Karnataka to chalk new plan for IT, biotech sectors

Bengaluru: The tech-savvy Karnataka government would soon draw a new plan to consolidate the state's leadership in the IT, biotech and science sectors, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said on Wednesday.

"A future path for the state's IT, biotech and related sectors would be drawn soon for which an interaction with the industry and government stakeholders was held to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the fields," a statement from Parameshwara's office said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also holds the IT, BT and science and technology portfolios.

"There is a need to create a talent pool and updating the syllabus at institutional level in order to keep our home talents up-to-date on the ever-changing technology and innovations globally," Parameshwara said on the occasion.

The state aims to strengthen and create more opportunities of growth in IT, biotech and science and technology sectors, he added.

As the country's tech hub, Bengaluru is home to 2,000-odd IT firms and 750 multinationals in the technology sector, with over 20 lakh techies working in them.

With a dominant IT industry, the city alone contributes to about 40 per cent of the country's total IT exports.

There is a need to invest in skill development, human potential and research and development to ensure a future-ready workforce, Parameshwara stressed in his meeting with the industry.

The progress of science and technology sectors would help in making Bengaluru a leading city in innovation, he added.

Debjani Ghosh, president of IT industry apex body Nasscom; biotech major Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw; software major Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and representatives from leading tech firms including IBM, Intel, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were present at the interaction.