Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also underscored the need to start ‘tech schools’ in the state to promote technical education.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday made a strong pitch for tech sector investments in the Hubli-Dharwad region and urged investors to take note of the skilled talent pool available in places away from Bengaluru while making investment decisions.
The chief minister sounded a word of caution about Bengaluru, saying the country’s tech capital was choked with traffic congestion apart from being expensive as regards land costs. They could instead look at the advantages places such as Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Davanagere, and Mysuru had for investments.
Innovation & Impact
He was addressing a host of business and startup leaders from the tech sector at the “Beyond Bengaluru: Innovation & Impact” event in Hubballi, organised by the IT/BT department. Bommai, who represents Shiggaon in the Haveri district, asked local industry leaders to market their region, highlighting their strengths including connectivity by land and air, so that investors will explore locations away from the capital.
The chief minister attributed Bengaluru’s ascent on the tech map to skilled youth hailing from rural Karnataka, and also, to some extent, by talented youth from other states.
The government, IT/BT Minister CN Ashwath Narayan told investors, will cover “your rent/lease, salaries of up to 20 employees, provide incubators and more.” The government, he added, will give incentives to industries to further develop Hubballi.
Students Can Intern in Any Part of The World
The government, the minister said, will introduce coding at the school level. “We want to ensure digital literacy for all students. We will bring about changes in the engineering curriculum too. Internships will be extended to 30 weeks from three weeks. Students can intern in any part of the world. Our engineering college syllabus will be on par with IIT.”
IIT-Dharwad director P Seshu said a crucial element of doing business was talent availability, and Hubballi had it in abundance. “I can say from my experience of setting up IIT-D,” he said.
Digital Economy Mission
Aequs Group founder Ashwath Narayan , who is betting big on the region, said manufacturing has improved and the number of startups has increased in North Karnataka. “The Hubli-Dharwad region has all ingredients that make a successful industrial ecosystem,” he said. His Group is building India’s first toy manufacturing cluster on a 400-acre plot at Koppal in North Karnataka and a consumer electronics park in Hubballi.
Karnataka’s economy was expected to touch between $150-180 billion, and Hubballi should aspire to contribute at least 5 to 10% of that, State’s Digital Economy Mission chairman BV Naidu said.
Deshpande Foundation CEO Vivek Pawar said the region aims to create one lakh plus jobs in the Hubli-Dharwad region in the IT/BT, science & technology sector in the next five years. The nonprofit, founded by tech entrepreneurs Gururaj and Jaishree Deshpande promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.
(Economy India)
