Economic Rivalry Escalates: Karnataka IT Minister Slams Andhra Pradesh's 'Scavenging' Investment Strategy

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge (File).

Hyderabad:

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge has launched a scathing critique against Andhra Pradesh's IT Minister Nara Lokesh on X, intensifying the economic competition between the two southern states. Kharge characterized Andhra Pradesh's investment attraction strategies as "desperate scavenging" by a "weaker ecosystem" in response to Lokesh's attempts to lure businesses away from Bengaluru.

This confrontation emerged amid ongoing discussions about Bengaluru's infrastructure deficiencies and neighboring states' efforts to capitalize on these challenges by persuading IT companies and startups to relocate across state borders.

The dispute was triggered by news reports suggesting that several Bengaluru-based companies were contemplating relocation due to severe traffic congestion and deteriorating infrastructure along the city's Outer Ring Road.

Seizing this opportunity, Nara Lokesh promoted Andhra Pradesh with a strategic tweet: "North sounds good. Slightly more north is Anantapur... where we are building a world class aerospace and defence ecosystem!" This deliberate pitch positioned Anantapur district, which is geographically closer to Bengaluru than Vizag, as a viable alternative for companies frustrated with Bengaluru's urban challenges.

Kharge countered with an assertive defense of Bengaluru's economic dominance, stating: "It is natural for weaker ecosystems to feed off stronger ones. Nothing wrong with that, but when it turns into desperate scavenging, it shows more weakness than strength."

To bolster his argument, Kharge presented impressive statistics about Bengaluru's economic trajectory: the city's GDP is forecast to grow at 8.5% until 2035, positioning it as the world's fastest-growing metropolitan area. He further noted that Bengaluru's property market is expected to increase by 5% in 2025.

Citing the Savills Growth Hubs Index, Kharge emphasized that Bengaluru is projected to outperform global competitors in urbanization, economic development, and innovation by 2033. He highlighted the city's urban agglomeration estimate of 14.40 million residents in 2025, describing it as "one of the highest migrant absorption cities in India."

Kharge concluded his response with a particularly caustic rhetorical question directed at Lokesh: "By the way, what is an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense called?"

This thinly veiled reference to parasitism represents one of the most confrontational exchanges between these two young ministers in their ongoing competition for industrial investment and economic supremacy in South India.