Making Mysuru next Innovation Hub

• Run-up event in city for Bengaluru Tech Summit-2019
• Rs. 6,000 crore IT exports coming from Mysuru, says Additional Chief Secretary Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy

Mysuru: “Mysuru has the potential to become a premier start-up hub in the country as it is well placed in terms of quality and cost of living and is the next preferred destination after Bengaluru,” said Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2019 – Mysore Road Show’ organised by the Department of IT, BT and S&T with the theme “Mysuru the Next Innovation Hub,” at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel here this morning and said the city provides access to the best academia, infrastructure, connectivity and the expat community. 

“With nearly Rs. 6,000 crore IT exports coming from Mysuru, the Department is mulling strengthening the NAIN (New Age Innovation Network) initiative and will be renaming it as District Innovation Hubs. Managers, who are now re-designated as K-tech District Innovation Associates (K-DIAs), would evangelise and support innovation related programmes at the District Level,” he said.

“The K-DIAs shall organise mentoring sessions to students, internship and visits to large companies or incubators where the students can get an exposure to the larger ecosystem. We are also planning to hold BTS like events in cities like Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad next year,” he added.

“The fact that two start-ups from Mysuru were finalists for the  ELEVATE-2019 programme is in an indication that Mysuru has taken yet another step forward to become a start-up hub,” he said. 

The Government has a strong emphasis on University engagement which is done through NAIN focusing on tier-2 and tier-3 cities in the State through a network of 30 engineering institutions wherein 293 projects have been funded and over 100 working prototypes have been realised, he said. 

“There are four Colleges from Mysuru including National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), SBRR Mahajana First Grade College and Vidya Vikas Institute of Engineering & Technology (VVIET) that have such incubation centres set up to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Dr. Ramana Reddy.

Elaborating on the Government’s flagship event, the Additional Chief Secretary said, “Over the past 21 years, Bengaluru Tech Summit has become a global catalyst for technology and innovation. This year, we are bringing bigger and better technologies to Karnataka with the 22nd edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit-2019 to be held from Nov. 18 to Nov.20 with the theme Innovation and Impact 2.0,” he said. 

Prashant Kumar Mishra, Managing Director, KITS (Karnataka Information Technology Services), Department of IT, BT and S&T, said, “Our vision is to transform Karnataka’s economy through innovation which is the focus of BTS. We are expecting good participation from Mysuru at BTS since it is a fast growing start-up hub.”