Here's how infrastructure can be game changer for Karnataka

The last episode of CNBC-TV18’s Advantage Karnataka GIM 2012 outlined and discussed investment climate relating to power and infrastructure sector. In this episode eminent group of experts discuss the infrastructure game changers for Karnataka.

The panelist include L Krishnan (Chairman CII, Karnataka State Council and the managing director of  TaeguTec India), Dr Prabhat Singh, (director of marketing, GAIL), Dr. Raj Kumar Khatri, (secretary of infrastructure development for the Government of Karnataka), Raghu Ramaswamy, CEO, Infrastructure Development Corporation of Karnataka and Raghuttama Rao Managing Director - ICRA Management Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd. Below is the excerpt from the panel discussion. For the complete show watch the accompanying videos.  Q: Over the years the words Bangalore and Karnataka have become synonymous with each other. When people say they want to invest in Karnataka they mean Bangalore, when people say infrastructure is bad they normally mean these traffic jams on the roads of Bangalore, is Karnataka losing at the cost of Bangalore? Khatri: There are a number of projects including large infrastructure projects in the tier-II and tier-III cities; also the GAIL gas pipeline connects the entire length of the state. So, I would say that large number of projects and investments are taking place in the North Karnataka and in the tier-II and tier-III cities. Q: Is Bangalore something like cricket. It’s one sport, but it takes up all the sporting attention. Is Bangalore occupying too much attention and does Karnataka need an image makeover, strategically speaking? Rao: I think your statement historically speaking is correct that Bangalore was the centre and cynosure in that sense of the world. But having too much of economic or social diversity or differentiation is not too good. Having said that while you need regional development and balance you need some world champions as well. So, giving the cricket analogy you do need a Tendulkar in the team to make that difference. To compete with New York, Singapore or Hong Kong you would need a couple of cities and Bangalore measures upto that.