Spicy food, spicy investments: Priyank Kharge, Nara Lokesh's battle for investments to Karnataka, Andhra

If you ask Priyank Kharge, Karnataka is obviously the most-coveted destination for investments from big tech companies, but if you ask Nara Lokesh, it is obviously Andhra Pradesh. This squabble started following Google’s $15 billion investment in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam for its AI data centre campus and new green energy infrastructure. Kharge and the Karnataka government came under fire for losing out on the investment to Andhra Pradesh. 

Kharge and Lokesh took potshots at each other to double down on the accomplishments of their respective states – with the analogy of food. 

“Everyone enjoys a bit of spice in their food, but just as nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, economists too advocate a balanced budget. The neighbour's total liabilities have now ballooned to nearly ₹10 lakh crore. In just one year, they have borrowed over ₹1.61 lakh crore, and the revenue deficit to GSDP has worsened, rising from 2.65% to 3.61%. Whatever said and done, we will always be: ‘Neighbour’s envy and Owner’s pride’,” said Kharge. 

Kharge’s response came after Nara Lokesh said: “They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn!”

After Andhra Pradesh secured Google’s billion-dollar investment, Kharge said Andhra Pradesh secretly gave incentives to Google that states cannot sustain, including Rs 22,000 crore in subsidies, 25 per cent land discount, 25 per cent water tariff reduction, and no electricity and transmission charges. He questioned whether any state could afford such incentives.

Kharge, under fire from opposition, defended Karnataka's position, stating that Bengaluru ranks among the top five cities globally for AI and is the fourth largest technology cluster with the third highest skill penetration. He added that more than 40 of the top 50 AI companies are based in Karnataka and that the state is doing everything possible to attract investments.

The BJP claimed that attracting Google would have created 30,000 jobs and earned the state Rs 10,000 crore. It questioned the capability of Priyank Kharge and criticised other leaders for lacking vision. JD(S) accused Kharge of neglect and called the choice of Andhra Pradesh over Karnataka a major setback.