"Karnataka Wins..." DK Shivakumar's Jibe After Ajit Pawar's Hinjewadi Lament
The competition to host Information and Technology (IT) and software companies - which provide tax revenue for a state's coffers, jobs for its population, and a badge of honour for the ruling party - may have kickstarted a political row between the Karnataka and Maharashtra administrations.
Last week Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the state's Finance and Planning Minister, caused a flutter by lamenting the exodus of IT companies from Pune's Hinjewadi.
"We are finished..." he said, momentarily unaware he was being filmed, and criticised civic officials for failing to address problems like flooded roads, constraints on supply of electricity, lack of public infrastructure, and traffic jams and poorly maintained roads.
"We are ruined... the entire IT park of Hinjewadi is moving out. It is going out of my Pune (the district assigned to his care) and out of Maharashtra... to Bengaluru and Hyderabad..."
"Don't you care at all?" Mr Pawar raged, "Why do I have to come here for inspections at 6 in the morning? I don't understand. There's no alternative but to take strict action."
It is only after that Mr Pawar asks the media to switch off their cameras.
An irate Deputy Chief Minister - already under fire for his handling of the Manikrao Kokate incident, i.e., a party colleague caught playing rummy on his phone during the Assembly - orders officials to "immediately resolve" problems like garbage piling up and encroachment.
Mr Pawar's lament (and mention of Bengaluru, seen as India's 'Silicon Valley') was picked up by his Karnataka countepart, DK Shivakumar, who said, "Business isn't shifting to Karnataka - it's choosing us. Consciously. Confidently... Hinjewadi still struggles, Karnataka builds..."
"We're not just India's Silicon Valley in name - we deliver. From Electronic City to Tier 2 innovation hubs, Karnataka offers what others can't:
Pro-business policies
Plug-and-play infra
Zero harassment, single-window clearances
An ecosystem built on innovation."
Business isn't shifting to Karnataka - it's choosing us. Consciously. Confidently.
We're not just India's Silicon Valley in name - we deliver.
From Electronic City to Tier 2 innovation hubs, Karnataka offers what others can't:
✅ Pro-business policies
✅ Plug-and-play infra
✅…
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) July 31, 2025
"Under Congress leadership, we've laid out a red carpet, not red tape. We're not just hosting companies... we're co-creating futures. If Ajit Pawar ji is upset, time to think why..."
"Karnataka wins on merit. The rest must catch up," Mr Shivakumar said on X.
Hinjewadi is home to the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, which is spread over 2,800 acres and was built by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation at a reported cost of Rs 155 crore.
Over 800 IT and software companies, including Infosys, Accenture, Cisco, and Cognizant, have their offices in Hinjewadi, which also houses a significant number of private residences.
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