Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar Thursday sought to partner with the Centre on development initiatives during the 11th meeting of the governing council of the NITI Aayog, a change from the
confrontational stance the state government had taken in recent years under former CM Siddaramaiah.
During the meeting, Shivakumar called for greater flexibility for states in implementing centrally funded schemes, incentivising states for improvements in nutrition, learning, employment, health, and sustainability, expanding digital public infrastructure, and strengthening urban and regional economic growth centres for quality employment and resilience against global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
“The vision of inclusive human development can only be realised through cooperative federalism, collaborative governance and collective national effort. States are not merely implementing agencies, but laboratories of innovation and growth,” Shivakumar said at the meeting council, according to speaker notes shared by the Karnataka CMO.
“Karnataka believes that the Government of India and states must work as equal partners in designing solutions tailored to diverse regional realities. Karnataka remains fully committed to partnering with the Government of India and all states to ensure that growth is inclusive and sustainable,” Shivakumar said.
The Karnataka CM also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit.
On Wednesday, Shivakumar met the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar and sought clearances for Rs 13,549 crore in funds for pending Bengaluru infrastructure projects under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) announced in the 2026 Union Budget.
Shivakumar has sought clearances for projects, including a Rs 6,287 crore elevated corridor project with 20 per cent funding of Rs 1,257 crore under the urban challenge fund; a new Rs 1,350 crore sewage treatment plant with 25 per cent UCF of Rs 337 crore; for two peripheral ring road packages worth Rs 3,893 crore and Rs 2,019 crore with UCF component of 20 per cent each at Rs 778 crore and Rs 403 crore respectively.
The peripheral ring road project is Shivakumar’s pet project and it was revived as the Bengaluru Business Corridor project during his tenure as the deputy CM in charge of the city’s development. The rising land values along the corridor are expected to yield substantial profits for real estate firms invested in the region.
The Karnataka CM has also sought approvals for Phase 3 of the Bengaluru metro project, including double-decker flyovers that have been stalled by the Centre, and for cost overruns in Phase 2 of the project.
Shivakumar attended the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Modi, breaking from the Congress Government’s practice of staying away from the meetings.
In 2024, then chief minister Siddaramaiah boycotted the meeting in protest against what he described as the Centre’s neglect of Karnataka in the Union Budget. Although he did not attend the meeting, his prepared speech was circulated, outlining a roadmap to position Karnataka as an electric vehicle manufacturing hub and an allied industries hub.