Bengaluru Wins 23-Year Court Battle for Modern Food Market

After 23 years of legal battles, Bengaluru has won the right to build a modern fruits and vegetable market that promises to transform how the city feeds itself.

The Karnataka government secured a Supreme Court victory in July 2025 for 42 acres of land at Singena Agrahara in south Bengaluru. The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee deposited nearly $26 million in court compensation to finally close the case.

The new state-of-the-art market will replace outdated facilities that lack basic amenities like cold storage. Over 400 licensed traders currently operating in cramped conditions will move into spacious, organized shops designed to keep perishable produce fresh.

"The current market is cumbersome, and we are not able to keep it clean as well," explained Shivanand Patil, Minister for Agricultural Marketing. The new facility will feature cold storage for both farmers and traders, addressing a critical gap in handling fruits and vegetables.

The timing couldn't be better. Karnataka's agricultural marketing revenue has jumped from under $240 million to over $600 million this year thanks to recent legal amendments, providing the funds needed to complete the project.

The Ripple Effect

The market's location on the Peripheral Ring Road will benefit far more than just local vendors. Farmers traveling from distant states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan can now bypass Bengaluru's congested core entirely, saving fuel and time.

The reduced truck traffic means cleaner air and less gridlock for city residents. A similar shift of onion, potato, and garlic trade to Dasanapura already proved the model works.

Anand, a papaya vendor who has worked at Singena Agrahara for five years, is optimistic about the upgrade. "There are no facilities here conducive for trade. Cold storage facilities will also help us a lot," he said.

The government is also considering moving the overcrowded Kalasipalya wholesale market to the new site. That market sits on just two acres and proved impossible to operate safely during the pandemic due to space constraints.

Construction will push the total project cost past $300 million, including land acquisition. With detailed planning now underway, Bengaluru is turning a decades-long frustration into a win for farmers, traders, and hungry city residents alike.