Updated On: 10 Sep 2026
BENGALURU: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar unveiled an ambitious roadmap for a “Drudha Karnataka” (Strong Karnataka), setting a target of taking the state’s economy to $1 trillion by 2037 and announcing a series of measures covering agriculture, housing, education, youth employment, healthcare, industry, water security and regional development.
Addressing the government’s 100-day celebration, “Drudha Karnataka Sankalpa: Shataka Patha, Pragatiya Ratha”, at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said health, education, water security, investment, Bengaluru’s development, regional balance, social justice, capital investment and employment would remain the government’s priorities.
He said the government had fulfilled the promises made to the people and would work within the Constitution and democratic framework. “This is your government, the government of seven crore people,” he said, calling for collective efforts by elected representatives for Karnataka’s development.
Housing, farmers and youth
The government will provide free houses and sites to homeless SC/ST families in rural areas and distribute five lakh sites to site-less rural families. Roads, drains and streetlights in SC/ST residential areas will be upgraded, while 50,000 youths from SC, ST, backward and minority communities will be supported for self-employment within two years.
For farmers owning less than three acres, the CM Naegila Yogi scheme will provide subsidised ploughing services. Gram Anubhava will introduce urban students to rural life, while teak trees will be planted along roadsides and farmers entrusted with their upkeep, receiving 70% of the proceeds when harvested.
The government will establish 10,000 Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas, with Rs 1,000 crore earmarked and an annual grant of Rs 10 lakh per association. Under Yuva Udyoga Sethu, an employment exchange will connect youth with private-sector jobs and provide industry-specific training. Employers creating jobs in rural areas outside Bengaluru will receive Rs 2,500 per employment.
Education, investment and AI push
Rural government-school students will get 7.5% reservation in higher education, while 1,000 government schools at the panchayat level will be upgraded into KPS schools with CSR and World Bank support.
The government approved Rs 43,214 crore in investments in 100 days. A special package will encourage investment in backward taluks, while 15-20% of industrial-area land can be used for workers’ housing. New textile, aerospace and defence policies are being pursued, along with a 4,000-acre, Rs 20,000-crore manufacturing cluster in Doddaballapur.
Karnataka will establish India’s first government-sponsored AI university and introduce AI education from Class VI. Five global technology centres will also be established in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru under the Beyond Bengaluru initiative.
Healthcare, land records and water security
Tele-ICUs will be established in all taluks and 1,000 cremation grounds developed. Through Praja Seva, the government aims to take administration to people’s doorsteps. Shivakumar said 30,000 applications had already been received concerning pensions, land, khata and sites.
Calling land security the government’s “sixth guarantee”, he said 26 lakh property records in Bengaluru were being digitised, with more than one crore records targeted statewide.
The government will pursue water-security projects including Mekedatu, while efforts will continue to resolve obstacles to Mahadayi. Five Lalbagh-style parks are also planned.
Five guarantees: Rs 1.45 lakh crore spent
Reviewing three years of government performance, Shivakumar said the five guarantee schemes had provided Rs 1,45,416 crore to people. Gruha Lakshmi benefited 1.24 crore women with Rs 76,951 crore disbursed; Gruha Jyothi covers 1.67 crore households at a cost of Rs 30,522 crore; Anna Bhagya provides 10 kg of rice monthly to 4.44 crore people at a cost of Rs 21,054 crore; Shakti enabled 821 crore free bus journeys by women at Rs 15,735 crore; and Yuva Nidhi provided Rs 1,154 crore to 3.72 lakh unemployed youths.
The government has directly transferred Rs 1,41,210 crore to 2.70 crore beneficiaries. This year, Rs 42,018 crore has been allocated under SCSP/TSP, while 28.63 lakh farmers received Rs 25,652 crore in low-interest or interest-free loans. A total of 121 irrigation projects worth Rs 17,073 crore have been approved.
Shivakumar said Karnataka attracted Rs 2.53 lakh crore in investment over three years, ranking second nationally in foreign investment, with the potential to create more than six lakh jobs. State GDP has risen to Rs 32.81 lakh crore, registering 8.1% growth.
100-day launches and outreach
Recalling the first 100 days, Shivakumar highlighted free bus passes for students, 10,000 youth associations, expansion of B-khata to A-khata conversion, recruitment to 72,000 vacant government posts, Rs 2,000 crore for Bengaluru roads and an anti-rowdy squad.
At the celebration, beneficiaries, farmers, students and civic workers lit the ceremonial lamp. The CM launched Seva One, CM Raitha Chaitanya, a CSR portal for schools, free student bus passes, BMTC 2.0, One Karnataka Mobility Avatar 2.0 and the retrofit emission control device initiative. He later shared a meal with guarantee beneficiaries and interacted with farmers.
“Our goal is a Karnataka that is economically strong, socially empowered, technologically advanced and deeply rooted in values,” Shivakumar said.
