Aim is to empower and enable fresh graduates to be industry-ready

Mysore/Mysuru: A month after announcing the launch of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) in Mysuru with an objective of increasing digital economy contribution, the KDEM Office was launched in city this morning by Minister for IT&BT, Science and Technology and Skill Development Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan. 

The launch ceremony was held at Silver Spirit Technology Park at Hebbal Industrial Area. The KDEM (Beyond Bangalore) Mysuru Cluster aims to increase the digital economy contribution to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) up to 30 percent. 

As a preferred destination for businesses across several industry verticals, Mysuru is emerging as an IT&BT hub of late. KDEM is an initiative sponsored by the Government of Karnataka that will help Mysuru accelerate and position it as an alternative destination for technology and innovation, Beyond Bengaluru. 

As part of the KDEM Office opening, the Minister also inaugurated the operations of GlowTouch Technologies in Mysuru. GlowTouch is a US-based IT-ITES company headquartered in Kentucky with operational offices in Mangaluru and Bengaluru. Now the company has its branch in Mysuru. 

Other dignitaries present on the occasion include Dr. Bagadi Gautham, Deputy Commissioner; Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, scion of erstwhile Mysore royal family; Prashanth Prakash, Chairman, Start-up Vision Group; Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary IT&BT; B.V. Naidu, Chairman, KDEM; Meena Nagaraj, Director, Electronics, IT, BT and MD-KBITS; Shyamprasad Hebbar, Director, GlowTouch Technologies and Sanjeev Gupta, MD and CEO Lahari. 

Future Digital Jobs initiative

In his address, Dr. Ashwathnarayan said that Mysuru and other clusters like Hubballi and Mangaluru will contribute more than five percent of the overall tech economy by 2030. He also highlighted KDEM’s Future Digital Jobs initiative platform for fresh engineering graduates in tier 2 and tier 3 cities to avail job opportunities in reputed IT firms.

“KDEM will provide launch pad training and jobs to selected candidates. Mysuru is the frontrunner as far as this initiative is concerned and will provide a road map for other Beyond Bengaluru clusters as well. The aim is to enable 2,000 fresh graduates in Karnataka to be industry-ready and provide them with job opportunities in the private sector,” he added. 

Cyber Security Hub 

Yaduveer shared his thoughts on Mysuru being a technology destination and spoke about the recent understanding between Bherunda Foundation and Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) to set up a Centre of Excellence (COE) for Cyber Security. KSOU and Bherunda will jointly launch the Cyber Security certification programme for industry and the Government on Sept. 5 this year. Mysuru will now also be known as Cyber Security Hub and produce Cyber Lancers (Cyber Warriors),” he added.  

MP Pratap Simha spoke about how connectivity is crucial for industry and academia growth and touched upon the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway, more flights to Mysore Airport and the newly planned Mysuru-Madikeri Highway, all initiatives of the Narendra Modi Government. 

Pavan Ranga, Partner – NR Group and CII Chairman; Sanjay Srinivasmurthy, Managing Director, Silicon Road Ideation Labs; Vidya Ravichandran Founder & President, GlowTouch Technologies and P.C. Ramesh – Sr. Vice President & Head – Delivery were present.