Mangaluru Technovanza 2024, an event organised by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) on Thursday, brought together the industry leaders, start-up founders, students, and other stakeholders to explore the technology and entrepreneurship landscape in coastal Karnataka.
Sessions, panel discussions, keynote addresses, and startup exhibition helped highlight the aspirations of the people of the region to emerge as a technology hub of the future.
Rohith Bhat, Lead Industry Anchor for the Mangaluru Cluster and Founder and CEO of 99Games, who termed the coastal Karnataka region as the ‘Silicon Beach of India’, provided an update on the progress of the Mangaluru cluster over the past year.
Stating that there is a significant increase in interest from companies considering setting up operations in the region, he said the number of inquiries has risen from two-three a month a year ago to 10-15 a month now. The number of IT employees has expanded from 15,000 a year ago to 20,000 this year.
Sharing the news of a foreign company starting a data centre in Karkala town of the ‘Silicon Beach of India’, Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO of KDEM, said many such companies are considering setting up operations in the region.
Touching upon the ‘silicon beach’ concept Rahul Sharma, Managing Director of USIBC (US India Business Council), said this analogy highlights the region’s potential as a vibrant technology landscape, which complements Bengaluru (Silicon Valley of India). He spoke about Mangaluru’s advantages such as its robust IT infrastructure and its status as an educational hub, and how KDEM’s ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative is coming to life.
A contender
A panel discussion on ‘What Mangaluru needs to do to become a strong Bengaluru+1 contender?’, which was moderated by Kamal Karanth, Co-Founder of Xpheno, highlighted the strengths and challenges of the region.
Jacob Buchardt, Vice President Corporate PMO, EG A/S (a Denmark based company), said his company expanded in Mangaluru from a team of 50 to over 500 within a short period due to the strong talent pool in Mangaluru. The availability of skilled professionals has significantly facilitated its rapid growth, he said.
Ajay Verma, Managing Director, Advisory, BDO RISE Pvt Ltd, said that one key advantage of setting up Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in tier-2 cities is the higher retention rate seen in these regions, indicating untapped potential in cities like Mangaluru.
Participating in the discussion, Priya Prabhu, Director (HR), Moss Adams India, said companies are increasingly considering locations such as Mangaluru following initiatives from organisations like KDEM in promoting emerging tech clusters.
Anuj Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Zyoin Group, stressed the need to enhance the region’s brand presence. Mangaluru’s high literacy rate of 94 per cent provides a skilled workforce, and attracting talent from outside the region is essential for further growth, he said.
Start-up ecosystem
Another panel discussion on ‘Accelerating world-class startup ecosystem in Mangaluru’, which was moderated by Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi, Co-Founder and Managing Director and CEO of Novigo Solutions, focussed on nurturing entrepreneurship in the region.
Madan Padaki, Founder and CEO of 1BRIDGE and President of TiE Bengaluru, urged the need to introduce entrepreneurial education in all schools and colleges. He suggested that educational institutions and incubators should be programmed to support entrepreneurial growth, while the broader ecosystem must work together to nurture startups.
Expressing his willingness to support institutional incubators and accelerators in the region, Neeraj Tyagi, Co-Founder and CEO of We Founder Circle, reiterated the need for the local ecosystem to take proactive steps to support and grow the startups.
A fireside chat between Bhaskar Verma, Regional Director of Nasscom, and Johnson Tellis, CEO of Inunity LLP, focussed on key aspects of evolving technology landscape in the country. Verma emphasized the need for technical skills such as data analysis and programming, and soft skills such as communication and adaptability for success.
Participating in the valedictory session, Paroma Chatterjee, CEO of Revolut India, spoke on the role of talent availability within the innovation ecosystem, and emphasized the importance of collaboration with industries to improve infrastructure and create sustainable employment opportunities for the future.
In his valedictory address, BV Naidu, Chairman of KDEM, said initially ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative faced scepticism regarding its feasibility. With the support of industry leaders such as Rohith Bhat, the initiative has achieved significant success, demonstrating the potential of tech clusters outside Bengaluru, he said.
