80 countries to be represented at Karnataka's Bridge to Bengaluru on April 17

In order to deepen sectoral partnerships, showcase Karnataka's talentbase, expand global market access, and drive more structured, measurable outcomes across emerging technology domains, the government will unveil an evolved Global Innovation Alliance (GIA 2.0), a next-generation framework at 'Bridge to Bengaluru- Dialogue with Diplomats' in New Delhi on April 17. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, along with Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will attend the event that will also see representation from 80 countries.

The platform will serve as the global showcase for GIA 2.0, bringing together governments, diplomats, startups, industry leaders, and research institutions to deepen collaboration across emerging sectors, Kharge said.

Bridge to Bengaluru 2026 will serve as a curtain-raiser to the 29th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which will be held from November 17–19, 2026, under the theme ‘AI & Beyond’.

GIA integrates government-to-government collaboration, global market access for startups, and institution-to-institution research partnerships into a single, outcome driven platform — positioning Karnataka as the country's gateway to global innovation ecosystems.

Priyank Kharge said, “Over the past year, we have seen our global partnerships evolve from dialogue to delivery. Through the Global Innovation Alliance, we are building structured pathways that enable startups and companies from Karnataka to access international markets, while bringing global innovation ecosystems closer to the state.”

He added, “As we enter what we see as Karnataka’s ‘Deep Tech Decade’, our focus is on strengthening the entire innovation value chain — from research and talent to capital and global market access. Deep tech and AI are central to this vision, and through GIA 2.0, we aim to make these partnerships more structured, outcome-driven, and aligned to emerging sectors.”