The tier II city of Mysore will have its first MNC when the IT department of a US retail chain, Target, opens its shop on a 21-acre land at Koorgahalli, close to Infosys Technologies.

With an investment of Rs 65 crore (Rs 650 million) in the first two years, Target will have a headcount of 1,500 followed by a headcount of 3,000 and Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) investment during the first five years, Karnataka government's IT, BT and S&T Secretary M N Vidyashankar said in Mysore recently.

Land has been allotted to Target, which has presence in 80 countries, in KIADB's new industrial area. Vidyashankar earlier in the day met deputy commissioner Selva Kumar and asked him to hand over the land to the company after taking possession without delay.

"With Target setting up shop in Mysore, I am sure others will follow," the IT secretary told reporters.

In order to meet the industry requirement for faster travel between the state capital and Mysore, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has written to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav requesting him to introduce a non-stop AC chair car between the two cities.

"We will take up the proposal to the logical end when we visit Delhi next week," the IT secretary said adding one train can leave Bangalore in the morning and the other in the reverse direction in the evening.