New Delhi: Karnataka deputy chief minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar has said that the government will not allow Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to be shifted out of Bengaluru, adding that HAL was founded in the city in 1940 in collaboration with the Kingdom of Mysore.
According to reports, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has reportedly proposed shifting HAL’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) production units from Bengaluru to Andhra Pradesh. He has offered 10,000 acres of land in the Lepakshi-Madakasira region of Anantapur district—located about an hour from the Bengaluru airport—as a potential site for these HAL manufacturing facilities.
Karnataka will not allow HAL to be shifted out of Bengaluru.
HAL is not just an enterprise – it is a national asset, a symbol of self-reliance, and the proud legacy of Pandit Nehru and Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV.
-Land has already been allotted in Tumakuru for HAL’s helicopter… pic.twitter.com/tjfyMBZFGv
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 27, 2025
‘HAL not merely an enterprise but a national asset’
In a post on X Shivakumar asserted that HAL is not merely an enterprise but a national asset and a proud legacy of both India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Mysore’s erstwhile ruler, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV. “Karnataka will not allow what has been functioning here to be shifted,” Shivakumar said.
His post further mentioned that Karnataka has already allocated land in Tumakuru for HAL’s helicopter division and remains ready to support further expansion with ample land availability. “As far as Karnataka is concerned, HAL is our pride. It was given to us by Nehru ji. Bidar has a base, Bengaluru has a base. We have two HAL airports in Bengaluru itself—one in Yelahanka and one in HAL,” he noted.
Karnataka contributes 65 per cent of India’s defence production
He further added that the state contributes 65 per cent of India’s defence production and ranks 3rd globally in aerospace ecosystem strength. “Our government will do whatever it takes to protect state’s assets. We welcome progress – but not at the cost of Karnataka’s pride and strategic significance,” he asserted.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka’s transport minister Ramalinga Reddy also criticised the reported move. “He is the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Let him construct a factory. But as a chief minister, he should not ask to shift from Bengaluru to Andhra Pradesh. 100 per cent we will oppose. Everyone should oppose it, including BJP,” he said.
The proposal, the reports further say, is part of Naidu’s larger vision to establish a major defence industrial corridor in Andhra Pradesh.
