Karnataka govt unveils new initiatives to maintain tech lead at BTS 2024

The Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024, the flagship event of the Karnataka government to showcase technology prowess in the region launched its 27th edition on Tuesday as the state vowed to maintain its lead by unveiling new initiatives.

The three-day summit, with the theme ‘Technology Unbound’, saw the Karnataka government roll out plans for three global innovation hubs in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Belgaum besides entering into skilling partnerships with global technology companies.

Addressing the gathering, Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah said, “This (BTS 2024) is a unique platform for innovators, technology advances and global collaborations.”

The chief minister also said that the government will also set up focused technology clusters in various districts of the state. A fintech cluster in Mangaluru, a drone technology hub in Mysuru and and electronics industry in Hubli are also in the works.

The State IT & BT department unveiled the Nipuna Karnataka programme which aims to skill over one lakh individuals in various advanced technologies. As part of the Nipuna initiative, five MoUs were exchanged with Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM, and the BFSI Consortium. These MoUs aim to train 1,00,000 trainees in the next year with a placement of 70 percent of the trained professionals.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, commenting on the progress made by the state in the technology space, remarked, “The State has set a new standard of excellence but the best is yet to come.”

He said despite various infrastructural challenges which the state government is trying to rectify, the city of Bengaluru continues to maintain the lead in terms of innovation and creation of intellectual property.

The state IT department will also set up a Centre of Excellence in AI in collaboration with IIT Alumni Centre Bengaluru to position the state as a hub for advanced R&D and startup innovation.

At the BTS 2024, the government also launched the Startup Springboard programme which aims to expand the growth opportunities for the startup community in the State through three key initiatives—investor connect (linking startups with key investors and industry leaders); mentor connect (enabling invaluable guidance through mentor-mentee interactions) and innoverse (providing infrastructure, plug-and-play facilities, and training to support prototype development and innovation for emerging entrepreneurs).

Swiggy Co-founder Sriharsha Majety who was felicitated during the summit said, “Bengaluru remains unparalleled in its ability to offer talent.”

Majety said the city of Bengaluru remains a powerhouse of talent and will continue to expand on this human resource in the near future.

State IT Secretary Ekroop Caur said, “We want to ensure that Karnataka has an undeniable lead in technology.”

The three-day summit has the participation of private companies and government agencies from within the State and outside. Besides, there are partnerships with other countries such as Australia, France, Switzerland, and Finland to name a few.