potential investment destination.

Noting that the Czech Republic's expertise in precision engineering, machine tools, automobile components, industrial machinery, transport technologies and applied research aligns with the Karnataka's growing manufacturing, aerospace, electronics and technology sectors.

He said companies such as Skoda Auto and Doosan Skoda Power offered scope for cooperation in manufacturing, engineering, sourcing and research, while the Tata AutoComp–Skoda Group partnership in railway components demonstrated the potential for combining Czech engineering expertise with Indian manufacturing.

"We should explore similar partnerships with companies in Karnataka," he said.

The chief minister also called for cooperation beyond trade, including partnerships between Czech technical universities and research institutions and Karnataka's universities and industries to promote applied research, skill development and the commercialisation of new technologies.

India and the Czech Republic agreed to a Strategic Partnership on Innovation in January 2024, providing a framework for cooperation in research, emerging technologies, industrial innovation and start-up linkages, he noted.

The Czech delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Marie Chatardova, senior officials from the country's foreign affairs and industry and trade ministries, Czech diplomatic representatives in India and Jan Rafaj, president of the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic.

The delegation's visit to India from October 11 to 16, including Bengaluru, is aimed at identifying investment opportunities and strengthening business cooperation, according to the chief minister's office.