2 min readBengaluruMay 11, 2026 07:27 PM IST
Two of Karnataka’s major zoos— Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru, and Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru—are set for a major upgrade. A world-class public aquarium at Bannerghatta and immersive experience centres in both zoos will come up shortly.
In a Cabinet meeting held this month, the state government has cleared the three projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The combined investment for the project is around Rs 224 crore.
According to documents accessed by indianexpress.com, the aquarium will cost a total of Rs 144.4 crore. The facility will feature live exhibits of freshwater, brackish, and marine species from habitats across Asia, the Amazon, Africa, and coral reefs, among others.
The aquarium will come up under the design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) model. Design plans, according to the Cabinet note regarding the project, include walkthrough tunnels, advanced life support systems to sustain the various species, quarantine and reserve tanks, service yards, and zero liquid discharge systems.
The PPP framework for the aquarium will also permit other facilities to enhance the visitor experience, which include digital immersive interpretation systems, glass-bottom boat rides, scuba diving, and cage snorkelling.
The proposed Immersive Wildlife Room at the Mysuru and Bannerghatta zoos will deliver 270–360 degree projection-based shows with thematic audio content, showcasing India’s biodiversity and conservation efforts. The rooms are designed for school groups, families and general visitors, and will offer short educational programmes.
Complementing this will be a Digital Zoo Guide, a QR-based, browser-accessible platform requiring no app installation. Visitors will be able to access live wayfinding, enclosure-linked educational material, multilingual audio narration, conservation insights, and augmented reality features to improve their experience at the zoos.
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The projects, estimated at Rs 44.62 crore for Mysuru and Rs 35.22 crore for Bannerghatta, will be implemented under a 20-year DBFOT model.
M/s Building Workshop, New Delhi, has been appointed as transaction advisor to oversee conceptualisation, bid process management, and supervision of the initiatives, according to the Cabinet note.
