Bengaluru, Nov 19 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar has said that if India's first Prime Minister late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had not demonstrated the foresight to set up a series of public sector industries in Bengaluru, the state capital perhaps would not have developed so much.

Addressing a gathering at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024 here on Tuesday, he said, "If all those visionary educationists hadn’t set up so many engineering colleges and technology institutes in Bengaluru, perhaps Bengaluru would not be Bengaluru today...If Azim Premjis and Narayana Murthys of the world had not ventured out, perhaps Bengaluru would not be Bengaluru today. If thousands had not chosen Bengaluru for their startups, Bengaluru perhaps would not be Bengaluru today.”

“But Bengaluru has been growing rapidly. With such growth comes many issues. We need to fix them before they burst at their seams. I will guarantee you that I will spare no effort in fixing Bengaluru,” Shivakumar promised.

“In a short period, we have launched many mega projects to improve ease of living and ease of business in Bengaluru. Tunnel project and Bengaluru Business Corridor (known as PRR earlier). The PRR project was gathering dust for more than a decade. We have kickstarted the project and the work will start in six months. This project will solve traffic congestion in the city to a large extent. It will significantly help businesses on Outer Ring Road also. We have got the Cabinet approval for the tunnel project. It will also significantly improve traffic flow through the core of the city," Shivakumar said.

Earlier, in his inaugural speech, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “I am honoured to represent Karnataka - a state leading India’s technological transformation.”

“Karnataka has launched India’s first dedicated Global Capability Centers (GCC) policy, aimed at empowering and supporting these centres. Taking the policy announcement forward, I am proud to announce that we will be establishing three dedicated global innovation districts in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Belagavi. These will be dedicated parks for GCCs to set up shop here in the state,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.

The Bengaluru Global Innovation District will be part of the Knowledge, Wellbeing, and Innovation City (KWIN City), located just 45 minutes from Kempe Gowda International Airport, which will serve as a global hub for innovation and research, he announced.

"Karnataka’s startup ecosystem has seen remarkable growth, with an 18.2 per cent increase from 2022 to 2023, totalling 3,036 startups and making our state a leader with 8.7 per cent of India’s total startups. This success reflects our strong support and vibrant opportunities for entrepreneurs," the CM stated.

The five MoUs signed just now, with Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, IBM and BFSI Consortium are going to skill one lakh individuals in the state of Karnataka, he underlined.

“We believe in extending the benefits of growth beyond the tech sector through programmes like ‘Beyond Bengaluru’, which bring technology to rural areas, increase agricultural productivity, and improve e-education for students and positively impact the delivery of all citizen services,” he stated.

"True success lies in inclusive growth - ensuring that all citizens in both Bengaluru and Karnataka benefit from this transformation... I am delighted to announce the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in Kochanahalli, which will strengthen Karnataka’s role in the global semiconductor industry, creating jobs and driving economic growth in both urban and rural regions,” the CM said.