Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has announced that the state government is considering a Karnataka Mandapam modelled on Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, with Jakkur, the Mysuru Lamps premises and the NGEF premises among the possible sites near a Metro station.
Shivakumar made the announcement while inaugurating the first Karnataka Tourism Awards at Bengaluru’s Palace Grounds on World Tourism Day, according to a government press release reported by PTI. The proposal is part of the state’s plan to promote Karnataka’s natural, cultural and heritage assets through tourism infrastructure.
The proposed Karnataka Mandapam would be positioned as a major venue for events, exhibitions and tourism-related activities. The government has not yet announced a final site, project cost, construction timeline or implementing agency. The three locations named by the Chief Minister are being considered partly because of their proximity to Metro connectivity.
Shivakumar also said the government was considering establishing a convention centre in Bengaluru. He said the matter would be discussed at a meeting with the Karnataka State Cricket Association the following week. The Chief Minister added that the BookMyShow team had discussed holding 25 to 30 shows a year in Bengaluru, including Coldplay performances, in addition to its events in Mumbai.
The announcements place convention and event infrastructure alongside the state’s broader tourism plans. Shivakumar said Karnataka had not fully utilised its 360-km coastline and announced that the government had approved the Coastal Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy-2026. Under the policy, tourism projects will receive “industry and infrastructure status”, he said.
The government also plans to seek the Centre’s support in addressing issues linked to Coastal Regulation Zone rules, with Shivakumar referring to policies followed in Kerala and Goa. He said tourism development in Kodagu and the Malnad region would have to protect the environment and local culture.
For Bengaluru, the proposed sites raise an important infrastructure consideration: the relationship between large event venues and mass transit. Locating a major convention or cultural facility near a Metro station could support visitor access, but the final site would also determine requirements for roads, pedestrian movement, parking, crowd management and last-mile connectivity. No details on these operational arrangements have yet been released.
Shivakumar said more than two lakh foreign passport holders were working in Bengaluru and that new hotels would be able to obtain permissions within two to three months through the state’s ease-of-doing-business mechanism. He also called for guides and taxi drivers to be recognised as ambassadors of tourism.
The government is separately considering an Asia’s tallest sky deck project, which Shivakumar said would be implemented through a public-private partnership after a suitable location is identified. The next steps for the Karnataka Mandapam and convention centre proposals will depend on site selection, institutional approvals, financing arrangements and further discussions with stakeholders.
