BENGALURU: Karnataka will establish dedicated skill corridors with each of its Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) partner countries, with efforts under way to foster international collaborations and drive technological advancements, Minister for IT/BT and Rural Development Priyank Kharge said on Tuesday. He was speaking during the GIA meet hosted to promote the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024 before international representatives.
Minister Kharge revealed that the state plans to release the draft of the Global Capability Centre (GCC) policy this month, based on suggestions from the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA). The policy aims to improve the ease of doing business and attract more global investments into Karnataka.
Speaking on skill corridors, Kharge proposed creating a ‘startup corridor’ specifically between Bengaluru and San Francisco, focusing on sector-specific collaborations rather than broad agreements. He suggested similar initiatives for AI, sports tech with Melbourne, and fintech with Denmark, highlighting the importance of targeted partnerships.
He further announced that Karnataka would soon launch a Centre of Excellence in Water Management, emphasizing the critical need for better water technologies.
Kharge mentioned that discussions are under way with the UK’s Catapult Network and Paris’s Station F incubator to bolster Karnataka’s Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and support the growth of startups.
Highlighting BTS 2024, Kharge said this year’s summit is themed around ‘Breaking Boundaries’ and will feature a wide range of activities, including a 6-track conference covering IT and Deep Tech, Biotech and Healthtech, Startup Ecosystem, Global Innovation Alliance, India-USA Tech Conclave, and the newly added Electro-Semicon track.
The conference will host over 85 sessions, with special programmes like the India-USA Tech Conclave, CEO Conclave, Startup Conclave, and Fireside Chats.
Dr Ekroop Caur, secretary to government, Department of Electronics, IT/ BT, and Science and Technology, highlighted the importance of GIA in promoting Karnataka as a global innovation hub, fostering partnerships with over 30 countries worldwide.
She mentioned several key initiatives, including the Global Innovation Alliance Market Access Programme (GIA MAP), which facilitated exploratory visits for growth-stage Karnataka startups to countries like UAE, Singapore, Belgium, Australia and Germany, supporting 42 startups. Additionally, she highlighted a new monthly event launched in August this year, the GIA Mixer, to promote collaboration, starting with DeepTech and Fintech startups in Australia.