'Singapore among key stakeholders in Bengaluru's development as tech hub'

Singapore: Singapore has been one of the key stakeholders in the development of Bengaluru as a global tech hub over the past 30 years, a senior official of the Karnataka government has said.

"We have a very deep association with Singapore right from the beginning of the tech revolution in Bengaluru, some 30 years ago," said Ekroop Caur, Secretary to Government of Karnataka, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology.

Among Karnataka's biggest partners is Singapore's Capitaland under a public-private partnership, and it continues to be one of the leading tech infra partnerships, Caur said on Tuesday at a Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024 roadshow here.

"We are natural allies and we can accelerate a lot of business growth in Bengaluru via Singapore," said the secretary who is working on getting one of the largest delegation-company participations from Singapore.

She noted Singapore, being a cluster of global companies, could further connect with corporations around the world.

Further, she also observed the mobility of Indian talent globally as well as Indian-origin startups returning home, especially to Bengaluru, to scale up their businesses.

"We have this tag line -- 'skill locally, work globally' -- and we have the appetite to serve the global requirements," said Caur, underlining, "India has the appetite to serve the global requirements with its talent".

Addressing business executives here on Bengaluru's progress over the decades and updating them about the planning for the summit to be held next month, she highlighted the potential of skilled manpower exports, given the country's demographic dividends.

Caur also said that tech startups initiated by overseas Indians are returning to India, and especially working in Bengaluru which is now rated as the most advanced technology hub and is among the best tech cities in the world.

"Singapore is our global innovation alliance partner and, as a result of that, companies based in the city state do keep participating in the Bengaluru summit," added Jagdish Patankar, Executive Chairman of MM Activ, a sci-tech communication company.

Patankar said his company, as part of the Bengaluru summit, is working with Enterprise Singapore and other agencies to organise a government-led mission to the 27th edition of the summit to be held on November 19-21.

More than 5,000 companies are expected to participate in the exhibition and conferences during the summit.