Bengaluru, November 19 (Karnataka News):
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the Bangalore Tech Summit 2024 program is a unique platform for innovation, technology advancement and global collaboration.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 27th edition of the Bangalore Tech Summit organized by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Bangalore at the Palace Ground today, the Chief Minister said that it is a matter of great pride for me to represent the state of Karnataka, which is at the forefront of India’s technological transformation.
In the early 20th century, Bangalore grew into a center for aerospace and defense manufacturing. thereby giving impetus to industrial growth. In the early 2000s under the visionary leadership of former Chief Minister SM Krishna, Bangalore moved towards transformation by launching the Electronic City and IT Park. This laid the foundation for the city’s global tech reputation.
Today, Bangalore is recognized internationally for its influence in software, biotechnology, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing, and is reputed to be the fastest growing city in the world. Karnataka’s immense talent pool, thriving start-up ecosystem and robust infrastructure are fueling advancements in IT, deep tech, biotechnology and life sciences sectors. Our commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability and inclusive growth builds on this proud heritage, he said.
Karnataka has implemented India’s first dedicated Global Capability Centers policy aimed at empowering and supporting these centres. As a continuation of this, I am proud to announce the establishment of three dedicated Global Innovation Districts in Bangalore, Mysore and Belgaum. These are for Global Capability Centers to set up parks in the state He said that it is reserved.
The Bangalore Global Innovation District, just 45 minutes from Kempegowda International Airport, will be part of the Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Innovation City (KWIN City). It serves as a global center for research.
Our state is a preferred destination for Global Capability Centers, home to unmatched engineering talent and the largest number of AI professionals globally. This is further strengthened by our initiatives under Nippuna Karnataka, a program designed to create an industry ready workforce. 5 MoUs signed recently with Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM and BFSI consortium will provide employment to 1 lakh people in Karnataka state.
Through a cluster-based approach, we are driving balanced regional growth, from Mangalore’s fintech leadership and Hubli-Dharwad’s progress in EVs and drones – to the Mysore PCB cluster. Policies and infrastructure are being formulated to harness regional potential. He said that investments will be attracted to the emerging clusters of other cities along with Bangalore.
Our state is a preferred destination for Global Capability Centers, home to unmatched engineering talent and the largest number of AI professionals globally. This is further strengthened by our initiatives under Nippuna Karnataka, a program designed to create an industry ready workforce. 5 MoUs signed recently with Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM and BFSI consortium will provide employment to 1 lakh people in Karnataka state.
Through a cluster-based approach, we are driving balanced regional growth, from Mangalore’s fintech leadership and Hubli-Dharwad’s progress in EVs and drones – to the Mysore PCB cluster. Policies and infrastructure are being formulated to harness regional potential. He said that investments will be attracted to the emerging clusters of other cities along with Bangalore.
Our government has made significant investments in physical and digital infrastructure to boost tech-driven sectors. Initiatives such as the “Namma Gram Namma Road” program and Special Development Program for rural connectivity are increasing access and economic opportunities across Karnataka.
He said the benefits of growth will be extended beyond the technology sector through programs like ‘Bangalore Beyond’ which will bring technology to rural areas, increase agricultural productivity and improve e-learning for students and positively impact the delivery of all civic services.
Karnataka’s startup ecosystem has seen significant growth, with an increase of 18.2% from 2022 to 2023, with a total of 3,036 startups and our state leading India’s total startups with 8.7%. This success provides our strong support and abundant opportunities for entrepreneurs. Our collaboration with the Indian Venture and Alternative Capital Association (IVCA) has connected over 200 startups with 100 funding agencies, providing capital, mentoring and growth opportunities.
True success lies in inclusive growth – all citizens in both Bangalore and Karnataka are benefiting from this transformation. I am proud to announce the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Kochanahalli. It will strengthen Karnataka’s role in the global semiconductor industry, create jobs and contribute to economic growth in urban and rural areas.
Karnataka has a longstanding reputation on earth for innovation and entrepreneurship on the foundation of vision laid by our leaders and industry pioneers. We are dedicated to extending this legacy and hope that Karnataka will rise to the top in technology and progress globally.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of innovation, collaboration and growth. Together, we are driving transformation in Karnataka and beyond,” the Chief Minister said.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, “Karnataka ranks first in the innovation index of the Niti Aayog of the country. It has also made its own mark in the field of IT-BT and innovation. “Karnataka, especially Bangalore, is the heartbeat of the country’s technology sector,” he opined.
“Karnataka is leading in patents compared to Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states. Karnataka tops the entire country in the number of patent applications. Along with information technology, Karnataka has made its own mark in chip design in the country,” he said.
“Karnataka is leading in machine tool manufacturing as well, with more than 85 fabless chip design units located in our state. Karnataka is the base for semiconductor manufacturing. “Karnataka itself supplies 52 percent of the employees to the biotechnology sector of the country,” he said.
“Today, our city is known globally because the first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, established public enterprises with Bangalore as the centre. Bengaluru today has maintained its existence due to several academicians establishing renowned engineering colleges, institutes of technology. Nehru and many others have contributed to the growth of Bangalore,” he said.
“If Azim Premji and Narayan Murthy had chosen cities other than Bangalore, Bengaluru would not have grown as an IT hub. “If thousands of people had not chosen Bangalore for their start-ups, Bangalore would not have provided support to millions of people,” he said.
He said, “Bangalore Tech Summit is a conference of innovators, entrepreneurs, technologists, creatives and extraordinary dreamers. Karnataka is the land of visionaries, modern thinkers. The birthplace of India’s IT revolution and biotechnology. Through information technology, our state’s name is global.”
“Karnataka is following international standards in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sectors. Globally recognized in this sector, our Karnataka aims to train around 25,000 students in this field by 2025. As a result of supporting this sector, about 70 percent of employment has been created,” he said.
“Bangalore, the state capital, is growing rapidly. Due to this many problems arise. We all need to come together to fix these problems before they become gigantic. As the in-charge of Bengaluru, I will not rest until these issues are rectified,” he promised.
“We have initiated many mega projects for the development of Bengaluru within a short period of our coming to power. We launched the tunnel road project and the Bangalore Business Corridor project, which had been delayed for several years. The work will start in the next 6 months. This project will relieve the traffic congestion in the city. Cabinet has approved the tunnel road project. This dream will be realized as soon as possible,” he said.
“Our Government of Karnataka is committed to making Bangalore a business-friendly, citizen-friendly, livable city in the future through various schemes. Bangalore Tech Summit is one of the most important tech summits in the world. All the governments, IT industry, officials, political leaders have worked hard to make this program grow to this level,” he opined.
Minister of Medical Education and Skill Development Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, Minister of Information Technology and Biotechnology, MLA Rizwan Arshad, Kionix President Sarath Kumar Bachegowda, Paris Region, France Vice President for Regeneration, Economic Development, Attraction and Innovation Ms. Alexandra DuBlanch, Biotechnology, Visionary of the group Chairman and Executive Chairman of Biocon Limited Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shah, Chairman of Axila Ventures and Chairman of Information Technology Visionaries Group and Co-Founder of Infosys, Chris Gopalakrishnan, Santosh Kumar, Managing Director of Texas Instruments, Swiggy Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sreeharsha Majeti, Chief Secretaries to Govt. Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, Secretary of Electronic Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology Department. Ministers, MLAs, dignitaries and senior officials including Akrupkaur were present.