Bengaluru, (Asian independent) Karnataka would collaborate with the UK in diverse sectors such as renewable energy, pollution control, animation, gaming, regulatory sandboxes and waste management, said state Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday.
In a virtual meeting with the UK Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Tariq Ahmad, Yediyurappa said Karnataka was a prime spot for global corporations to invest in the state, which has skilled workforce and proactive policies.
“As a major source of renewable energy, the state would like to engage with UK on forecasting, scheduling and ancillary service solutions in green technology,” Yediyurappa told Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon.
Ahmad is the British Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development in the Boris Johnson government.
In response, Ahmad said as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, the countries should look to the future.
“We must take the opportunity to build back better – to create a world that is green, clean and sustainable. We want to work with India to mobilise global action at COP26, because we both lead by example,” Ahmad said on the occasion.
British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and Kerala Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford, who participated in the virtual meet, said green technology was at the heart of UK’s ambition to build back better from the Covid crisis.
“Collaboration of start-ups and companies in the UK and India will be key to address climate change issues and secure future of the planet for generations to come,” said Bedford.
Meanwhile, British Deputy High Commissioner for South India Jan Thompson lauded Karnataka’s efforts in tackling climate change and for early rapid adoption of green energy.
“Karnataka is leading India in the green initiative by bringing more electric vehicles (EVs) on roads, installing more charging stations and moving towards green energy,” said Thomson at the ongoing Bengaluru Tech Summit in the city.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan said the southern state was aiming at 100 per cent EV mobility in certain vehicle segments.
“Bengaluru is home to e-mobility start-ups like Ather Energy, Sun Mobility, NDS Eco Motors, Yulu and Mahindra Electric,” Narayan said.
Thompson also lauded Bengaluru for launching the clean air testbed drive initiative on the Church Street in the city centre to reduce pollution.
“We have to scale up green-tech not only at the industrial level, but also at an individual level and chart a cleaner development path,” she added.
Narayan said Karnataka was the first state in the country to unveil an EV policy to promote manufacture and use of battery-run green vehicles.
Pavagada solar park in Tumakuru district in the state’s northwest region is the largest of its kind to shift dependency to eco-friendly energy source from fossil fuels.
