Patil slams Andhra for offering land for aerospace industry

State minister for large and medium industries MB Patil on Wednesday asserted that the state is not losing any ground in aerospace industry investment a day after Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh called on the industry leaders to invest in his state by offering them land. This was after the Karnataka government dropped plans to acquire 1,777 acres of land in Devanahalli for a proposed aerospace park.

- Arun Dev

Nara Lokesh on Tuesday publicly urged aerospace companies to consider shifting operations to his state, citing available land and incentives. In response, Patil, in a post on social media, argued that Karnataka's strength lay not in just offering land, but in its robust industrial ecosystem built over decades.

"Karnataka doesn't just offer land-it offers India's No.1 aerospace and defence ecosystem. We've built the country's strongest aerospace base over the decades, contributing 65% of India's aerospace output and ranking No.1 nationally, 3rd globally," Patil said.

The trigger for this exchange was Karnataka's announcement on Tuesday to cancel the acquisition of 1,777 acres in Devanahalli, near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. The move followed a prolonged agitation by farmers that lasted over three years. Chief minister Siddaramaiah said landowners could still voluntarily hand over land if they wished to, and they would be compensated.