Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has urged Czech companies to invest in districts beyond Bengaluru, identifying energy, automobile components, future mobility, aerospace and defence as priority areas for cooperation during a meeting with a Czech delegation at Vidhana Soudha.
The delegation, led by Czech Republic Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek, met Shivakumar to discuss investment opportunities and strengthen economic ties between Karnataka and the Czech Republic. The visit to India, including Bengaluru, is scheduled from October 11 to 16, according to a statement from the Karnataka chief minister’s office.
“Karnataka will be a long-term partner of the Czech Republic, and Czech companies should invest in various districts of Karnataka instead of limiting themselves to Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said, according to the statement.
The deputy chief minister pointed to Karnataka’s strengths in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and floriculture, while also highlighting opportunities in the energy sector. He said the state was home to some of India’s largest solar power plants and oldest hydroelectric power plants, as well as having substantial energy requirements.
Shivakumar specifically invited Czech energy company EPH, or Energeticky a prumyslovy holding, to explore investment opportunities in Karnataka. He said the company did not currently have a presence in India.
In the automobile and mobility sectors, the state government proposed cooperation in automobile components, electric vehicles, next-generation vehicles, testing and specialised manufacturing. Shivakumar also referred to a proposed memorandum of understanding between Czech interests and Gopalan Aerospace, saying the agreement could create further avenues for cooperation between Karnataka and the Czech Republic.
The state government said investments would be facilitated through Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board and the single-window clearance system. Shivakumar said the government’s priority was to attract investments that bring technology, strengthen local industry, create quality employment and support exports.
He also urged the AGROFERT group to consider Karnataka as an investment destination. According to the statement, Shivakumar said Czech expertise in precision engineering, machine tools, automobile components, industrial machinery, transport technologies and applied research aligned with Karnataka’s manufacturing, aerospace, electronics and technology sectors.
The chief minister cited companies including Skoda Auto and Doosan Skoda Power as potential partners in manufacturing, engineering, sourcing and research. He also referred to the Tata AutoComp–Skoda Group partnership in railway components as an example of how Czech engineering capabilities and Indian manufacturing could be combined.
The discussions also covered cooperation between Czech technical universities and research institutions and Karnataka’s universities and industries. The proposed focus areas include applied research, skill development and the commercialisation of new technologies.
Shivakumar said the India–Czech Strategic Partnership on Innovation, agreed in January 2024, provided a framework for cooperation in research, emerging technologies, industrial innovation and start-up linkages.
The Czech delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Marie Chatardova, senior officials from the country’s foreign affairs and industry and trade ministries, Czech diplomatic representatives in India, and Jan Rafaj, president of the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic. The delegation’s visit is intended to identify investment opportunities and strengthen business cooperation, the chief minister’s office said.
