NICDC’s industrial city model, GatiShakti, and startup innovation take centre stage at South India dialogue

Industrial growth to be driven by new nodes in Tumakuru, Krishnapatnam, Kopparthy, Orvakal, Zaheerabad, and Palakkad

Centre-State partnership needed to attract investment and industrialization: Secretary DPIIT

A high-level Investors Roundtable Conference was held in Bengaluru under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia. The meeting was organised as part of efforts to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and served as a platform to showcase the potential of southern industrial nodes under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) and to strengthen Centre-State collaboration for industrial growth.

The roundtable served as a key platform to showcase the potential of southern industrial nodes under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) and to strengthen Centre-State collaboration for industrial growth.

Senior DPIIT officials also shared updates on national initiatives including Start-Up India, Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP), National Single Window System (NSWS), Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS), and Invest India, which are enabling reforms and strengthening investor confidence.

The roundtable featured discussions with key stakeholders including CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, Invest India, Peenya Industrial Association, and KASSIA. Industry leaders, MSMEs, and startups engaged in state-specific dialogue, explored opportunities, shared challenges, and discussed how NICDC’s smart industrial cities can serve as platforms for advanced manufacturing and innovation.

On the sidelines of the event, Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia held a high-level meeting with senior officials from southern States and Union Territories. The discussions focused on accelerating industrial node development, aligning state policies with national objectives, and addressing key implementation requirements to fast-track investments and infrastructure creation.

The DPIIT delegation also visited the K-tech MeitY Nasscom Centre of Excellence for IoT & AI to interact with startups and incubation leaders. The visit aimed to understand emerging innovations, challenges, and opportunities for policy support. Further visits are scheduled to the Tumakuru Industrial Area and Devanahalli Aerospace SEZ, including a walkthrough of Dynamatic Technologies, a leading aerospace components manufacturer, to gain insights into advanced manufacturing and India’s growing industrial capabilities.

In his address, Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia laid out the roadmap for world-class industrial infrastructure, innovation-led growth, and a thriving startup ecosystem. He highlighted the growth of DPIIT-recognised startups, support for MSMEs, and the role of deep-tech ventures in shaping future industries. He emphasised the need for strong Centre-State partnerships to accelerate industrialisation and attract global investments.

Presenting the vision of next-generation industrial cities, CEO & MD, NICDC, Shri Rajat Kumar Saini showcased NICDC’s greenfield industrial nodes, designed with advanced infrastructure, digital governance, and investment-ready ecosystems. Six strategic southern nodes—Tumakuru, Krishnapatnam, Kopparthy, Orvakal, Palakkad, and Zaheerabad—were highlighted as key drivers of growth for sectors such as electronics, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, clean-tech, food processing, and logistics.

The event witnessed participation from senior officials of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, along with industry leaders, startup founders, and representatives of MSMEs. Prominent dignitaries included Special Chief Secretary, Telangana, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Principal Secretary, Karnataka, Dr. S. Selvakumar; Secretary, Andhra Pradesh, Dr. N. Yuvaraj; and CEO & MD, NICDC, Shri Rajat Kumar Saini.

About Tumakuru Industrial Area

The Tumakuru Industrial Area, a flagship node under the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC), spans 8,484 acres and is being developed in three phases. Phase A, covering 1,722 acres, is already underway. With excellent connectivity via NH-48, railways, and Bengaluru International Airport, Tumakuru is envisioned as a future-ready smart industrial city, driving the vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.

Centre-State partnership to accelerate industrial corridors and investment through NICDC industrial cities and startup-led innovation. Centre-State partnership is presented as the central mechanism to fast-track industrialisation and attract investment under the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision through NICDC's greenfield industrial city model and the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme. The roundtable promoted enabling national reforms-Start-Up India, BRAP, the National Single Window System, LEADS, and Invest India-to bolster investor confidence. Six southern nodes including Tumakuru were identified as priority sites for advanced manufacturing and sectoral growth, while engagements with state officials, industry bodies, incubators, and manufacturers aim to align policies and accelerate infrastructure creation to operationalise smart industrial cities.