BENGALURU
After being left out of the national Growth Hub initiative led by NITI Aayog, Bengaluru is now preparing its own ambitious economic roadmap aimed at transforming the city into a $300 billion economy over the next several years.
The Karnataka government has initiated work on a comprehensive regional economic strategy focused on the larger Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (BMR), which officials say could nearly double the city’s present economic output by around 2032.
Authorities have partnered with the Institute for Sustainability, Employment and Growth Foundation (ISEG Foundation) to prepare the blueprint, which is expected to be completed within the next four months.
Unlike traditional master plans that mainly deal with land use and zoning regulations, the proposed roadmap is intended to function as a long-term economic growth strategy for the region. Officials said it will benchmark Bengaluru against major global economic centres and recommend phased implementation plans, financing mechanisms and governance reforms.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Region spans more than 8,000 square kilometres and is home to nearly 16 million people. The region currently has an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of around $149 billion and contributes over 40 per cent of Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product, making it the state’s primary economic engine.
Officials indicated that the roadmap will not focus solely on economic growth but will also attempt to address long-standing urban challenges such as traffic congestion, inadequate infrastructure, housing pressures and declining quality of life.
The strategy is expected to integrate economic expansion with improvements in liveability and urban mobility so that Bengaluru can compete with international cities such as Tokyo and London.
Urban planners and policy experts view the move as a significant shift toward localised economic planning, with cities increasingly designing region-specific strategies to sustain growth and remain globally competitive.
Officials said Bengaluru’s exclusion from the national Growth Hub programme may have accelerated the process, but they believe it has also created an opportunity to develop a customised framework better suited to the city’s unique economic structure and urban challenges.
The proposed roadmap is expected to outline policy measures aimed at strengthening infrastructure, attracting investments, generating employment and improving governance across the metropolitan region.
With Bengaluru continuing to drive Karnataka’s technology, innovation and services economy, the government hopes the initiative will position the city among the world’s leading urban economic centres over the next decade.