Russian trade team meets Karnataka IT minister to explore opportunities for tech collaboration
Bengaluru (PTI): Ahead of the Bengaluru Tech Summit, a high-level Russian trade delegation met Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday here to explore opportunities for tech collaboration with the state, officials said.
The delegation comprising senior officials and representatives from leading Russian IT and technology firms will explore opportunities for technology collaboration between Russian and Indian companies in Electronic Design Automation (EDA), Smart City Technologies, and Digital Engineering Solutions, they said.
According to an official statement, the delegation leader, Oxana Agafonova, Attache for IT Issues and Electronics, Russian Trade Commission, Embassy of Russia in India, is an expert in smart city solutions, artificial intelligence, video analytics, and digital transformation.
Agafonova actively connects Russian IT companies with India's fast-growing digital ecosystem and promotes Russian IT and electronics collaborations internationally.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Kharge said, "Karnataka is happy to welcome and support all the companies who are looking at market access, partnership or collaboration building or even setting up their manufacturing units here."
According to him, potential areas for collaboration include EDA software, AI-based analytics, urban digital infrastructure, and advanced electronics, offering strong opportunities for joint research, product development, and technology exchange.
"The delegation's visit ahead of Bengaluru Tech Summit offers an excellent opportunity to explore partnerships between Russian technology companies and Karnataka's startups, industries, and academic institutions," he said.
Bengaluru Tech Summit organised by the Department of Electronics, IT and BT will be held from Nov 18-20, officials said.
Kharge assured the state's support to Russian companies looking to establish or expand their presence in Karnataka.
"Through the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), the Government of Karnataka is committed to facilitating partnerships with the Centre of excellence, academic institutions & research institutions and conducting meetings during the Bengaluru Tech Summit," he added.
Karnataka is the largest and the most advanced technology hub in the country with a thriving ecosystem encompassing semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, and smart infrastructure technologies, the statement said.
"The trade mission is coordinated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Russia and the Moscow Export Center, with support from the Government of Moscow," it added.
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Illegal betting case: ED attaches ₹177 crore assets linked to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra
Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached assets worth ₹177.3 crore belonging to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra, also known as ‘Puppy’, and his associates in connection with an illegal online betting and gambling case, Deccan Herald reported.
According to the ED, the attached properties include immovable assets such as agricultural land and residential sites, along with other movable assets. The agency said these assets are believed to be proceeds of crime generated through illegal online betting and gambling activities.
The ED claimed that its investigation uncovered that Veerendra and his associates were the masterminds behind a nationwide illegal online betting network operating with the same modus operandi.
“The investigation has established that the accused generated substantial proceeds of crime by cheating the public through online betting and impersonation scams. In the scheme, unsuspecting players were induced to stake money on rigged illegal gaming websites, which functioned like online casinos. Their deposits, running into crores of rupees, were collected through payment gateways into designated payment aggregator accounts,” Deccan Herald quoted the agency as saying.
“The victims were initially shown fake winnings to build trust and were later blocked from withdrawing money. The investigation revealed the use of hundreds of mule accounts and multiple payment gateways for laundering the proceeds of crime,” the agency said.
Earlier, the ED carried out search and seizure operations at more than 60 locations across several states, during which large quantities of cash, gold bullion, gold and silver jewellery, vehicles, digital devices and incriminating documents were seized.
The ED also arrested Veerendra under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and a prosecution complaint has been filed before the Special PMLA court. Based on the evidence gathered, the agency has provisionally attached properties held directly and indirectly by him, which are believed to be linked to money laundering.
“With this, the ED has attached assets worth more than ₹320 crore in the present case under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002. Further, during the course of the investigation, proceeds of crime exceeding ₹2,300 crore have been identified so far, which were generated through illegal online betting and gambling activities and subsequently laundered through multiple layers of transactions,” the agency said.
