Proposed economic masterplan for Bengaluru Metropolitan Region targets 75% public transport

The Karnataka government wants to build more private vehicle infrastructure | Photo Credit: file photo While the Karnataka government is moving ahead with big-ticket infrastructure projects for private transport for Bengaluru, a proposed economic master plan for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (BMR) has set an ambitious target of increasing the share of public transport from 35% to 75%. The plan, a draft of which was presented to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday, proposes expanding metro, suburban rail, and regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridors, besides building a second airport, strengthening ring, radial and chord roads, and developing multi-modal hubs. The transport proposal is part of a larger plan to take the BMR’s economy from the current $149 billion to $400 billion by 2037, while creating up to 2.5 million jobs. Prepared by the Karnataka government with the ISEG Foundation, the plan identifies five areas that it expects to drive the region’s growth — technology, high-tech manufacturing, healthcare and education, infrastructure and sustainability, and planned urbanisation and housing. The BMR covers three districts and has around 16 million people. It accounts for about 40% of Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) despite having around a quarter of the State’s population, while its per capita income is nearly twice the State average. The plan proposes making BMR a major technology hub by developing dedicated IT and global capability centre (GCC) hubs, deep-tech sandboxes, and a dedicated AI mission. It also proposes a high-tech manufacturing hub, with aerospace and Defence, among the priority sectors for the region. Healthcare, higher education, and high-end tourism have also been identified as areas for growth. For urban development, it proposes planned cities, services-led business districts, integrated private townships, and transit-oriented development. It also calls for affordable and shared rental housing for industrial, gig and service workers, besides a slum rehabilitation programme aimed at making the BMR slum-free. The plan also proposes attracting private investment at scale and using increases in land value to help fund the region’s development. The recommendations will be discussed with the relevant departments before the plan is finalised. Published - September 02, 2026 10:30 pm IST