Karnataka govt unveils unique incentive scheme for firms to ease congestion in Bengaluru

In a unique bid to de-congest Bengaluru and ease the crippling traffic woes, the Karnataka government has unveiled a unique scheme offering firms a one-time incentive of up to Rs Rs 50,000 per employee hired by them.

According to a report in CNN-News18, the initiative is part of the new IT Policy (2025-2030) which is designed to accelerate growth in emerging tech clusters near the city.

The key regions identified for the expansion include Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, and Shivamogga.

The report said that the incentive is specifically targeted at companies that move their existing workforce from Bengaluru, or hire new talent from outside the state, to establish operations in designated Tier-2 cities.

The idea behind the initiative is to ease the growing congestion in the city due to the massive influx of people over the last few years.

Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge had said during the Bengaluru Tech Summit that the state needs policies where talent does not chase investment and rather investment should be drawn to where the talent is.

With Bengaluru’s vehicle population at 1.2 crore, of which 82 percent are two-wheelers, parking has become a pressing issue. Over 1,194 km of city roads will be designated as no-parking zones, with alternative parking areas identified and maintained through tenders to generate revenue.