“Karnataka Strongly Promotes Startups All Along,” Santosh Laad

Our government strongly promotes startups with technological expertise all along, and events such as India Gadgetz Expo (IGE) 2016 are the perfect place for all industry players to meet, said Santosh Laad, Labor Minister of Karnataka at the inauguration of the IGE 2016 at the KPTO, Whitefield near Bengaluru. Addressing the function, the minister stressed on platforms like IGE that are the perfect place for future innovations and investments in the industry and improves everyone’s daily lives.”

Since its successful debut in 2014, India Gadgetz Expo (IGE), India’s biggest consumer tech event, has become the single biggest consumer tech show in the country. Founded as an initiative to promote innovation and showcase futuristic technologies, IGE is a prime consumer tech event in India with participation and attendance from Indian and global brands and startups. Now, IGE is back for its 3^rd edition at the KTPO Exhibition Centre, Whitefield, Bengaluru from October 14-16, 2016. IGE 2016 promises to host a vast audience consisting of established industry leaders, hardware startups which are supported by the Government of Karnataka and the general public. The central theme of IGE 2016 is the “Future is Here”.

The inaugural ceremony was kicked off by delegates from the Government of Karnataka including  Santosh Laad -  Labor Minister of Karnataka,  Anil Laad -Karnataka Congress MLA,  R K Srivastava - Managing Director, KEONICS and Ajitabh M Jerath, Regional Director, Gionee. 

India Gadgetz Expo 2016:

There are more than 200 brands that will be participating at this year’s edition of IGE and keeping in line with the theme “Future is Here” they will be showcasing their latest technological innovations, revealing their new products and speaking about their involvement in the consumer tech space. With more than 85 exhibition stalls also planned out, industry watchers will get a hands-on chance to engage with the who’s who of the tech world. Some of the key brands that are expected at IGE 2016 are Gionee, Apple, Timex, Oppo, Intex, Lenovo, Epson, BSNL, Reliance Jio, Creative and many more.

Additionally, there are more than 60 hardware startup brands that are being supported by the Karnataka Government and will also be present at IGE 2016 to showcase their innovative products/services. The hardware startups are selected by Revvx Hardware Accelerator. These startups belong to varied industries such as Robotics, Automation, Electric Vehicles, Drone Manufacturers and many more.

Sanjivv Kumar, IGE Founder, said – “The 3^rd edition of IGE promises to be the biggest in the consumer tech space in India. Thanks to the enthusiasm and interest by so many well-known brands, the startup community and the Karnataka Government, we have been able to put together a fabulous lineup of exhibitors and panel discussions this year. There is something for everyone at IGE 2016, right from Virtual Reality to electric vehicles, and we are so excited to host this event for a wide range of audience from the tech industry.”

Insightful panel discussions with participation by some of the prominent industry personalities and thought leaders also promise to make IGE 2016 high eventful. With 11 panel discussions scheduled over the 3-day event, and participation by more than 50 industry leaders who will be sharing their experiences, data points and opinions about the most pertinent topics, IGE will be a vastly educational experience for everyone involved with the event. The panel discussions are planned around fascinating topics such as – Vehicle Technology, Women Leaders in Technology, Smart Cities in India, Growth Hacking and more.

Additionally, there is a 36-hour ‘Hackathon’ also scheduled for IGE 2016. Organized by HackMania, the hackathon received over 500 registrations based on which 300 of the best registrants were chosen based on their prior experience. The theme of the hackathon is ‘Social Innovation’ and the average age of the participants is 24 years. While they will be permitted to use a combination of hardware and software solutions for their innovations, they will also have 15-20 mentors who will be present to aid them. The winner of the hackathon will receive a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000.

IGE 2016 also has in store the Inspiring Indian Innovation (I3) awards to recognize and honor excellence in the technology industry. These awards will look to highlight the Indian innovators who have made a mark in their respective domains, based on their creativity, design, product or impact.