Karnataka to unveil new IT policy next week

BENGALURU: Karnataka will unveil a new Information Technology policy next week, in a bid to retain its edge as the go-to destination for technology firms and startups.

The government will also do its best to create a favourable ecosystem for the startup community in Bengaluru, said C N Ashwath Narayan, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for IT, BT and Science and Technology.

The new IT policy would focus on tier-2 and 3 cities, Narayan indicated, adding the government would strengthen educational institutions to become incubation centres in future.


Nine Indian founders of Unicorns (those startups with a valuation of over $1 billion), who started their ventures in Bengaluru, will be honoured at the 22nd edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), which begins on November 18.

“At BTS, we will be announcing specific regulatory measures to enhance innovation in Bengaluru city and the rest of the state. We are currently in the process of engaging with various stakeholders to design the regulatory relaxations," Narayan told reporters.

Called Bengaluru Impact Awards, the state government will also recognise the efforts of successful entrepreneurs who have effectively placed Bengaluru on the global map.

The 2019 summit will also witness a confluence of IT and BT, as it features a number of biotechnology related programmes, including discussions on topics such as ‘Smart Immunologics in Cancer Care’, ‘Health - the next frontier’ and ‘Smart Innovations in Diagnostics’.

The summit will also see presentations by a host of delegates from various countries including France, Germany, UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan and Israel. The event will feature robotics competitions, called RoboRecharge Robotic Premier League, for students from all over the state.

Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who is also the chairperson of Karnataka Vision Group for Biotechnology, termed the BTS as a must-attend event.

“It is a platform that provides an enormous opportunity to exchange ideas. Today, it takes less capital to take the idea to the market. If we create more technology-driven entrepreneurs, I am confident that India will be able to achieve a $5 trillion economy goal,” she said.