Karnataka Infrastructure: ₹15,600 Crore Projects Cover Metro, Renewable Energy and Railways

The news

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched development projects worth ₹15,600 crore across Karnataka, including a 7.5-km stretch of Namma Metro’s Pink Line that pushed Bengaluru’s operational metro network past the 100-km mark, the third city after Delhi-NCR and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to achieve that milestone. He also flagged off the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, connecting inland Karnataka, coastal Karnataka and Goa, and inaugurated four redeveloped Amrit Bharat stations — Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road — along with the 45-km Bagalkot–Wandal double track and electrification of the 55-km Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road Ghat section.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said the rise of an aspirational “neo-middle class” is becoming a major growth engine for the Indian economy. He described this class as one whose rising aspirations — for household appliances, personal vehicles, better education, nutrition, health facilities and tourism — are creating new demand across sectors from automobiles to electronics and services. The Prime Minister said expanding modern public transport in Bengaluru and safeguarding the interests of this neo-middle class are among the Centre’s priorities. He noted that Karnataka’s annual rail allocation has risen ninefold over the past decade, from ₹835 crore before 2014 to ₹7,500 crore, with over 60 stations being modernised under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

Among the energy projects inaugurated were the transmission scheme for Integration of Renewable Energy Zones (Phase-II) in Koppal-II and Gadag-II, developed at an investment of around ₹4,450 crore to facilitate 2 GW of renewable energy, and the transmission scheme for the Solar Energy Zone in Bidar, costing around ₹1,370 crore to evacuate 2.5 GW of solar power. Foundation stones were laid for the integration of Davanagere/Chitradurga and Ballari Renewable Energy Zones at over ₹3,450 crore, and for a transmission system strengthening project at Davanagere and Ballari at over ₹1,100 crore. Modi also inaugurated the largest underground LPG storage cavern in Mangaluru, built at over ₹850 crore with a capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes and a 9.4-km pipeline connecting New Mangaluru port to the main terminal, and laid the foundation for GAIL’s Haralakunte Compressed Biogas plant in Bengaluru, designed to convert 300 tonnes of daily municipal waste into 12.6 tonnes of compressed biogas.

Referring to geopolitical instability and ongoing wars around Iran and the Gulf countries, Modi said India’s earlier energy initiatives have shielded the nation during global crises. He stated that India’s renewable capacity has surpassed 300 GW alongside nuclear power expansion, that over 60 lakh families have installed rooftop solar under the PM Surya Ghar scheme — including over 40,000 in Karnataka, with about ₹80,000 in central assistance each — and that more than 8 lakh solar pumps are serving Karnataka’s farmers under PM Kusum.

What is the PM Surya Ghar scheme?

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was launched by the Government of India in February 2024 to provide free electricity to residential households through rooftop solar panel installations. The scheme offers a central financial assistance of up to ₹78,000 for the installation of rooftop solar systems, aiming to benefit one crore households. It is implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and builds on earlier rooftop solar programmes that began with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010. The scheme also enables households to earn additional income by selling surplus electricity to distribution companies.

What is the 'neo-middle class' the PM referred to?

Modi described the neo-middle class as an aspirational group whose rising expectations — for refrigerators, washing machines, scooters, better education, nutrition, health facilities and tourism — are generating new demand across industries such as automobiles, electronics, tourism and services. He said this class, present in large numbers in Karnataka and Bengaluru, is becoming a major engine of growth for the Indian economy and that the Centre’s priorities include safeguarding its interests.

Which projects were inaugurated and which are still at foundation stage?

Inaugurated projects include the 7.5-km Pink Line metro section, the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, four redeveloped Amrit Bharat stations, the 45-km Bagalkot–Wandal double track, electrification of the 55-km Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road Ghat section, the Koppal-II and Gadag-II transmission scheme (₹4,450 crore, 2 GW), the Bidar solar transmission scheme (₹1,370 crore, 2.5 GW), the Mangaluru underground LPG cavern (80,000 metric tonnes, over ₹850 crore) and the Devangonthi Marketing Terminal of MRPL. Foundation stones were laid for the Davanagere/Chitradurga and Ballari renewable energy zone integration (over ₹3,450 crore), the transmission strengthening project at Davanagere and Ballari (over ₹1,100 crore) and the Haralakunte Compressed Biogas plant.

What has been achieved in renewable energy and what remains to be built?

Modi said India’s renewable capacity has crossed 300 GW, over 60 lakh families have installed rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar (including over 40,000 in Karnataka, with about ₹80,000 central assistance each), and more than 8 lakh solar pumps serve Karnataka’s farmers under PM Kusum. The foundation-stage projects — the Davanagere/Chitradurga and Ballari renewable energy zone integration and the transmission strengthening project — require completion before their intended capacity can be realised.