Bengaluru: Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday announced the 27th edition of one of the largest technology shows -- Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024 -- scheduled from November 19 to 21.
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, IT Minister 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.
"All the suggestions have been put forward. We will be shaping it and implementing it as soon as possible," he said.
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.
"We stand at number eight in startup ecosystems and we want to break into the top five. We have funded 983 startups so far in the state," Kharge said.
He said the TiE Global Summit is happening in Bengaluru this year. "I request everyone to participate in this. This will be a global event where more than 15,000 startups will be coming together in Karnataka, more than 2,000 venture capitalists are expected to be here as well. There will be a lot of knowledge exchange, there will be a lot of things that we can learn..."
"Global Capability Centres are very important; 40 per cent GCCs are in Bengaluru. There are 485 GCCs in Karnataka. No other state has such a large number. We will have an EODB (Ease of Doing Business Report) report for GCCs and the first GCC policy will be announced by Government of Karnataka," the minister added.
"We will host an urban summit for startups and companies to come together to tackle urban problems, be it related to traffic, urban waste management, water issues...problems that are plaguing the government, governance or the people at large... Agriculture biotech and bio manufacturing will be given greater importance. We have already announced a bio manufacturing plan ahead and are also talking to the union government and Stanford University to ensure how will we enhance technology in agriculture," he said.
"We will focus on biotechnology skill council and bio manufacturing on scale," he added.
He also spoke about launching a Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (product and engineering) and said the blueprint will be released in the next three months.
According to an official statement, the upcoming BTS 2024 themed on 'Breaking Boundaries' is expected to create unbounded opportunities for idea exchange, business growth, and international collaborations.
The multi-stage conference at BTS 2024 will serve as a vibrant hub for the exchange of new ideas. Spanning six focused tracks over three days, the conference will cover IT and Deep Tech, Biotech and Healthtech, Startup Ecosystems, Global Innovation Alliance, and a India-USA Tech Conclave.
A newly added Electro-Semicon track will emphasise breakthroughs in electronic components, semiconductor technologies, and integrated circuits, showcasing innovations that are driving the future of these pivotal industries.
The conference will host over 85 sessions featuring 460+ speakers. Special programmes like the CEO Conclave, Startup Conclave, and Fireside Chats with renowned personalities will also be featured.
This year, there will be be an increased focus on B2B meetings, allowing delegates and companies to engage in more structured and productive sessions.