'We want to take IT investments beyond Bengaluru': Karnataka Dy CM

We expect that the Karnataka would export IT services and products worth $300 billion over the next five years, says Dr Narayana

Karnataka's Begaluru Tech Summit later this month will be the first time the prestigious event is being online in 23 years. In an interview, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minster Dr C N Aswath Narayana who is also the minister for IT, BT, and Schience & Technology tells Bibhu Ranjan Mishra that despite the coronavirus pandemic, Katnaraka with several proactive policies and measures continues to attract technology investments in areas like IT/ITeS, startups, electronics manufacturing among others. Edited excerpts
 

Quite interestingly, the theme of Bengaluru Tech Summit this year is ‘Next is Now’. What are the next set of opportunities that the state is now looking at?

It is based on the belief that technology products or solutions have to be designed keeping in mind the requirements of tomorrow, not just today. Bengaluru Tech Summit provides an idea platform to collaborate and engage with a wider set of audience, share ideas and thoughts, and work towards building products and solutions that will be vital for the growth of the world in the future. The ‘Next’ set of areas what we are talking about include things like artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, Machine Learning, Robotics and so on.
 

Do you think that Karnataka, more specifically Bengaluru, will be able to enjoy the same level of position in a post Covid-19 environment which has kind of democratized the talent base owing to adoption of ‘remote working’ model?

Various sectors have different types of requirements. For the startups, the requirements are different whereas for IT, ITeS, the model is quite different. They (IT/ITeS) can work from home. Some works can happen remotely while certain types of works require collaboration in a physical office environment. If people can do future works in their respective places, this is well and good. In fact, we are one of the first states to come out with an IT policy as a part of which we are encouraging companies to go beyond Bengaluru and look at tier-II, tier-III cities and towns in the state. We do expect that the Karnataka would export IT services and products worth $300 billion over the next five years which is a growth of over six times. So when this happens, we can’t just limit the works to Bengaluru. And we don’t want to subsidise anything inside Bengaluru, but beyond Bengaluru.

Karnataka has been trying to attract sizable investments in the ESDM (electronic system design and manufacturing) space. How is the success?

The most important requirements for attracting ESDM firm is the existence of skilled manpower, favourable policy and the incentives. We have set up a Karnataka Innovation Authority to work in this direction. Now under the innovation authority, the promotion of innovation can happen very effectively. Another step in this direction is the formation of a Karnataka Digital Economy Mission in partnership with the industry. The Mission will have vision groups for each of the segments including startups, ESDM, Biotech and so on. We are coming out with an AI Research centre in partnership with the IISc and the policy framework to promote the adoption of AI. We may also come up with an exclusive policy on cyber security in collaboration with various agencies like RBI, banks, police/Home Dept.

What is the kind of outcomes do you expect from the Bengaluru Tech Summit this year?

We are expecting to sign around 12 MoUs this year with regard to technology out of which 7 have already been finalized and rest are in the process of getting formalized. All the participating countries and organisations know quite well that Karnataka provides the most conducive ecosystem in the country and even globalllyWe have some 25 countries that are participating in the event this year while the number of visitors are also expected to be significantly higher.

As far as Covid -19 management is concerned, there is a belief that despite being the tech capital of India, Karnataka after initial success, faltered after some time. What’s your view?

More than 70,000 tests are being conducted in in the state everyday, just in the govt. labs, not to mention those being done in private labs. It is a big number. So, starting from the tests which are being fast-tracked, identifying place for those patients in the hospitals, remote treatment or even home isolation, we are using technology to an extent in the Covid-19 management. The other areas are remotes ICUs management and tele consultation. We did not have many ICUs even in district hospitals. So, technology is enabling us to effectively manage everything.

How is the state’s preparedness to vaccinate the people once vaccines are out? Are you leveraging technology for that?

Yes. Technology will play a huge role especially in terms of selection of beneficiaries who should get vaccination and also the disbursal of the vaccines. Already, the home work has started around storage, disbursal, selection of the beneficiaries in coordination with the Central government, though at this point I can’t share much.