Bengaluru matches Silicon Valley, Tokyo on global patents: Innovation Report
Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru’s score in the global patents metric is on par with Silicon Valley and Tokyo, underscoring its strength in IP generation and applied innovation, according to a report released at the tech summit here.
The city leads India in women-led start-ups, with 1,600 active ventures since 2010 that have collectively raised USD 10 billion, the Bengaluru Innovation Report-2025 said.
Bengaluru is recognised as India’s AI and Quantum Computing hub, attracting global giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Graphcore.
The city accounted for 58 per cent of India’s AI start-up funding in the last five years and is home to USD 872 million in AI investments, leading the nation in both funding and deal count, it added.
"Bengaluru is the fifth-largest unicorn hub globally, after Silicon Valley, New York, Beijing, and London, with 53 unicorns valued at USD 192 billion. This is more than any other Indian city, and Bengaluru’s unicorns contribute 42 per cent of India’s total unicorn valuation," it further stated.
The city leads in nurturing soonicorns (start-ups with unicorn potential).
Bengaluru has 39 soonicorns, compared with 30 in Delhi-NCR and 21 in Mumbai. These high-growth start-ups have raised USD 16.3 billion, demonstrating Bengaluru’s dominance in building the next generation of global tech leaders, it added.
Releasing the report at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said, "This captures Karnataka's journey—a story of innovation driven by vision, empowered by inclusivity, and strengthened by technology. Together, we will continue to ensure that the state not only leads India’s digital future but also sets the benchmark for innovation-led governance globally."
The report noted that Bengaluru hosts 40 per cent of India’s global capability centres (GCCs), the highest in the country, and aims to double this by 2029.
Between 2020 and 2023, Bengaluru recorded the highest number of patents in India in computer science (503), electronics (473), and communication (441). Its score of 910 in the global patents metric is comparable to Silicon Valley and Tokyo, reflecting its strength in IP generation and applied innovation.
The report also highlighted efforts to boost start-ups outside Bengaluru. Over 450 "Beyond Bengaluru" start-ups have engaged in state cluster initiatives, supported by the Cluster Seed Fund and Karnataka Accelerator Network, ensuring access to capital and mentorship for non-metro ventures.
"Emerging clusters such as Mangaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi-Dharwad are now ‘Cluster-as-a-Product’ destinations. Mangaluru, for example, saw tech firm Novigo Solutions acquired for Rs 950 crore, reflecting national and global investor confidence in non-metro start-ups," it said.
Start-ups in Bengaluru also achieved the fastest average time to exit—6.8 years—among 13 global hubs, faster than Silicon Valley (7.9 years) and Beijing (8.3 years).
"This speed reflects the maturity, investor confidence, and market readiness of Bengaluru’s ecosystem," the report added.
Since 2010, Bengaluru-based start-ups have raised USD 79 billion, accounting for 46 per cent of all venture capital deployed in India since 2016.
The 2024–25 period saw a 26 per cent rise in seed funding, with Bengaluru-based start-ups capturing 82 per cent of India’s AI application layer funding, reflecting strong investor conviction in early-stage deep-tech and AI ventures.
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Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo fight disruptions: Opposition demands statement from government
This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
