Mangaluru, Sept 25: In news that will significantly energise the local economy, the proposal for the largest tech park in Mangaluru is poised to go before the State Cabinet as soon as tomorrow, or early next week, for final approval.
This was the core announcement made by IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge while speaking at the fifth edition of Mangaluru Technovanza 2025, an initiative driving the state’s Beyond Bengaluru programme.
The New Technology Hub
The planned tech park is a substantial project, earmarked for 3.25 acres of land. It boasts a massive built-up area of 3.5 lakh square feet and is projected to create working capacity for 3,500 professionals. This move is seen as a crucial step in transforming Mangaluru into a leading Tier 2 technology destination.
The AI Innovation Push: Elevate AI 100
The Minister also addressed the critical need to position Karnataka, and by extension its secondary cities like Mangaluru, as a global hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Responding to a suggestion by former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai for an ‘Elevate AI 100’ programme—modelled on the successful initiative that nurtured Karnataka's early startup ecosystem—Kharge committed to discussing the idea at the upcoming Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 (November 18–20).
Kharge stated his readiness to pledge Rs 5 crore from the government’s side for the fund. He issued a challenge to Mohandas Pai and industry leaders: “Mohandas Pai has to ensure that the top 25 venture capital firms across the country come to the summit and pledge another Rs 5 crore, so that it becomes a substantial fund. The funding should be exclusively for Karnataka.”
State-wide Ambition and New Policies
The Minister highlighted the state’s ambitious Global Capability Centres (GCC) policy, which aims to nearly double the current number of GCCs in Karnataka by attracting 500 new centres by 2029. This drive has the goal of generating 3.5 lakh jobs across the state.
Additionally, in a move towards environmental sustainability, Kharge announced that the government will roll out a Circular Economy Policy within the next month.
Data Centre & 'GIFT City' Dreams
On the prospect of establishing a Data Centre Hub in Mangaluru, Kharge was optimistic. He acknowledged the region's strong potential, stating, “Mangaluru can be a strong contender for a data centre.”
To address the high resource demands of data centres, the government has already submitted a proposal to the Department of Energy to prepare an industry-specific energy plan. "We need to ensure energy and water security. We are working towards it and will come up with a blueprint by the next budget session,” he confirmed.
Regarding the aspiration for a GIFT City-like hub in Karnataka, B V Naidu, Chairman of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, stressed its potential. While the Union Government had previously declined the proposal, maintaining that the country could have only one such hub, Minister Kharge urged a united push: “If all MPs from Karnataka speak to the Finance Minister as well as the Prime Minister and exert pressure, it can be reconsidered. I believe it will work phenomenally well if it is set up here, considering the volume of remittances and the complete ecosystem present in this region.”
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