The Government of Karnataka launched its Beyond Bengaluru initiative as a part of Bengaluru Tech Summit 2020. This program is focused towards building innovative and a technology ecosystem beyond the city of Bengaluru. Looking effectively to leverage and access the talent and skill available across the State with focus Beyond Bengaluru, the government is planning to exploit the work from home or work from anywhere concept that came to fore due to the pandemic.

With the view to further strengthen and develop the state’s IT sector, the government frame the new IT Policy 2020-2025, which focuses towards enabling a distributed IT/ITeS model that facilitates growth through industrial development and employment generation in cities Beyond Bengaluru. Powered by this new IT policy 2020-2025, Beyond Bengaluru is aimed at enhancing growth in the IT/ITeS, Business Process Outsourcing, Electronic System Design Manufacturing, and Telecom sector industries in the cities of Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubbali-Dharwad and Shivamogga. These cities Beyond Bengaluru are foreseeing greater investment opportunities and employment potential, with focus on education and infrastructure.

The Government of Karnataka also initiated New Age Innovation Network (NAIN) as a network of incubation centres in 30 engineering colleges in cities Beyond Bengaluru. Under NAIN, 140 projects have been funded, 181 prototypes built and 13 patents are filed date. The government has also established Common Instrument Facilities (CIFs) and Technology Business Incubators in academic institutions in Karnataka to encourage innovation and R&D in the cities mentioned above. On the other hand, to encourage biotechnology sector, incubation and R&D infrastructure centres have been setup in the cities of Dharwad, Bagalkot and Mysuru.

The government has also identified ESDM clusters which are being promoted to encourage industry to set up operations in the cities of Mysuru, Hubballi, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga and others apart from setting up VLSI Incubation Centre and Brownfiled Cluster at Hubballi. The government is further looking at strengthening and enhancing the ecosystems of cities – Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Shivamogga through the Beyond Bengaluru initiative. Hence it has established a taskforce comprising of industry, academia and other stakeholders to prepare White Paper to establish the Beyond Bengaluru mandate.

Speaking on the announcement, Dr. CN Ashwath Narayan, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Minister for IT, BT and S&T, said, “Beyond Bengaluru is a unique initiative by the Government of Karnataka in its efforts to boost IT penetration across the State, supported by strategic policy interventions and holistic economic development. The cities of Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubbali -Dharwad and Shivamogga are foreseeing great investment opportunities and employment potential. We aim to build a sustainable model to encourage the growth of and development in cities Beyond Bengaluru.”.

Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka, said, “Government of Karnataka has a clear vision on building the innovation and technology ecosystem in cities Beyond Bengaluru. For enhanced ecosystem growth, it is important that we look at infrastructure development, market access, ecosystem engagement and talent development of these cities. Furthermore, it is increasingly important, that we, as Government of Karnataka implement necessary steps to support and promote innovation, growth and development in these cities.”