Govt aims to make K'taka hub for next breed of fabless startups to thrive: Minister Ashwath Narayan
Bengaluru, Oct 21: Karnataka Minister for Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology C N Ashwath Narayan on Thursday said the government aims to make the state the hub around which the next breed of Indian fabless startups can thrive.
He said it also aims to propel the Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) sector and support innovative domestic companies.
"ESDM sector in India, which is predicted to expand at a 16.1 per cent CAGR, presents a golden opportunity for Industries to Make In India for the world and fulfill the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives," Narayan said.
Speaking on the topic 'India's Accelerated ESDM Growth - The Defining Decade' in the 16th edition of Indian Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) Vision Summit- 2021 virtually, he said, "ESDM sector in the country which is predicted to reach USD 220 billion by 2025 has the potential to create 1,000 start-ups, 10,000 IPs (Intellectual Properties), and 10 lakh jobs."
Electronics production has the potential to generate around 1 crore jobs by 2050. Numerous domains and sectors in India such as Agritech, Medical devices, telemedicine, Industry 4.0, Consumer electronics, Space & Defense are dependent on the way Indian Electronics Industry flourishes, according to him.
Noting that the electronics market size in India is over USD 300 billion and the country's share in the global electronics manufacturing consistently growing since in 2012, Narayan said though currently India has more than 100 Semiconductor Design services companies offering semiconductor design to its global customers, it needs to go still further to become self-sufficient in designing and manufacturing semiconductors.
Citing the Centre's policy initiatives while expressing confidence that there will be a thrust for manufacturing of silicon and compound semiconductor chips in the country, he said the state with the intention of creating a suitable ecosystem has sector-specific policies including Engineering R& D policy, KDEM, Beyond Bengaluru, among others.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
