NASSCOM partners with the Government of Karnataka for a Digital Engineering Innovation hub

As part of its ongoing efforts to foster an ecosystem that enhances India’s Engineering and R&D (ER&D) market, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), has signed a Statement of Intent and entered a strategic collaboration with the Department of IT & BT, Government of Karnataka (KITS). The partnership would entail both driving their efforts towards initiatives that promote, enable and position Karnataka as the Global Digital Engineering Innovation hub attracting significant investments, high end research capabilities and skilling initiatives in the state.

The statement of intent was signed by Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and NASSCOM on 26th September in Bangalore. As part of the association, NASSCOM will assist the Government of Karnataka and Karnataka based ER&D companies to participate in global and local roadshows to promote their business and open avenues for beneficial collaborations. They will also bring about innovative, industrial AI and ER&D based start-ups and help accelerate their growth to the next level through NASSCOM CoE’s, start-ups and Government affiliated programs. The partnership will also entail working with the Sector Skills Council for IT ITES and National Skills Development Corporation to establish talent accelerator programs for ER&D to create a pool of skilled workers in the industry.

Speaking on the collaboration, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, said, “We are delighted to partner with the Government of Karnataka for this strategic initiative that will act as a prominent catalyst for the expansion of the ER&D industry within the state by facilitating global collaborations. Karnataka has pioneered its way to position itself as the prime destination for Engineering and Research in the country with over 35% of the total IT exports coming from the state. We are confident that such an association will pave the road ahead and create an ecosystem that nurtures co-creation and innovative opportunities.”

Sharing his thoughts, Prashant Kumar, IAS, Managing Director, KITS, Department of IT & BT, said, “Building partnerships is an important part of every ecosystem to accelerate their development. With a significant lead in IT exports and 40% of the country’s Engineering and Design revenues, Karnataka is on the right path to emerge as a globally established destination for ER&D.”

The Government of Karnataka will provide requisite knowledge support to ensure the success of the projects conducted by the two parties as a part of the collaboration. The Government would also help amplify all efforts being driven and bring in more stakeholders for effective implementation and deliverance of all responsibilities.

Commenting on the association, Dr. EV Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of IT & BT, Urban Development, said, “It gives me great pleasure to witness such a partnership with a well-defined focus on fostering a pivotal economic environment where companies can showcase their innovative solutions. We are confident that with this collaboration NASSCOM can help Karnataka establish itself as a global hub for innovation as well as India’s ER&D market achieve its target of USD 75 billion by 2025.”

To achieve more than the goals set out by the two parties, NASSCOM would also leverage its internal initiatives to work in tandem with the efforts driven for the partnership. These include the NASSCOM 10,000 start-up program, NASSCOM Product Conclave, Deep Tech Club, NASSCOM CoE’s for IoT and DS&AI among several other resources and incubators. The FutureSkills platform will also be leveraged to support this cause alongside NASSCOM Research reports to include Industrial AI subjects that are relevant and deserve recognition.