Karnataka govt unveils 50 startup innovations at Bengaluru Tech Summit
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Wednesday unveiled 50 innovative products and solutions developed by startups on the second day of the 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
Among the innovators was eight-year-old Athvik Amith Kumar, the youngest participant, who launched Zozo Connect, a digital business card, in the presence of IT Minister Priyank Kharge and other dignitaries.
Officials said Zozo Connect aims to simplify networking through smart, seamless sharing and easy branding.
According to an official statement, the products showcased are multidisciplinary and sector-agnostic.
They span IT/ITeS, agri-tech, med-tech, healthcare, clean-tech, artificial intelligence, deep tech, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, Software as a Service (SaaS), R&D, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics, and Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM).
Most of the startups involved are incubated at Karnataka government-supported facilities such as K-Tech Innovation Hubs, Centres of Excellence, and Technology Business Incubators anchored by IISc.
They are also supported by industry associations like the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and the India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA).
They developed these solutions using state-of-the-art infrastructure available at these hubs, officials said.
"Most of the startups are also recipients of the government’s flagship Idea2PoC (Proof of Concept) ELEVATE grant-in-aid seed funding programme," the statement added.
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Jarkiholi is my colleague, don’t see us as enemies: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has stated that Satish Jarkiholi and he are colleagues and not enemies.
Speaking to presspersons here, Shivakumar questioned the media for portraying tension between the two leaders. “It is true that Satish Jarkiholi and I met at a wedding last night. We discussed the state and the party. Satish Jarkiholi and I are colleagues. Why do you see us as enemies?” he asked.
Shivakumar was responding to queries near the new Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) office on Thursday.
When asked about Jarkiholi’s visit, he said, “We attend cabinet meetings in the afternoon, we meet for dinner, we meet for breakfast in the morning; these interactions are normal. In politics, friendship, relationships, and closeness always exist.”
He added, “Now, M.B. Patil and I spoke for about an hour about how to attract investors to the state, how Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are competing with us. A global conference will be held in Telangana soon, and we discussed how Karnataka should compete at the global level. It is natural to discuss the state’s progress this way.”
Speaking about the inauguration of the new KKRDB office, he said, “Businessmen in Karnataka should be respected. Their work should be facilitated, officers’ visits should be convenient, and files should be cleared quickly. The state government has built a new KKRDB office under the leadership of M.B. Patil. They had been in a rented building for so long; now they have their own office. It is close to Vidhana Soudha, bus and railway stations.”
When mediapersons asked about, leader of opposition, R. Ashoka’s comments regarding the Upalokayukta report that allegedly shows 63% corruption in the state, Shivakumar retorted, stating that, “It’s a pity that R. Ashoka doesn’t know the time period the report covers. Let him first read the report. Let him raise the issue in the session, and we will answer there.”
On whether a date has been fixed for the all-party delegation’s visit to Delhi, he said, “We still need to discuss it. The Union Minister said he is busy with the Parliament session, so we postponed the meeting scheduled for December 8. He had written a letter about this. The Prime Minister has a meeting with Prahlad Joshi. Nirmala Sitharaman has to introduce a bill that day. Somanna also said he will not be able to attend. A date will be fixed that is convenient for all of us.”
