Kumaraswamy writes to Karnataka CM over 10-month ARAI land delay in Mandya
Synopsis
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has gone public with a detailed paper trail exposing a 10-month standoff over land for two ARAI testing facilities in his own constituency of Mandya — attaching Karnataka CM Shivakumar's own media statements to make the point that words have not translated into action.
Key Takeaways
Kumaraswamy wrote to Karnataka CM D.K.
Shivakumar on 22 October 2026 over a 10-month delay in land allocation for two ARAI facilities in Mandya district .
The two proposed facilities — a CIE Testing Centre and an EV Testing Centre — together require approximately 160 acres of land.
Sites at Basaralu and Yelechakanahalli have been assessed; the district administration and KIADB are yet to finalise allocation.
A series of site visits, technical assessments and review meetings stretching from March to September 2026 have yielded no decision.
Kumaraswamy released all official correspondence and meeting records to the media, publicly pressing for the CM's personal intervention.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has written to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, flagging a nearly 10-month delay in the allocation of land for two proposed testing facilities in Mandya district — a Construction and Infrastructure Equipment (CIE) Testing Centre and an Electric Vehicle (EV) Testing Centre, both proposed by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The letter, delivered to Chief Minister's Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath at Vidhana Soudha on 22 October 2026, was accompanied by a full set of official correspondence, meeting records and supporting documents that Kumaraswamy released to the media.
What the Proposed Facilities Involve
The two facilities are proposed by ARAI, a leading automotive research and development body functioning under the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries. The CIE Testing Centre would require approximately 100 acres at Basaralu in Mandya, while the EV Testing Centre would need an additional 60 acres, preferably adjoining the first parcel. The facilities are expected to bolster India's automotive and electric mobility ecosystem, support technological development, and generate industrial employment in the region. Kumaraswamy, who represents the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, has positioned the projects as critical to the district's industrial future.
A Chronology of Stalled Progress
The paper trail released by Kumaraswamy maps a year of consultations with little resolution. On 16 March 2026, an ARAI team visited sites at Basaralu, the Mandya Sugar Factory and the K.R. Pet industrial area, followed the next day by discussions with the Principal Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Industries at Vikas Soudha. On 20 March, ARAI submitted detailed technical requirements to the district administration.
On 13 April 2026, Kumaraswamy met Karnataka Industries Minister M.B. Patil at Vidhana Soudha to discuss scope and land needs. By 6 May, the Mandya district administration had shared details of sites at Basaralu and Heggedahalli for technical assessment. An ARAI team inspected those locations, including a site at Yelechakanahalli village, on 18 May.
A high-level review meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Industries took place on 16 September 2026 at Vikas Soudha, with representatives from ARAI, the Mandya district administration and the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) in attendance. The suitability of Basaralu and Yelechakanahalli was examined in detail. Meeting minutes were made available on 25 September. On 28 September, ARAI submitted a revised proposal to the district administration reiterating the land requirements.
The Yelechakanahalli Option and Its Challenges
According to Kumaraswamy's letter, Yelechakanahalli was assessed as an alternative site where both facilities could potentially be co-located, with provision for a long testing track and an adjoining industrial hub. However, this option presented complications — notably the acquisition of private land and the need to improve connectivity to the Mysuru–Bengaluru Highway and construct a railway overbridge. Kumaraswamy described the revised Basaralu proposal as the more practical path forward, one that would allow the CIE facility to commence while the additional EV land was arranged separately.
Kumaraswamy's Appeal to Shivakumar
In his letter, Kumaraswamy called on Chief Minister Shivakumar to personally intervene and direct the allocation at the earliest. He attached newspaper reports carrying Shivakumar's own earlier public statements in support of the ARAI facility in Mandya, implicitly underscoring a gap between stated intent and administrative action. 'Rather than limiting ourselves to assurances in newspapers and the media, we must ensure that the necessary action is taken,' Kumaraswamy stated in the letter.
Kumaraswamy also spoke directly with Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath after the letter was delivered. The release of the full correspondence to the media signals that the Union Minister is prepared to keep the pressure public if administrative movement does not follow.
What Happens Next
The land allocation decision now rests with the Karnataka government — specifically the Mandya district administration and KIADB. No timeline has been set by the state government for a final decision. With ARAI's revised proposal pending since 28 September 2026 and no formal response yet, the pace of progress in coming weeks will determine whether the two testing centres can break ground before the end of the financial year.
Point of View
Not merely an administrative follow-up. With Mandya as his own Lok Sabha base, any visible stalling of a flagship ARAI project carries electoral cost, giving him every incentive to escalate publicly. The deeper issue is the recurring friction between Centre-sponsored industrial projects and state-level land bureaucracies: KIADB processes routinely outlast the timelines central ministries work to. Unless Shivakumar personally intervenes, this risks becoming yet another Union-State project casualty where both sides can plausibly point fingers at the other.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has H.D. Kumaraswamy written to Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar?
Kumaraswamy has written to Shivakumar to flag a nearly 10-month delay in allocating land for two ARAI-proposed testing facilities — a CIE Testing Centre and an EV Testing Centre — in Mandya district. Despite repeated meetings, site inspections and official communications since early 2026, neither the Mandya district administration nor KIADB has finalised the land allocation.
What are the CIE and EV Testing Centres proposed for Mandya?
The Construction and Infrastructure Equipment (CIE) Testing Centre and the Electric Vehicle (EV) Testing Centre are facilities proposed by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), which operates under the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries. Together they would require approximately 160 acres of land and are intended to support India's automotive and electric mobility ecosystem while creating employment in the Mandya region.
Which sites have been identified for the ARAI facilities in Mandya?
Two sites have been assessed: Basaralu, where approximately 100 acres is considered suitable for the CIE facility with an additional 60 acres needed for the EV Testing Centre, and Yelechakanahalli village, which was examined as an alternative co-location site. Yelechakanahalli presents challenges including private land acquisition and the need for improved highway connectivity and a railway overbridge.
What is KIADB's role in the land allocation?
The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) is the state body responsible for identifying and allocating industrial land. Along with the Mandya district administration, KIADB has participated in review meetings on the ARAI project but has yet to issue a formal land allocation decision despite a revised ARAI proposal submitted on 28 September 2026.
What is Kumaraswamy's connection to Mandya?
H.D. Kumaraswamy represents the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament and serves as Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel. His dual role — as the constituency's elected representative and the minister overseeing ARAI's parent ministry — gives him a direct stake in fast-tracking the proposed facilities.
