BENGALURU: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday pitched Bengaluru as a key technology and innovation bridge between India and the US, calling for deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, education, research and investment.
Addressing an event marking the 250th anniversary of American independence in the presence of US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, Shivakumar said the India-US relationship was moving beyond government-to-government engagement, with universities, scientists, entrepreneurs, startups and businesses playing a larger role.
“Washington and New Delhi may guide the strategic partnership between our countries. But Bengaluru and Silicon Valley give it a powerful technological dimension,” he said.
Karnataka, he said, was keen to work closely with the US in emerging technologies and scientific research. “Karnataka’s ambition is to be among those who shape, build and lead the technologies of tomorrow,” he said. Highlighting the economic ties between Karnataka and the US, Shivakumar said more than 1,000 American companies operate in the state, accounting for nearly half of the total American corporate presence in India. More than 80,000 American citizens, he added, live in Bengaluru.
The CM said the relationship between the two countries should be strengthened through the exchange of knowledge, ideas and talent, apart from commerce and investment.
He also called for greater educational and cultural exchanges between India and the US.