Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday unveiled India’s first Global Capability Centers (GCC) policy at the 27th Edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024, paving the way for a future of innovation, growth, and sustainable development.The Chief Minister inaugurated 27th Edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024, organised by the Department of Electronics, IT, Bt, Government of Karnataka and Software Technology Parks of India.This year’s theme, ‘Unbound,’ will celebrate technology’s ability to transcend traditional boundaries, creating pathways for global partnerships and cutting-edge advancements across industries.In his opening remark, Karnataka CM said, “Our commitment to nurturing innovation sustainability and inclusive growth remains steadfast as we build upon this proud legacy. Karnataka has launched India’s first dedicated Global Capability Centre policy aimed at empowering and supporting these centres. Taking the policy announcement forward, I am proud to announce that we will be establishing three dedicated global innovation districts in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Belagavi.”“Our state is preferred destination for GCSEs thanks to its unmatched engineering talent and the highest number of AI professionals globally,” he added.The launch of the Nipuna Karnataka Logo during the BTS marked the beginning of a transformative skills initiative. Nipuna Karnataka aims at enhancing the skills of local talent to improve their global competitiveness in emerging technologies.The objective is to equip Karnataka’s workforce with advanced skills that align with the requirements of high-demand sectors, thus fostering economic growth and increasing employment opportunities both within and outside the state. It will aim to that the local talent is skilled locally and they work globally.As part of the Nipuna initiative, five strategic MoUs were exchanged with global tech giants–Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM, and the BFSI Consortium–aiming to bolster collaboration and drive innovation. These MoUs aim to train 1,00,000 trainees in the next year with a placement of 70 per cent of the trained professionals.With Microsoft, Government of Karnataka (GoK) aims to train over 10,000 trainees per year in emerging technology with a focus on Deep tech.GoK is collaborating with Intel with an aim to train 20,000+ trainees per year in AI under various programmes like AI for ALL, AI for Youth and Unnati.Accenture in collaboration with the state government is training 10,000 trainees on emerging technology like cyber security and quantum computing. IBM has committed to train 50,000 people on AI and Cloud services with a special focus on hands on training to get a practical experience. BFSI is training 10,000 trainees in banking and financial sector and ensuring that they get placement in various reputed companies working in Fintech Sector, as per a release.Adding to the momentum, the government announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on AI in Bengaluru to foster cutting-edge research and development. The Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is envisioned as India’s premier accelerator for AI startups, spearheaded by the IIT Alumni Center Bangalore (IITACB) in partnership with the Government of Karnataka.This initiative is designed to support the next generation of AI-driven innovations by providing startups with access to capital, high-quality mentorship, industry partnerships, and state-of-the-art technical resources.Another significant announcement was for Startup Springboard program- a platform at BTS 2024, designed to empower Karnataka’s startups through three pillars; 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).BTS 2024 will feature a multi-stage conference across six tracks: IT, Deeptech and Trends, Biotech and Healthtech, Startup Ecosystem, Global Innovation Alliance, India-USA Tech Conclave, and the newly introduced Electro-Semicon track.The international participation from more than 50 countries and high-level delegations featuring government officials, industry leaders, and innovators, from over 15 countries, including Australia, UK, France, Austria, EU, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, and the U.S., will enrich the summit with diverse perspectives and collaborative opportunities, the release added.BTS 2024 will act as the ultimate platform for startups to meet investors and scale their businesses. Having participants including 23 ideation stage startups, 142 early traction stage startups, 75 concept validation stage startups, and 82 growth stage startups, the summit will host a three-day Venture Connect Program.Drawing over 50 leading global investors, including family offices, angel investors, and venture capital firms from across the globe, the summit will bring a combined potential investment fund of more than USD 17.5 billion.The summit will also host high-level Strategic Roundtable Meetings which will be attended by invited International Government representatives, Corporates, Startups, and Policymakers. The Roundtable on AI/ GovTech, will invite startups that will showcase their innovative solutions that can reshape governance, address key challenges, and accelerate the State’s growth in the digital era.
