Bengaluru, 12 July

IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday announced the 27th edition of one of the largest technology shows -- Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024 -- scheduled from 19 to 21 November. BTS aims to position the IT City at the forefront of global tech innovation and collaboration.

The three-day tech summit is expected to have participation from over 40 countries, with 460+ speakers in over 85 sessions, over 5,000 delegates, 500+ startups and 700+ exhibitors, with an overall expo footfall of 50,000 people.

A 'Breakfast Meet' was held where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah engaged in an interactive session with over 200 CEOs from India's leading IT, Semiconductor and Electronics, Biotech and Startup organisations.

The goal of this meet was to foster an open dialogue between government officials and tech leadership, centered on Karnataka's vibrant tech ecosystem and future prospects.

The Karnataka government's Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology also presented an 'Action Taken Report' addressing the industry representatives' feedback from the 2023 Breakfast Meeting.

Speaking at the event, Kharge said Karnataka serves as the headquarters for major tech giants, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and leading unicorns. This success stems not only from the state's industry-friendly policies and programmes, but also from its active engagement and collaboration with the complete tech ecosystem, he said.

"We also deeply value our close association with Global Innovation Alliance Partners and with them, BTS attracts the world’s foremost leaders, innovators, and disruptors, drawing over 50,000 tech enthusiasts from India and more than 40 nations," he said.

He said the Congress government is listening to the industry to encourage more investments and create more employment, and added that they have got a lot of suggestions and there were certain concerns from the industry also with respect to certain policies and bills.

According to him, the government's focus beyond Bengaluru has always been on skill building, incubation and innovation across sectors. "Be it aerospace in Belagavi, semiconductors in Mysuru or startups in Mangaluru, we are also offering a plug-and-play facility for GCCs. We are certain the next wave of innovation will come from beyond Bengaluru. -PTI