"Have Better Idea": Andhra's Jab As Karnataka Stops Land Acquisition For Aerospace Park

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's move to stop land acquisition for an aerospace park has drawn jeers from Andhra Pradesh, with its minister Nara Lokesh sending out a public invite to the aerospace industry to relocate, packing it with a sharp jab for the neighbouring state.

"Dear Aerospace industry, sorry to hear about this. I have a better idea for you. Why don't you look at Andhra Pradesh instead? We have an attractive aerospace policy for you, with best-in-class incentives and over 8000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru)! Hope to see you soon to talk across the table," read his message on X, formerly Twitter. 

Dear Aerospace industry, sorry to hear about this. I have a better idea for you. Why don't you look at Andhra Pradesh instead? We have an attractive aerospace policy for you, with best-in-class incentives and over 8000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru)! Hope to...

— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 15, 2025

The "just outside Bengaluru" jab was a reference to the land Karnataka was hoping to acquire, but had to drop the plan following massive protests by farmers. 

Mr Lokesh later told NDTV that Andhra must leverage what it already has. "We have land. I am taking a leaf out of the PM's playbook. He offered land at Re 1 to bring Tatas. I did the same thing for Cognizant and TCS. I made an open land offer to 100 top IT companies to come to Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Siddaramaiah announced the withdrawal of the final notification to acquire 1,777 acres of agricultural land in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport.

"The land in question is near Bengaluru, actively cultivated, and supports the livelihood of many farmers. That's why we decided to drop the acquisition," he said. Since the land lies in the green belt near the airport, farmers had urged the government not to acquire it and had staged protests against the plan.

"Our aim is to promote industrial growth. This land acquisition was intended for that purpose, and we will offer appropriate compensation," he said. "We will exclude any land whose owners are unwilling to part with it. In fact, we are dropping the entire notification," he reiterated.

The Karnataka government's move comes at the back of mounting pressure from various groups including farmers of the Devanahalli region, with actor-politician Prakash Raj, among others, also backing the agitation. 

Nara Lokesh's post got a thumbs up from the BJP's Tejashvi Surya, who, in a post on X, said, "This is how business is attracted, industry is welcomed and jobs are created. Hope Karnataka Govt learns from @naralokesh garu and correct its course".  

This is how business is attracted, industry is welcomed and jobs are created. Hope Karnataka Govt learns from @naralokesh garu and correct its course.

CM @siddaramaiah must show political will to establish this aerospace park in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru is India's aerospace... https://t.co/QNa0miWmxM

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) July 15, 2025

Andhra Pradesh -- in stiff competition with its neighbour for a slice of the aerospace industry -- has drawn up an ambitious plan to attract investments ranging from 50,000 crore to 1 lakh crore in the sector over the next five years.

The state recently announced two dedicated policies to this effect, aiming to capitalise on its strategic location and available resources. 

Chief Minister Naidu has also been advocating for new defence projects from the Union government, submitting various proposals and highlighting available land parcels. There were initial apprehensions from Karnataka when Mr Naidu had proposed to set up a specialised manufacturing unit of HAL in Andhra Pradesh, but the Chief Minister later clarified that his intention was to establish a new unit, not to relocate existing facilities.