Media Release
Bengaluru, Jun 9: NRI, entrepreneur, and globally renowned philanthropist Dr Ronald Colaco, along with Dr Arathi Krishna, member of the legislative council (MLC), government of Karnataka, and AICC secretary in charge of the Indian Overseas Congress and vice chairperson of the foreign affairs department, visited chief minister D K Shivakumar at his office in Vidhana Soudha on Monday, June 8.
They greeted him upon his assuming office as the 25th chief minister of Karnataka and wished him success in his endeavours to take the state to new heights through all-around economic development and maintaining excellent communal harmony amongst all cross-sections of society.
During the meeting, Dr Ronald Colaco sought clarification from the chief minister regarding his recent announcement concerning the setting up of a non-resident Kannadigas secretariat.
The chief minister invited his newly appointed financial advisor and chairman of the business corridor, L K Atheeq, IAS, as well as private secretary Dr M N Rajendra Prasad, KAS, to join the discussion on the subject.
The chief minister explained that a non-resident Kannadigas ministry will initially be set up under his office with the required secretariat and departments, alongside the allocation of a necessary budget. He added that it would be his prerogative to hand over this ministry to a suitable person at a later date. L K Atheeq presented a detailed note regarding this matter during the discussion.
Dr Ronald Colaco and Dr Arathi Krishna requested that their inputs also be considered before finalising the requirements of the objectives, setting up of departments, and policies, to which the chief minister agreed.
It may be recalled that Dr Ronald Colaco had led a 45-member NRI delegation representing various associations of Kannadigas across over 30 countries to meet the then chief minister Siddaramaiah, and the then deputy chief minister and present chief minister D K Shivakumar, at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi during the winter session in December 2025, with an appeal for the formation of an NRI ministry in Karnataka.
The essence of this appeal includes:
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Creation of a separate ministry, secretariat, and departments dedicated to the affairs of NRI Kannadigas as well as non-resident Indians from all states residing in Karnataka.
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Establishment of a Rs 1,000 crore revolving fund to support Kannadiga NRIs wishing to set up industries in Karnataka or permanently relocate.
Dr Ronald Colaco had explained that Karnataka is lagging behind other Indian states in NRI engagement. He pointed out that Kerala has shown real concern for its non-resident Keralites (NRKs) by creating a separate NRI ministry, which has yielded significant benefits for both NRKs and Kerala’s economy. Several states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Goa, already possess dedicated NRI departments, grievance cells, NRI protection units, investment facilitation bodies, and structured diaspora policies.
Karnataka, despite having one of the largest skilled diasporas, still lacks an institutional framework. Such departments under a separate ministry could:
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Serve as a single-window facilitation centre for all NRK and NRI-related matters.
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Provide structured support for investment, grievance redressal, property disputes, and legal assistance.
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Promote cultural, educational, and tourism exchanges.
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Strengthen Karnataka’s global networks to enhance trade, technology transfer, and partnerships.
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Facilitate skill development for employment abroad.
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Promote all-around tourism development, as NRIs contribute significantly to Karnataka’s tourism sector, with over 25–30% of annual high-value visitors being returning Kannadigas and their families.
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Real estate purchases by Kannadiga NRIs contribute to urban development, construction activity, and housing sector growth in major cities and coastal Karnataka.
Operationalization of the Rs 1,000 crore revolving fund promised in the manifesto would greatly encourage NRKs to invest in Karnataka’s industrial and service sectors, support returning NRKs in setting up enterprises and startups, boost employment generation, and promote reverse migration by enabling Kannadigas abroad to return with dignity and opportunity.
Additional suggestions for strengthening NRK engagement include creating an NRI grievance redressal cell, hosting an annual global Kannadiga conclave, simplifying procedures for NRI participation in state development projects, introducing NRI identity cards, and partnering with NRI organizations abroad. Fulfilling the manifesto promise regarding these initiatives will demonstrate the government's commitment to its people, build global goodwill, strengthen trust among over 30–32 lac Kannadigas worldwide, and enhance investor confidence.
Dr Ronald Colaco also submitted statistics regarding the significant socio-economic contributions of the global Kannadiga diaspora to Karnataka and India. Key indicators include family remittances estimated at USD 10 to 11 billion annually to Karnataka, over 6,000 NRI-led enterprises operating across various sectors, knowledge transfer from professionals employed in top global institutions, annual charitable contributions of Rs 600–800 crore, and global cultural representation through over 200 active Kannadiga associations.