5 Strategic MoUs Signed; K'taka's 1st GCC launched on Bengaluru Tech Summit Day 1

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Bangaluru Tech Summit 2024 (BTS), the 27^th edition of the much-awaited event helmed by the Department of E, IT and Bt, Government of Karnataka is in full swing. The three-day event premiered on November 19 and will conclude on 21, 2024 at Bangalore Palace.

The event is being organised with the theme BTS, 'Breaking Boundaries', to the next level, to 'Unbound'. Offering a unified platform, BTS comes up with 85+ Conference Sessions, features over 450 diverse Speakers as well as multi-pavilion Exhibition, welcoming global leaders, innovators, researchers, technologists and entrepreneurs.

On the first day of the summit, a total of 5 strategic MoUs were exchanged with global tech giants Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM, and the BFSI Consortium as part of Nipuna Karnataka initiative, intending to foster alliance alongside driving innovation. It aims at training 1,00,000 persons in 2025 with a consideration of 70 percent placement of the trained professionals.

The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah also launched the first Global Capability Centres (GCC) of the state that sets a platform for transformative innovation, sustainable growth, and global collaboration. He said, “We have launched India's first dedicated GCC policy to empower and support these centres. To bolster this initiative, three dedicated global innovation districts will be established in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Belagavi.”

The inaugural panel titled, ‘FutureScape, Redefining What’s Next’ featuring stalwarts from the political, business and technology realm. The panel saw participation from Priyank M Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT, Bt, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka; Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder - Biocon Limited Chairperson - Vision Group on Biotechnology- Government of Karnataka; Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman - Axilor Ventures Chairman - Vision Group on Informantion Technology & Electronics- Governament of Karnataka; Prashanth Prakash, Founding partner - Accel India Chairman- Vision group on Startups- Government of Karnataka; and Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

Speaking at the panel, Priyank M Kharge stated, “Karnataka has been ahead of the curve due to the collaboration between the government, academia, and industry. We need to ensure we have the most talented human resources catering not only to the local ecosystem but also to the global ecosystem.”

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also addressed the audience and spoke about the next big thing in the realm of bioscience. She said, “I am very excited about the predictive aspect of drug design. There are a lot of interesting startups in these domains. If we are in the digital age today, we will be in the bioengineering age tomorrow because that is where the future is heading. Biomanufacturing will provide answers to many challenges we face today, including energy, food, and biomaterials.”

Additionally, the event also included as inspiring session. During the session, the state of Karnataka reaffirmed its leadership towards fostering global collaborations via Ambassador Roundtable which was chaired by IAS Uma Mahadevan. She also holds the position of Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Development Commissioner, and Additional Chief Secretary at Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood.

The roundtable titled, ‘Educate, Innovate, Empower: Forging Karnataka’s Future through Strategic Global Alliances’, witnessed the participation of Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries IAS Mr. Selvakumar; Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department IAS Mr. M. S. Srikar; and Commissioner, Industries and Commerce Department IAS Ms. Gunjan Krishna.