India Fourth Largest App Economy; B’lore Among World’s Top Digital Hubs, Says IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge at GMASA 2017

“Bengaluru is one of the world’s biggest digital hubs and the state of Karnataka is the destination for innovation and technology. An event like the Global Mobile Apps Summit and Awards (GMASA) being held in the city reaffirms this truth,” said Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister for IT-BT and Tourism.

In his inaugural address at opening of the two-day Global Mobile Apps Summit and Awards 2017 (GMASA2017), the fifth edition of the global event, at Hotel Sheraton Grand in the city on Thursday, he said the state government is taking concrete steps to strengthen the ecosystem for nurturing technology startups including mobile app companies.

He said the government has the startup policy to stimulate the spirit of entrepreneurship. The government has set up Rs 400-crore fund to accelerate 100 startups from each sector. “The only objective is to help startups succeed. We provide all support including idea validation, legal help, access to funds and mentorship. Karnataka is the only state to set up an exclusive fund to support companies that are into animation and gaming,” Kharge said.

“Over the next three years, the global app economy with be worth US$3.1 trillion and India is the fourth largest app economy. The country has overtaken the US in terms of the highest downloads of mobile apps from the Play Store. The Government of Karnataka is at the forefront of this revolution by adopting mobile technology to deliver services to the people.” the minister said, underling his government’s mobile-first policy.

Giving an example, he said the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is building a comprehensive travel app to showcase all tourist destinations in the state. People can book guided tours simply by using the KSTDC app, and the service would be delivered at their doorstep.

Welcoming Priyank Kharge on to the stage, C R Venkatesh, Chairman, GMASA, thanked all the sponsors and partners for extending great support for the success of the grand event. He said this edition of GMASA is receiving 1,600 participants including mobile app developers, marketers, managers and executive from some of the best companies around the world. The event is being supported by 19 corporate partners and 12 sponsors.

With the keynote address, the two-day GMASA began on a grand note. The event comprises a number of panel discussions and keynote addresses from industry experts and professionals, besides an exhibition by app developers and companies. It will conclude on Friday evening with a musical event featuring artists Adrea Jeremiah and Vedanth Bharadwaj.

 The previous edition of GMASA 2017 was successfully held in January this year in Jakarta, Indonesia.