BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday released the state’s first Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2024-29 at the 27th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit, with an aim to create 3.5 lakh jobs by 2029.
The policy is an outcome of inputs and suggestions given during the previous tech summit, where the government committed itself to framing guidelines to shape the growth of the state. The policy aims at establishing 500 GCCs initially and achieving the target of 1,000 by 2029 and at generating an economic output of $50 billion by 2029.
The three-day summit on the theme, Technology Unbound, aims to connect with 50 global investors and create an investment fund of $17.5 billion. MoUs with six countries, including Switzerland, Finland and Israel, will be signed along with a Letter of Intent with Sharjah Innovation Authority (UAE).
Siddaramaiah said that to take the policy forward, the government will establish three dedicated global innovation districts in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Belagavi.
Manufacturing cluster for semiconductor industry
These will be dedicated GCC parks to set up shops in the state. The Bengaluru Global Innovation District will be part of the Knowledge, Well-being and Innovation City (KWIN City) near the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). It will serve as a global hub for innovation and research, he said.
The government launched its “Nipuna scheme” aimed at creating one lakh skilled youth in one year. The government signed MoUs with Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM and BFSI Consortium for training and providing jobs under the scheme. The CM also announced the launch of the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Kochanahalli to strengthen the semiconductor industry and create jobs.
“Through a cluster-based approach, the government is driving regional growth from Mangaluru’s fintech leadership and Hubballi- Dharwad’s advancements in EVs and drones to Mysuru being a PCB cluster. Karnataka’s startup ecosystem has seen 18.2% growth from 2022 to 2023, totalling 3,036 startups and making the state a leader with 8.7% of India’s total startups,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said there are many issues related to Bengaluru’s infrastructure, including traffic congestion, which have to be resolved. “We are looking at addressing them in a time-bound manner. Karnataka’s contribution in gaming, technology, film and intellectual property sectors is turning out to be a game changer,” he said
The CM and DCM released the Bengaluru Data Report. The government announced the establishment of a ‘Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence’ in Bengaluru. It will be headed by the IIT Alumni Centre, Bengaluru.
Flying man steals the show
While startups hobnobbed with investors at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, the star attraction of the inaugural was 23-year-old ‘flying man’ -- Issa Kalfon from United Kingdom. All eyes of the dignitaries and the gathering were on Kalfon when he flew to the inauguration of the three-day event with a jetpack, hovering two-and-a-half metres above ground, as he greeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Kalfon said he has been doing this professionally for the last three years with a team of eight people. Wearing seven mini-jet engines with small gas turbines -- two each on his arms and three on his back -- Kalfon can hover for around seven hours. “The engines are strong as they run on 1,000 HP power. This is not the first time that I have flown in India with my team. However, this is the first time that I am flying solo and will perform the stunt on all the days of the tech summit,” he said. The flying man’s suit was designed by Gravity Industries. He said the jet suit can reach speeds of over 85 mph and climb altitudes of up to 12,000 feet. It is designed for various applications, from search and rescue operations to entertainment and extreme sports. — Bosky Khanna