APRIL 4, 2026 — HUBBALLI-DHARWAD: If you are heading to a gym in the twin cities, things are about to look a lot more organized. The Hubballi-Dharwad Police have started holding mandatory meetings at every local police station, pulling in gym owners to enforce a strict new set of safety and legal rules.
We saw several of these sessions today, where officers made it clear: if you run a fitness center, you have to play by the book now.
The biggest change centers on the safety of women. Our sources confirmed that any gym training female members must now mandatorily hire female trainers.
We also saw a strict warning against anyone taking photos or videos of women working out without their permission. The police are pushing for “Privacy First,” and any gym caught allowing outsiders to record members will face immediate legal heat.
According to the Hubballi-Dharwad Police, many local gyms have been operating in a “gray area” for too long.
Officers told owners that they must now register under the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Rules, 1963, and get a proper license from the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC). On top of that, any gym making more than ₹20 lakh a year must have a GST registration—no more cutting corners on taxes.
The police Twitter account was updated today with the below tweet with photos of the meeting with the gym owners
ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿ ಧಾರವಾಡ ನಗರ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಜಿಮ್ ಗಳ ಮಾಲೀಕರ ಸಭೆಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಠಾಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಸಲಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ.
ಜಿಮ್ ತರಬೇತಿಗೆ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು ಬಂದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕವಾಗಿ ಮಹಿಳಾ ತರಬೇತಿದಾರರನ್ನೇ ಕಡ್ಡಾಯವಾಗಿ ನೇಮಿಸುವುದು, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಅಂಗಡಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ವಾಣಿಜ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳ ನಿಯಮಗಳು 1963 ರಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಜಿಮ್… pic.twitter.com/UM3WbPs2tM— HUBBALLI DHARWAD CITY POLICE (@compolhdc) April 4, 2026
The security requirements have also been cranked up significantly. Every gym is now required to:
- Install CCTVs: These aren’t just for show; they must have a 6-month DVR backup.
- Maintain Registers: You have to track exactly who is coming in and going out with a detailed entry log.
This six-month backup rule is a major jump from the usual 30 days, showing that the police are serious about having a long-term record of everyone on the premises.
We talked to a few gym owners near Vidyanagar and Gokul Road who attended the meetings. While some are worried about the extra cost of storing six months of video data, most agree it will make the gyms more professional.
“The goal is to make Hubballi-Dharwad a safer place for fitness enthusiasts, especially women,” a senior official remarked during a session in Dharwad. We expect surprise inspections to start later this month to make sure these rules aren’t just on paper.
