Karnataka CM raises visa issue, invites UK for partnership in creation of smart cities

Movement of skilled tech workers from India should be seen as a trade priority rather than an immigration issue, Siddaramaiah told Theresa May

Karnataka's chief minister Siddaramaiah asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to relax visa rules for Indian technology professionals saying that the UK can actually reduce migration while reaping economic benefits by allowing workers on short-term job visits.

At the same time, he also pointed that Bengaluru-headquartered firms such as Wipro, Infosys, Biocon, Microlabs and Dynamatic Technologies were generating jobs in the UK, contributing to the local economy.

Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, contributes to over a third of India's $108-billion software exports and has emerged as the top destination for global firms to set up operations in India.

"Our fast growing and high value tech sectors rely upon an effective immigration policy that attracts high-skilled workers and minimises barriers to the flow of talented people. The movement of skilled tech workers from India should be seen as a trade priority rather than an immigration issue," Siddaramaiah told May in Bengaluru during her last leg of three day visit to India. "Temporary placement of highly-skilled individuals into the UK provides a significant economic boost while having a negligible impact on net migration."

In the same breath, the state invited British industry to invest in building three new towns for the proposed Bengaluru-Mumbai Economic Corridor, under which three greenfield self-contained townships will be set up. He also invited British investments in renewable energy and smart cities projects in the state.

UK has 15 per cent of its companies in Karnataka employing 23,000 people in sectors such as technology, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, health and life science sectors.

May arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday for a seven-hour packed trip, which includes visit to a school, a temple and headquarters of Dynamatics Technologies, an aerospace company, which has a model that provides local jobs in UK, while taking advantage of India's traditional strengths.