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 government and industry 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 stronger business ties between Karnataka and the European country. The visit to India, scheduled from October 11 to 16 and including Bengaluru, is intended to identify investment opportunities and advance business cooperation, according to a statement issued by the 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 in the statement. He highlighted the state’s agriculture, forestry, horticulture and floriculture sectors, while presenting Karnataka as a destination for investment outside its capital.
Energy was among the sectors specifically discussed. Shivakumar said Karnataka had some of India’s largest solar power plants and oldest hydroelectric power plants, as well as substantial energy requirements. He invited Czech energy company EPH, or Energeticky a prumyslovy holding, to explore opportunities in the state, noting that the company did not have a presence in India.
The Deputy Chief Minister also pointed to potential cooperation in automobile components, electric vehicles, next-generation vehicles, testing and specialised manufacturing. He referred to a proposed memorandum of understanding between Czech interests and Gopalan Aerospace, expressing the expectation that the agreement would create further opportunities between Karnataka and the Czech Republic.
The state government said investment facilitation would be routed through Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board and Karnataka’s 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.
The discussions come as Karnataka seeks to connect Czech expertise in precision engineering, machine tools, automobile components, industrial machinery, transport technologies and applied research with its manufacturing, aerospace, electronics and technology sectors. Shivakumar cited companies including Skoda Auto and Doosan Skoda Power as potential partners in manufacturing, engineering, sourcing and research.
He also pointed to the Tata AutoComp–Skoda Group partnership in railway components as an example of Czech engineering expertise being combined with Indian manufacturing. “We should explore similar partnerships with companies in Karnataka,” he said.
The meeting also covered cooperation between Czech technical universities and research institutions and Karnataka’s universities and industries. The proposed areas include applied research, skill development and the commercialisation of new technologies. Shivakumar referred to the Strategic Partnership on Innovation agreed by India and the Czech Republic in January 2024 as a framework for work on research, emerging technologies, industrial innovation and start-up linkages.
The delegation included Czech 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 Chief Minister’s office said the visit was aimed at identifying investment opportunities and strengthening business cooperation; it did not announce specific investment commitments or project timelines.
