KDEM To Shore Up Digital Infrastructure For The Start-Up Ecosystem In Belagavi With A Transformational Mega-Event

* Organised Symposium on the expansion of co-working spaces in Tier 2-3 cities

* Top 30 CEOs from Karnataka participated in the CEO Roundtable on Boosting Belagavi as the next important destination for Karnataka’s Start-up Ecosystem

* Inauguration of Vayavya Labs by Hon'ble Minister, Dr C N Ashwathnarayana, Dr. Ramana Reddy, ACS, Dept of IT BT & S&T and BV Naidu Chairman, KDEM

As part of its Beyond Bengaluru initiative to ramp up the digital economy across the state of Karnataka through the development of cluster cities, The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) is set to organise a mega event in Belagavi, Karnataka.  As part of the event, KDEM will organise three important sessions – i) Symposium on Understanding Requirements of Co-working Spaces for their Expansion in Tier-2 and 3 Cities, ii) CEO Roundtable on Boosting Belagavi as the next big Destination for the growth of IT and Start-ups iii) Inauguration of Vayavya Labs by Hon'ble Minister, Dr. C N Ashwathnarayana, Dr. Ramana Reddy, ACS, Dept of IT BT & S&T and BV Naidu Chairman, KDEM. These events have been organised with a focus on strengthening digital infrastructure in these cities while nurturing talent and addressing industry challenges.

Speaking at the momentous occasion, Shri B V Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission said, “We are constantly making strides in creating a veritable digital ecosystem across Karnataka while facilitating the development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This mega-event in Belagavi stands testimony to our commitment to ensuring Karnataka leads from the front in the country’s digital growth story. With the introduction of the IT Policy in the state, our concerted efforts will be to strengthen digital infrastructure across cluster cities while understanding their challenges and requirements towards expanding IT infrastructure and affordable co-working spaces to encourage organisations to set up officers here.”

The mega-event also witnessed a CEO Roundtable with participation of top 30 CEOs from Karnataka. The Roundtable was chaired by Hon’ble Minister Dr. C N Ashwathnarayana, Minister of Electronics, Science and Technology, Higher Education & Information Technology, Biotechnology of Karnataka, and focused on detailed discussions, exchange of ideas, and policy recommendations on making Belagavi the next big destination for start-ups and digital infrastructure. The participants of the CEO Roundtable included industry experts such as Bishwanath Shukla, Director, Aarya Ocean Logistics Park Pvt Ltd, Dr. Prabhakar Kore, Chairman, KLE Society & Chancellor, KLE University Belagavi along with Parag Naik, CEO Saankhya Labs & RK Patil, CEO Vayavya Labs. These visionaries came together to identify action points on creating a strong academia-industry collaboration as a growth steerer in cluster cities along with job creation, nurturing talent, and integrating a logistics hub in Belagavi.

Addressing the Roundtable, Hon’ble Minister Dr. C N Ashwathnarayana, Minister of Electronics, Science and Technology, Higher Education & Information Technology, Biotechnology of Karnataka said, “Karnataka has a strong talent pool of ideas, the drive to make it big and contribute immensely to the digital economy of the nation. What we need to focus now is on harnessing emerging markets in the state such as Belagavi, Hubli, Mangaluru, and the likes and bringing them at par in terms of infrastructure, manpower, and opportunities. I am very happy to see KDEM successfully taking its Beyond Bengaluru vision to markets such as Belagavi and empowering them to contribute to Karnataka’s digital growth.”

The event also extended to a Symposium on Understanding Requirements of Co-working Spaces for their Expansion in Tier-2 and 3 Cities. This entailed a panel discussion represented by Smart City, BUDA, CREDAI, Heads of Co-Working Spaces such as WeWork, Innov8, IndiCube, WorkFlo by OYO, BHIVE, Workshaala, Embassy Group and Prestige Group along with Industry Bodies to understand the need for creating demand for space through an effective public-private partnership model with Government support. 

Commenting on the Symposium, Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, MD & CEO, Lahari said, “KDEM’s assiduous efforts in bolstering digital development in cluster cities for the state’s overall economic development and growth is already bearing fruit. Today, tier-2 and 3 cities are inviting representation from the who’s who of the IT industry as organisations are setting up offices to enable employees to work from locations closer to their homes. This is giving rise to a surge in demand for coworking spaces. Thanks to the vision of the Government of Karnataka and their beneficial policy benefits along with KDEM’s Beyond Bengaluru strategy, Tier2-3 cities such as Belagavi will see affordable and smart coworking spaces and become hubs for the industry.”

Hon’ble Minister Dr. C N Ashwathnarayana, Minister of Electronics, Science and Technology, Higher Education & Information Technology, Biotechnology of Karnataka, and Shri B V Naidu, Chairman, KDEM also participated in the Inaugural Session of the 3rd edition of TECHBHARAT 2022, a pre-event on transforming India’s Foodtech and Agronomic Landscape. As part of the event, an MoU was signed between KDEM and Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) to leverage KDEM’s expertise and collaborate on providing training programs to entrepreneurs, creating a formidable landscape to augment the growth of start-ups operating at the VTU-Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (VTUiNEC).

Hon'ble Minister, Dr C N Ashwtahnarayan, Dr. Ramana Reddy, ACS, Dept of IT BT & S&T and BV Naidu Chairman, KDEM also inaugurated the second office of Vayavya Labs in Belagavi. This Belagavi-headquartered company is known for its contribution to developing world standards for Semiconductors & Systems domain and is expanding to promote excellence, technology and foster innovation and talent generation.

Dr. Ramana Reddy, ACS, Dept of IT BT & S&T said, “KDEM in its effort to build a future of technology, growth and digital economy across Karnataka through its various initiatives has come in support of organisations emerging out of places such as Belagavi. It is encouraging to see strong infrastructure growth in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and I am confident that such initiatives will encourage several industry leaders and organisations to set up offices in these emerging markets. We welcome Vayavya Labs’ second office and look forward to making Belagavi a centre of excellence and innovation.”

KDEM’s Beyond Bengaluru mission has been creating waves through several mega-events, cluster events, and international technology platforms to provide network, market access, mentorship, and investment access for the growth of start-ups in Karnataka while strengthening talent for the future needs of the industry. 

About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)

With an objective to increase the share of the Digital economy in the state, the Government of Karnataka set up the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), a Section-8 organization, which acts as a knowledge bridge between the industry and the government. To meet the objectives, KDEM has been working towards the five focus areas, viz. IT Products & Services, BPM & GCC promotion; Innovations & Start-ups; ESDM; Beyond Bengaluru; and Talent Accelerator.