Karnataka Will Look to Collaborate With the UK on RE Front: Yediyurappa

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa has said that the state will be very interested in engaging with the UK on renewable energy (RE) technology front.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has said that the state will be very interested in engaging with the United Kingdom (UK) on the renewable energy (RE) technology and implementation front. During a virtual meeting with Lord Tariq Ahmad, UK’s Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Yediyurappa expressed the state government’s willingness to cooperate in the field of renewable energy to further improve its position as the renewable energy leader in India.

According to reports, they discussed bilateral cooperation and collaboration in various sectors such as renewable energy, pollution control, animation/gaming, regulatory sandboxes and waste management. “Karnataka is one of the fastest-growing technology hubs in the world. The State has become the prime spot for global industries to invest here due to the availability of a skilled workforce and other favourable factors.

“Being a champion of renewable energy production, Karnataka would like to engage with the UK on forecasting, scheduling and ancillary service solutions on the renewable energy front,” Yediyurappa said.

Ahmad said as the economies around the world recover from the impact of COVID-19, this was the time to look to the future. “We must take the opportunity to build back better to create a world that is green, clean and sustainable. We want to work even more closely with India to mobilise global action at COP26 because we both lead by example,” he added.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and Kerala Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford said application of green technology was at the heart of the UK’s ambition to build back better from the current Covid crisis, the release added.

Earlier in February, it had been reported that proposals for around 72,000 crore investment had been received at the Invest Karnataka meet, held on February 14, 2020, for the states’ northern region “About 50 foreign and domestic firms have proposed to invest Rs 72,000 crore in the northwest and northern regions of the state and a dozen companies signed agreements with us,” state Industries Department Secretary Gaurav Gupta said.

Sonali Power had signed a pact with the state nodal agency (Udyog Mitra) to set up a solar power plant at Davangere at a cost of Rs 4,800 crore, which will generate 2,100 direct jobs. Bengaluru-based group, Rajesh Exports signed an agreement to set up a manufacturing unit at Dharwad to roll out electric vehicles and make lithium-ion batteries. 

“Rajesh Exports proposes to invest about Rs 50,000 crore for manufacturing electric cars and lithium-ion batteries for the domestic and overseas markets. It will generate about 10,000 jobs,” Gupta had said.