KEONICS will set up 2 lakh sq ft area building in Mangaluru

Leveraging all Start Ups and available technologies is important, the minister said

Dr C N Ashwath Narayana, Minister for Higher Education; IT and BT, Science and Technology; Skill Development, Entrepreneurship And Livelihood said that Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS) will build a 2 lakh square feet plinth area building for Mangaluru Innovation hub shortly.

Speaking during the second edition of ‘Technovanza’ here on Saturday, he said a seed fund of Rs 25 crore has been earmarked for Mangaluru cluster. There is a demand for increasing the incubation space to cater to the needs from the industry. The government will look into the available space in Infosys, Robosoft Technologies and Sahyadri campus in Mangaluru and how it can be made use for providing space for the Start Ups and other industry players who wish to start their base in Mangaluru.

Leveraging all Start Ups and available technologies is important. Dakshina Kannada is known as the cradle of banking. Keeping forth the history of Dakshina Kannada in the banking sector, Mangaluru is projected as a Fintech hub. There is no shortage of employment and there is a shortage of eligible candidates, he said.

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The government will give emphasis to growth of the IT and BT sector in its upcoming budget. “The country is poised to welcome a new era of the ‘Made in India Digital Product and Platform Revolution’ by making full use of young workforce skills. We are innovating rapidly in areas like AI, automation, the Internet of Things, and blockchain and building globally recognised software products in effort to be compliant with our data-driven, digital-first vision. We need to improve our data management strategies and boost our focus on skilling and reskilling tech talent, especially in the upcoming clusters. In this regard, the government is committed to leveraging start-ups in these regions, aiding the talent ecosystem, providing policy benefit outreach to industries, and developing social infrastructure. Mangaluru cluster will focus on setting up three Centres of Excellence – Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC), Fintech and Cybersecurity. The government and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission has identified Mangaluru as a prime contributor towards the country’s tech aspirations,” he said.

If Bengaluru is considered as Silicon Valley of India, the government will focus on developing Dakshina Kannada as "Silicon beach of India," he said.

The Fintech Task Group presented and submitted a roadmap report to the government on the occasion. The aim is to make Karnataka and Mangaluru, the Global Fintech Hub.

A 5-km walkathon with several participants, including the student community was organised in Mangaluru to promote the Technovanza’s vision and shed light on the 'Beyond Bengaluru' mission and was led by Dr Ashwath Narayana.