On the occasion of Varamahalakhmi, the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) opened its third office in the state, with the goal of growing the state's digital economy contribution to 30% of Gross State Domestic Product (SGDP). As part of the programme, global IT firm GlowTouch which aims to employ 500 candidates was also inaugurated.
CN Ashwatha Narayana, the minister for Electronics, IT/Bt, and S&T, inaugurated the new office at Silver Spirit Technology Park, stating that the KDEM office here will focus on the expansion of the digital economy in the Mysuru cluster.
He stated that this was KDEM's third office in the state, following Bengaluru and Hubbali “By 2030, Mysuru and other clusters such as Hubballi and Mangaluru are predicted to account for more than 5% of the overall technology sector. To bolster the digital economy, the government will prioritise boosting connection, even in distant areas, providing 24-hour electricity, and bridging the rural-urban gap through the establishment of necessary infrastructure.”
The KDEM's objective is to encourage investments in the state's IT sectors, including agriculture, and to create 10 lakh jobs by 2025. It accomplishes this goal by concentrating on five verticals: information technology goods and services, innovation and startups, electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM), ‘Beyond Bengaluru,' and ‘Talent Accelerator,' according to the minister.
On #Varamahalakshmi day, we inaugurated branch office of @karntakadem & launched 100-day plan for #BeyondBengaluru at Mysuru.
HH Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar,MP Sri @mepratap,Sri @prashanthp,Sri Shyamprasad Hebbar, @GlowTouch,industry leaders & officials were present. pic.twitter.com/XQltTgFjBW
— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) August 20, 2021
By 2025, the Prime Minister has set the goal of India becoming a $1 trillion digital economy. By then, Karnataka's contribution to the digital economy should be over $300-350 billion, with $150 billion coming from IT exports, Narayana added. KDEM was established to facilitate accomplishing this aim, he asserted.
“The 10-lane highway connectivity between Bengaluru and Mysuru, which is scheduled to be completed next year, will promote the growth of industries in the Mysuru region,” said Pratap Simha, Member of Parliament from Mysuru. He also confirmed that the construction of the four-lane road between Mysuru and Madikeri will begin the following year.
“The Future Digital Jobs in Mysuru project, which was launched on the occasion, was a well-thought-out unique programme to tap the tech potential in Mysuru,” stated Prashanth Prakash, Chairman of the Startup Vision Group, GOK.
Dr Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Electronics, IT/BT, Science and Technology, and C&I, Karnataka, discussed the ‘Beyond Bengaluru' project and its goals. He said: “The department is committed to assisting Beyond Bengaluru clusters throughout Karnataka in realising their full potential. We are already seeing early returns, with GlowTouch establishing a presence in Mysore and iMerit establishing a presence in Hubli, and many more are in the works.”
B V Naidu, Chairman of KDEM, also said that the mission of KDEM, a joint initiative of industry and government, to drive the ‘Beyond Bengaluru' mission and create 10 lakh job opportunities in clusters identified outside Bengaluru, will become a reality, and Mysuru is emerging as a promising destination for Global Capability Centers (GCC's) and ESDM.
