The Janata Dal (Secular) criticized the Congress government in Karnataka, claiming it had tarnished Bengaluru’s reputation as India’s Silicon City after Google chose Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, for its largest Indian investment — a $15 billion artificial intelligence hub announced by CEO Sundar Pichai during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The JD(S) argued that Bengaluru lost the project due to the Congress administration’s inability to maintain a business-friendly environment. It blamed Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who oversees urban development, and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge for neglecting infrastructure and governance. The party alleged that issues like potholes, garbage, and poor urban management discouraged investors, causing Karnataka to lose a potential ₹1.3 lakh crore investment that could have created 30,000 jobs and generated ₹10,000 crore in annual revenue.
Google’s agreement with Andhra Pradesh aims to establish an AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam to advance technological innovation and foster India’s AI-driven growth.
