Bengaluru to host India's first and largest AI-powered city at Bidadi, says Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar

The Karnataka government has unveiled plans for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) at Bidadi, a sprawling 9,000-acre development positioned as India’s first and largest AI-powered city.

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Located 30 kilometers from Bengaluru, the project is envisioned as the state’s next central business hub, designed on a “work-live-play” model. It aims to ease congestion in the state capital while creating lakhs of jobs in technology, artificial intelligence, and services.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, announcing the project on Thursday, described GBIT as Bengaluru’s second central business district, with more than 2,000 acres set aside for AI-driven industries and ancillary units.

“Lakhs of young people from our state will benefit from new jobs and skilling centres that will prepare them for AI-driven industries,” he said.

The township will be connected through a 300-meter-wide business corridor linking major highways, including the STRR, NH-209, NH-275 and NICE Road. Over 1,100 acres of parks and open spaces are planned, making it one of the country’s greenest urban spaces. Residential clusters, schools, hospitals, and cultural centers will round out the development.

The government has set an ambitious three-year timeline for completion, with financial backing of more than Rs 20,000 crore — Rs 2,950 crore from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Rs 17,500 crore from financial institutions under a state guarantee.

First proposed in 2006, the project languished for nearly two decades after DLF, the original developer, withdrew. It regained momentum in 2023 when the Greater Bengaluru Bidadi Smart City Planning Authority was elevated to the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority. In February, the state cabinet approved the project, and a preliminary land acquisition notification was issued in March.

Land acquisition remains sensitive. The township spans 8,493 acres across nine villages, including more than 6,700 acres of private land. To address farmer protests, the government has pledged fair compensation and introduced a model resettlement plan under the 2013 Act. Landowners will receive annual annuities of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per acre until compensation is finalised, while landless families will receive Rs 25,000. Housing sites, employment support, and education certificates are also part of the package.

“There has been some discussion on borrowing Rs 10,000 crore to provide good compensation to farmers. Let me assure you, we are ready with funds,” Shivakumar said, adding that more than 70% of landowners have already sought compensation.

The project also incorporates environmental initiatives, including rejuvenation of the Byramangala lake, with up to Rs 1,000 crore earmarked for wetlands, lakefront parks, and a 100 million-litres-per-day sewage treatment plant.

The joint measurement certification process for land begins September 11 and is expected to conclude within 90 days, paving the way for final acquisition notifications in December. Compensation payments will be settled within 30 days of the process’s conclusion, while developed sites are scheduled to be handed over within a year.

“This township will be built with world-class infrastructure, but we are equally focused on sustainability,” Shivakumar said. “Farmers are partners, not just stakeholders.”