Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 14 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday hailed the capital city Bengaluru as a global hub for IT companies, calling it the destination for foreign investment.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai as Bagmane Prime Office REIT made its stock market debut, Shivakumar noted that Bengaluru has employed about 2.6 million IT professionals.

He said, 'The world is looking at Bengaluru. There are more than 2.6 million IT professionals in Bengaluru. It has a talent pool and is ranked third for the IT space. The clean IT space is the greatest asset of Bengaluru. I wish all investors success. It is not only a destination for investment, the IT parks and GCC, we have two lakh foreigners working in Bengaluru. This is a place to work and grow.'

He also termed Bagmane REIT as a company with 'a strong background.'

Shivakumar participated in the bell-ringing ceremony of Bagmane Prime Office REIT at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai.

The NSE said in a statement on X, 'Congratulations to Bagmane Prime Office REIT on getting listed on NSE today. Bagmane Prime Office REIT is a commercial office real estate investment trust focused on owning and managing premium Grade A+ business parks in Bengaluru, one of India's leading office markets. The portfolio is concentrated across key micro-markets in the city and is primarily leased to multinational corporations and global technology companies. The Public issue was of ~ INR 3,405 cr.'

Meanwhile, when asked about the NEET-UG examination being cancelled, DK Shivakumar called for strict action in the paper leak case. He said, 'The government needs to take strict action.'

The Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 and announced that the country's biggest undergraduate medical entrance test will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, has found that the leaked question paper had allegedly reached Rajasthan through an accused identified as Yash Yadav, while students were allegedly charged between two lakh rupees and five lakh rupees for access to the paper, sources said.

The CBI has arrested five individuals in the case. (ANI)