Karnataka best for entrepreneurs to start, grow big: CM Siddaramaiah

Pitching Bengaluru as the tech capital of India that is making leaps in new-age technology like quantum science and artificial intelligence, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday invited industry leaders for the 28th Bengaluru Tech Summit to be organised here from November 18 to 20.

"We are the best place for entrepreneurs to start and grow big," he added.

Siddaramaiah was addressing nearly 100 industry leaders at a breakfast meeting called by the Department of Electronics, IT & BT, Karnataka government, to promote the summit.

"In Artificial Intelligence, Bengaluru ranks 5th among the world's top AI cities. It hosts nearly 50 per cent of India's AI talent, making it the second-largest AI talent hub globally," pointed out the CM.

He promised that Karnataka's new IT policy will focus on creating infrastructure for AI. According to him, from the Mysuru kings to the first IT policy in 1997 and the Global Capability Centre Policy in 2024, Karnataka has always planned ahead.

"In quantum technology, for instance, Karnataka launched India's first state-level Quantum Technology Roadmap. We aim to make Karnataka Asia's top Quantum Innovation Hub by 2035, with a USD 20 billion quantum economy," he said.

"We are planning Quantum Hardware Parks, Innovation Zones, and a global Quantum Conclave in Bengaluru," Siddaramaiah said.

He also said Karnataka is India's largest software-exporting state, contributing 44 per cent of the nation's software exports.

"The IT and ITeS sector accounts for 26 per cent of our state's economy. We host over 875 Global Capability Centres (GCC), which is 30 per cent of India's total. Our goal is to add 500 more GCCs by 2029, creating 3,50,000 jobs and USD 50 billion in economic output. We are also building tech clusters beyond Bengaluru to ensure growth across the state," he added.

The CM took pride in the fact that Karnataka is now home to over 18,300 startups and more than 45 unicorns. He also promised industry leaders that Karnataka will take this a notch further.

"We are building QWIN City, an integrated ecosystem for wellness, innovation, and new-age industries. This will be a magnet for global scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors, offering dedicated R&D clusters, and wellness infrastructure that makes it a destination to live, work, and innovate," he added.

He also talked about the upcoming Health City, a world-class healthcare and life sciences hub.

"It will bring together medical research, biotech innovation, med-tech manufacturing, and super-speciality hospitals to serve both India and the world," he added.

Chief Minister also said Karnataka's vision is to make it the place where the world comes to solve its biggest challenges.

"Whether it is curing diseases, developing sustainable energy solutions, or building the computers of the future, we will provide the talent, infrastructure, and policy support to make it happen. I invite industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries to come work with us," said the CM.