Karnataka’s IT journey began in 1985 when Texas Instruments set up its first R&D centre, recognising the talent available in Bengaluru. This was the beginning of the IT revolution that made Bengaluru the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. From Wipro to Infosys, several Indian and multinational companies set up centres, slowly making way for the transition from back-office to an R&D hotspot. The city’s strong technological roots are also seen in the founding of the Indian Institute of Science in 1909, HAL in 1940, and ISRO in 1969.
Karnataka, and Bengaluru in particular, witnessed heady growth in the IT and BT (Biotechnology) sectors from early 2000. Some of Karnataka’s unique factors that have helped this growth are the century-old research orientation the state has had, as well as a culture of innovation.
Despite the positives, naysayers have made a whipping boy out of Bengaluru. Rapid development and urbanisation along with population expansion bring with them challenges. Infrastructure issues such as dug-up roads, high traffic volumes, encroached lakes, and lack of public transportation have continued to remain the city’s pain points for some time. These are problems that every metropolis faces. However, a negative brand image has been built up about the city due to criticism-led conversations. The very hands that point accusative fingers never resurface to applaud the efforts when there are positive developments.
The government is trying to address each issue through various programmes and critical thinking combined with unremitted effort. Over the last five years, with a vision to make Karnataka a $1 trillion economy, the state has introduced conducive work environments and incentives along with state-level policies in IT, R&D, Semiconductor, Biotech, AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic) and even start-up policies.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The thriving IT, start-up, R&D, and aerospace hubs are great examples of a government that is willing to listen, think and act. The creation of dynamic policies, framed in consultation with stakeholders of the ecosystem – including developing infrastructure, market, talent, and ease of doing business – have played a key role in making the state the “Innovation Capital of India”. The government has ensured exponential growth in IT and has helped the city run the 25th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit, Asia’s largest and longest-running event. It has helped retain support and backing from companies that have grown with the city, including Texas Instruments and Toyota.
As for matters of infrastructure, urban planning must focus on equity. Not only do we need smart cities, we need smart solutions in an inclusive policy framework which cater to every population set within the state, and that is exactly what this government has set out to do. The Beyond Bengaluru programme aims to push development towards smaller cities and towns and the efforts have shown tangible results. It is helping take the pressure off infrastructure in Bengaluru, is creating better scope for the industry to explore malleable ecosystems while strengthening the local economy in terms of employment and augmenting more widespread development.
To address the infrastructure woes, the government has taken steady steps toward achieving several objectives. In the last month, ban on heavy vehicles carrying goods during peak hours has been enforced strictly, and staff have been deployed to regulate traffic at busy junctions. This has yielded visible results. The travel time across nine major traffic corridors in the city has come down by nearly 50 per cent during morning peak hours.
Another instance of immediate course correction was seen during the Bengaluru floods this year, when the state government released Rs 600 crore to manage the rain and flood situation across the state, construction of stormwater drains, deployed de-watering pumps, evacuated people from inundated areas. It has already set the wheels in motion to execute a masterplan for East Bengaluru and for new development areas.
The government displayed strong management skills during Covid. It went all out with testing, tracking and treatment to tackle the mounting cases across districts. It used a two-pronged approach – utilising existing resources at district level to strengthen facilities further and creating a robust infrastructure for the future. It has ramped up efforts post-Covid to ensure sophisticated, multi-specialty hospitals with ICU facilities and other services in all parts of the state.
With a burgeoning start-up ecosystem and technological expertise, the coming decades promise more growth for the state.
However, this can only be driven by a government that is relentless in its endeavour to create a better quality of life for its citizens and prosperity for the state, along with the support of its people.
(The writer is Minister for IT, BT and Higher Education, Govt of Karnataka)