Karnataka government strengthens its Global Innovation Alliance programme ahead of Bengaluru Tech Summit 2021

The 24th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2021, organised by the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotech and S&T, Government of Karnataka and co-hosted by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) is back in a virtual avatar.

More than 30 countries will participate in the summit’sGlobal Innovation Alliance (GIA). Launched in 2017, GIA is an initiative of the Government of Karnataka (GoK) to forge partnerships with leading tech nations of the world. The GIA track will see the participating countries host several tech sessions to enable exchange of ideas and deliberations on the policy landscape. Some key sessions being hosted at the GIA include ‘Deepening India - Australia ties in 'tech & innovation’ by Australia, ‘Healthcare & Medical Technology’ by Germany, ‘Digital Health in Finland: Developing AI and VR tools to support the growth of health technology businesses’ by Finland, among others.

“Through the Global Innovation Alliance program, we have created a platform for all our GIA country partners and industry stakeholders to come together and collaborate and promote innovation,” said Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Minister for IT, BT and S&T. The minister added that they are looking to expand the state's innovation ecosystem beyond Bengaluru and would like to welcome all GIA partners to explore other cities in Karnataka.

Over the years, the GIA programme has seen exponential growth with mutual projects being implemented with countries like Australia, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, UK, among others. More than 30 projects, seven outgoing delegation visits by GoK representatives, and 10 engagement meets have been conducted since the launch of GIA. Additionally, more than 1,500 startups and 10 academic institutions have engaged with the GIA partners.

One of the highlights of BTS this year is the India and Australia partnership. As a part of this alliance, a special programme called ‘Sydney Dialogue’ is being held in Australia during the same dates. Another highlight of the event is the growing alliance between India and the US. To strengthen the partnership further, India US Tech Conclave will be held in association with the US India Business Council. Additionally, GoK will also share an update on the eight MoUs that were signed during BTS 2020.

“This year, the summit will be bigger and will showcase the best innovations of not only Karnataka, but also the nation and the world. BTS 2021 is all set to further break the barriers of boundaries by bringing all stakeholders on one forum,” said Dr E V Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka.

The opening keynote of BTS 2021 will be addressed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other central and state level government delegates. The three-day event will be attended by distinguished ministers, entrepreneurs and technology experts from key GIA partner countries.