The ambitious Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project in Bidadi, designed to be India's first AI-powered city, has become a flashpoint between political leaders and local farmers, sparking a fresh showdown between Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar. The project, envisioned as a sprawling 9,600-acre township and a future central business hub located 30km from Bengaluru, has faced stiff resistance over land acquisition.
Kumaraswamy has drawn a line in the sand, siding with farmers who fear losing their livelihoods and agricultural lands. He participated in a protest near Bidadi, supporting farmers who have been demonstrating since the project's notification in September 2025. Kumaraswamy has pledged to prevent forced land acquisition, warning officials of potential consequences if they attempt to seize land from farmers against their will. He has accused the state government of "looting" around 9,000 acres of fertile land under the guise of the Bidadi township, alleging irregularities in the land acquisition process. Kumaraswamy, who cleared a proposal for five townships around Bengaluru in 2006 as Chief Minister, now claims the Congress is misusing his name. He argues that land prices have skyrocketed since his tenure, making the current acquisition unfair to farmers.
Shivakumar has thrown down a challenge, defending the project as essential for increasing land value around the city and driving economic growth. The Deputy CM has been the target of Kumaraswamy's criticism, who accuses him of falsely claiming the Bidadi township was initiated by the Deve Gowda family. Kumaraswamy has further alleged that Shivakumar was involved in forcibly vacating a person from Billakempanahalli and acquiring land from a soldier through coercion, allegations that add fuel to the fire.
The proposed AI city has been plagued by land acquisition woes, with the JD(S) joining hands with protesting farmers to push for the project's cancellation. Farmers have raised concerns about loss of livelihood, inadequate compensation, and the environmental impact of converting agricultural land. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has also opposed the land acquisition, emphasizing the importance of agricultural land for farmers' livelihoods and the potential for "irreparable environmental damage". He highlighted that many farmers are small landholders from weaker economic backgrounds whose livelihoods depend on dairy farming, sericulture, horticulture and cultivation.
The controversy reflects a recurring tension between India's ambition for high-tech growth and the realities of its agrarian society. While the government touts the project as a leap towards innovation and sustainability, farmers view it as a threat to their survival. The project aims to create a "work-live-play" environment with a 300-meter-wide business corridor connected to major highways. Of the total land, 2,000 acres are earmarked for AI-based industries and ancillary units.
R. Ashok, Leader of the Opposition, has alleged that the Bidadi Township Project is a scheme designed by Congress leaders for looting. He claims that the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority will harm Bengaluru, and accused Shivakumar of aiming to increase land values around the city through this project.
As the conflict escalates, the future of the Bidadi AI city hangs in the balance, caught between the promise of technological advancement and the pressing concerns of those who depend on the land for their livelihoods.
