Bengaluru climbs to 14th in Global Startup Ecosystem rankings, secures fifth position in AI
BENGALURU: Bengaluru secured 14th place in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2025, improving from its 21st rank in the previous year. The city also achieved fifth position, globally in the AI and Big Data sector.
Prepared by Startup Genome, the GSER 2025 was released during VivaTech 2025 in Paris. It assessed startup ecosystems worldwide on various indicators such as performance, funding, market reach, talent availability, experience and knowledge, with particular emphasis this year on AI-native capabilities.
Karnataka’s Minister for IT and Biotechnology, Priyank Kharge, participated in a panel discussion at the event, he remarked “This ranking is not just a number; it reflects the structural resilience and readiness of Karnataka’s innovation economy.”
Kharge explained Karnataka’s comprehensive strategy to advance its innovation landscape, mentioning initiatives like Innoverse open innovation platform, the Beyond Bengaluru regional startup programme and Nipuna Karnataka. The state is also encouraging collaboration between enterprises and startups through its expanding Global Capability Center (GCC) network along with extending dedicated support to Deep Tech sectors like artificial intelligence, biotechnology and robotics through targeted funding.
Bengaluru now ranks alongside established global innovation hubs such as Paris (12th), Philadelphia (13th) and Seattle (15th.
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Konkan Railway collects ₹2.37 crore fine from ticketless travelers
Udupi: As part of a special drive against ticketless travel, the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. has collected a total of ₹2,37,11,161 in fines so far this financial year.
According to an official press release, during the 2025-26 fiscal year to date, 3,765 ticket-checking drives have been conducted across the Konkan Railway route. In these checks, 40,602 passengers traveling without valid tickets or authorization were caught and fined, resulting in the recovery of over ₹2.37 crore.
With Ganesh Chaturthi and other upcoming festivals expected to bring a surge in passenger traffic, railway authorities have urged all travelers to purchase valid tickets to avoid inconvenience and ensure smooth travel.
KRCL has also announced that it will continue its ticket-checking operations across the Mumbai-Mangaluru route, with intensified checks planned around festive seasons.
