Ballari Jeans Park project gathers pace, government moves to boost global denim hub

Ballari: In a major push to strengthen Ballari’s globally recognised jeans and denim industry, the state government has initiated work on the ambitious Ballari Jeans Park project. The project aims to provide a modern, organised industrial ecosystem for denim manufacturers and further establish Ballari as an international hub for jeans production.

The proposed Jeans Park is coming up near Sanjeevarayan Kote, on the outskirts of Ballari city. Development activities have gained momentum after the project received the necessary work orders. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has acquired 154 acres of land for the project and has already paid compensation of ₹40 lakh per acre to the farmers who gave up their land.

According to officials, the Jeans Park is being planned to accommodate more than 500 industrial units. Ballari district is home to over 500 jeans manufacturers, many of whom operate from scattered locations with limited infrastructure. The new park is expected to provide these entrepreneurs with organised plots and modern facilities, encouraging them to set up or relocate their units within a single, well-planned industrial zone.

Sources said the government intends to allot plots at affordable rates with all basic infrastructure in place. The initiative is in line with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s suggestion that small and medium denim entrepreneurs should be supported through low-cost land and common facilities. The government is said to be implementing the project keeping this vision in mind.

Common facility centre planned
The denim manufacturing process involves multiple stages such as stitching, washing, dyeing and marketing. The Jeans Park will house a common facility centre to bring all these processes under one roof. Proposals also include access to national and international markets and mechanisms to prevent unhealthy price competition among manufacturers.

Officials said all preliminary preparations have been completed and construction work is expected to begin shortly. The foundation stone-laying ceremony is likely to be held in the coming days, with efforts underway to invite Rahul Gandhi for the event. The project is expected to be completed within one to one-and-a-half years.

Environmental concerns have also been addressed in the project design. At present, many jeans dyeing units in Ballari lack proper effluent treatment facilities, leading to pollution. In the new Jeans Park, KIADB will establish a common effluent treatment plant (CETP), eliminating the need for individual units to set up separate treatment facilities.

The Jeans Park project traces its origin to a promise made by Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he had pledged to create a dedicated jeans park in Ballari and ensure global branding under the “Made in Ballari” label. The proposal was later included in the 2024 state budget and reiterated during the Lok Sabha election campaign. With land acquisition completed and approvals in place, the long-awaited project has finally gained momentum.