Bengaluru, Oct 6 (PTI) Karnataka is strengthening its position not only as a state that attracts investments but also as an important hub for global technology, innovation and investment partnerships through the GIA, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) meet organised here by the Department of Electronics, IT and Biotechnology to promote Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026 (BTS 2026) among partner countries and international trade mission representatives.
Kharge said Karnataka, besides being a suitable destination for capital investment, is emerging as an important global hub for technology development, startups and long-term partnerships.
“The Global Innovation Alliance, which has official partnerships with more than 40 countries, has now gone beyond a diplomatic platform and has become an important platform connecting global technology ecosystems with each other,” he said.
Karnataka is strengthening its position in next-generation sectors — artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technology, biotech, climate technology and space technology, beyond Bengaluru’s traditional technology capabilities, he said.
“Global partnership does not mean only investment or an agreement. Developing connectivity with mutual ecosystems and sharing knowledge, technology, talent and new opportunities as a long-term partnership is the main objective of GIA,” Kharge said.
He said GIA would focus on outcomes rather than merely delegations and memoranda of understanding.
“Success will not be measured by the number of delegations or MOUs alone, but by how many startups enter new markets, how many technologies are jointly developed, how many research programmes are launched, how many pilots become businesses, and how many investments and jobs are created,” he said.
The GIA network, launched in 2017 under the Karnataka Unit for International Cooperation, has expanded from 10 countries in 2018 to more than 40 formal partner countries by 2026, while engaging with over 90 countries globally, a statement said.
Ahead of BTS 2026, scheduled from November 17 to 19 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), the state government has announced a new GIA Engagement Framework to make international collaboration more structured, reciprocal and outcome-oriented, it said.
The framework will focus on global startup mobility and market access, international institutional partnerships, global visibility and strategic engagements, and governance through a dedicated International Desk, it further said.
The government is also developing the Global Innovation and Growth Alliance (GIGA), a dedicated permanent physical infrastructure in Bengaluru for international innovation engagement, the statement added. PTI AMP KH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.