‘Compared to the benefits…’: Mohandas Pai counters Priyank Kharge, slams Karnataka govt for missing out on Google project
Kharge added that Bengaluru is in the top five cities in the world when it comes to AI, the fourth largest technology cluster with the third highest skill penetration.
- Oct 16, 2025,
- Updated Oct 16, 2025 12:37 PM IST
While billion-dollar investments like Google’s AI data centre project have gone to states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka is concerned about issues like caste surveys and appeasement, said Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Aarin Capital. His remarks came in the context of Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge saying that Andhra secretly gave incentives to Google, which is not possible for states to sustain.
“Compared to the benefits and huge high paying jobs this is very small. In Karnataka, ministers are more bothered about caste, caste surveys, appeasement, not growth, development, good jobs, technology. They are taking the state backwards. Borrowing money for freebies,” said Pai, along with a clip of Kharge stating that Karnataka is doing everything it can.
He said Google can invest anywhere but their biggest campus is running out of Karnataka. “Their AI campus might run out of Andhra Pradesh but what they will not tell you is the huge incentives that they are giving, the subsidies they are giving. Rs 22,000 crore subsidies they are giving, they are giving 25 per cent land discount, 25 per cent water tariff, no electricity and transmission charges. Can the state actually afford that? Can any state afford that? Rs 10,000 crore they are getting from Modi ji for the Amaravati project,” he said.
Kharge added that Bengaluru is in the top five cities in the world when it comes to AI, the fourth largest technology cluster with the third highest skill penetration. More than 40 of the top 50 AI companies are in Karnataka, he said. “We are doing everything that it takes,” said Kharge.
The opposition parties BJP and JD(S), slammed the Congress government after Karnataka missed out on the Google project. "By attracting Google to Karnataka, 30,000 people would have gotten jobs and the state could have earned Rs 10,000 crore. Does Priyank have the capability? Shivakumar lacks the vision and Siddaramaiah is only worried about retaining his job after November," the BJP said in a tweet, while the JD(S) accused Kharge of neglect. It said choosing Andhra over Karnataka was a big blow.
Google on Tuesday announced India’s largest AI data centre campus and new green energy infrastructure in Visakhapatnam with an investment of $15 billion over five years.
While billion-dollar investments like Google’s AI data centre project have gone to states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka is concerned about issues like caste surveys and appeasement, said Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Aarin Capital. His remarks came in the context of Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge saying that Andhra secretly gave incentives to Google, which is not possible for states to sustain.
“Compared to the benefits and huge high paying jobs this is very small. In Karnataka, ministers are more bothered about caste, caste surveys, appeasement, not growth, development, good jobs, technology. They are taking the state backwards. Borrowing money for freebies,” said Pai, along with a clip of Kharge stating that Karnataka is doing everything it can.
He said Google can invest anywhere but their biggest campus is running out of Karnataka. “Their AI campus might run out of Andhra Pradesh but what they will not tell you is the huge incentives that they are giving, the subsidies they are giving. Rs 22,000 crore subsidies they are giving, they are giving 25 per cent land discount, 25 per cent water tariff, no electricity and transmission charges. Can the state actually afford that? Can any state afford that? Rs 10,000 crore they are getting from Modi ji for the Amaravati project,” he said.
Kharge added that Bengaluru is in the top five cities in the world when it comes to AI, the fourth largest technology cluster with the third highest skill penetration. More than 40 of the top 50 AI companies are in Karnataka, he said. “We are doing everything that it takes,” said Kharge.
The opposition parties BJP and JD(S), slammed the Congress government after Karnataka missed out on the Google project. "By attracting Google to Karnataka, 30,000 people would have gotten jobs and the state could have earned Rs 10,000 crore. Does Priyank have the capability? Shivakumar lacks the vision and Siddaramaiah is only worried about retaining his job after November," the BJP said in a tweet, while the JD(S) accused Kharge of neglect. It said choosing Andhra over Karnataka was a big blow.
Google on Tuesday announced India’s largest AI data centre campus and new green energy infrastructure in Visakhapatnam with an investment of $15 billion over five years.