The Budget has allocated ₹350 crore for the Bengaluru Suburban Transport Project under K-RIDE. A file photo of the project site near Lingarajapuram in Bengaluru.
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The Union government’s outlay for 2025-26 has very little to offer for Bengaluru besides ₹350 crore for the suburban rail project and allocation to metro projects.

Ahead of the Union Budget, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar, in a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, had sought financial aid for big-ticket projects. The projects for which assistance was sought include tunnel roads, Cauvery VI Stage, Peripheral Ring Road, Namma Metro Phase IV, and 17 flyovers. The total cost of the projects is estimated at ₹90,000 crore. The State government will also be taking loans from international banks for these projects.

According to sources in Mr. Shivakumar’ office, the government had expected a modest allocation of funds. But this was proved wrong in the Budget.

What’s in the budget for Bengaluru

The Budget has allocated ₹350 crore for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project under K-RIDE, aimed at improving connectivity and reducing congestion in the city​. Metro and MRTS (mass rapid transit system) projects across the country have been granted ₹31,106.18 crore, with Bengaluru expected to benefit for the ongoing and new metro rail extensions​.

 In comparison, Mumbai metro and suburban rail projects received ₹500 crore, with additional allocations for the Mumbai Port Trust (₹204 crore)​. The outlay includes ₹1,348 crore for Delhi’s urban development, including metro expansions and flood control​.

Metro rail expansion and Chennai port received over ₹460 crore​, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata was allocated ₹751 crore, with additional metro funding​. Delhi alone received ₹1,168 crore​ allocation under AMRUT and PMAY-Urban schemes.

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana — Urban 2.0 has been given ₹3,500 crore, which could contribute to affordable housing projects in Bengaluru​. Additionally, AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) has received ₹10,000 crore, ensuring better urban infrastructure​.

The Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) in Bengaluru was mentioned in the Budget speech as a key player in India’s renewable energy and electrical research initiatives​. Institutes such as the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the Indian Academy of Sciences, both based in Bengaluru, are expected to receive funding under the national research and innovation programmes.

‘Let down’

Mr. Shivakumar, in a post on X, termed it a “big blow” and a “huge letdown”. “With the Union Budget 2025, the BJP government has once again proved that it doesn’t pay any attention to the prayers of millions of Kannadigas. All it does care about is ways to get power wherever elections are scheduled. This Budget is a big blow not just to the aspirations of Karnataka but to the very foundation of democracy, where a government is openly showing its bias against the people of a State, dashing their right to prosperity, equality, and development. A huge letdown,” he said.

Activists too called for better grants for the city. “Bengaluru continues to be the major growth hub of the country, but the city’s infrastructure is struggling to catch up with the increasing population. Bengaluru is one of the highest tax-paying metro cities in the country. Bengaluru has been playing a pivotal role in the growth of the nation. In view of this, the Union government should have provided special grants to fix the gaps,” said Srinivas Alavilli, a civic activist.