Govt to promote state as hub of electronic system design, manufacturing

5 hardware accelerators to come up; will serve as incubators for entrepreneurs

The government is set to give a thrust to electronic design as a supplement to its Information Technology (IT) initiative, with five hardware accelerators in different parts of the state in the offing.

The IT department is keen on giving an impetus to niche areas like Electronic Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) and has readied a policy in this regard.

ESDM is the fastest growing segment in the Information and Communications Technology sector and includes chip design, embedded software, very large scale integration - key in the manufacture of computers, mobile phones and other gadgets.

"We have reached a saturation point when it comes to software. Karnataka accounts for 35% of the national exports. We want to take it forward," IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge told DH.

The 'Electronic Systems Design and Manufacturing, 2017' is ready and is likely to be cleared by the cabinet next week. The government had brought out a similar policy in 2013, but it did not take off.

The revisited policy focuses on startups and providing the right ecosystem to nurture them. The government will start five hardware accelerators to serve as incubators for entrepreneurs who come forward to take up innovations in ESDM.

The centres will come up in Shivamogga, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Bengaluru. An amount of Rs 80 crore has been earmarked for the purpose. These centres will provide infrastructure to entrepreneurs and companies which want to take their producer concept and create a working prototype.

Kharge said these centres will have design tools such as VLSI, testing facilities, compliance and certification lab along with manpower and component stocks.

"The government will market the state as an alternative ESDM centre for the global audience and build a strong Brand Karnataka," Kharge said.