Davos, Jan 21 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday extended an invitation to investors at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to invest in Bengaluru.

“Bengaluru is the city of the future. We have excellent weather, culture and human resources. Many global companies are thriving in the city. I welcome you also to our city,” the Deputy CM Shivakumar told the investors in an address at the World Economic Forum.

“More than 500 of the top global companies are operating out of Bengaluru currently. The city boasts of excellent human resources in several fields, including aerospace, IT, and medicine. The state has 70 medical colleges, and 1.5 lakh medical professionals are passing out of the state’s colleges. We can all grow together,” he said.

“India has a huge talent pool, and we are preparing for the next 25 years. Bengaluru is Asia’s IT Capital. The urban population in India has gone up to 40 per cent, and it is likely to go up to 50 per cent in the next 25 years,” he added.

“World’s IT Capital California has 13 lakh engineers, and Bengaluru has 25 lakh engineers. This demonstrates Bengaluru’s strength. World leaders and industrialists are attracted to the city. We are working on improving the infrastructure of the city with the main focus on transport,” he added.

He said the metro network in Bengaluru will increase to 153 km by next year, adding that Bengaluru has 6000 public transport buses, of which 2500 are electric.

“We have created good-quality transport infrastructure in tier 2 and tier 3 cities of the state as well. We are developing the infrastructure in the state for the load in 2045. Karnataka has an efficient government, and we extend full cooperation for investors,” he said.

During the World Economic Forum meeting being held in Davos, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar held discussions on Wednesday with World Bank President Ajay Banga and several economic experts from different countries.

–IANS

mka/dan