Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 Concludes with Huge Success

The three-day Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023, held at the Bangalore Palace, concluded with resounding success, breaking new ground in the realm of technology and innovation. Themed "Breaking Boundaries: Innovations from India, Impact for the World," the summit served as a global gathering for visionaries, industry leaders, and tech enthusiasts.

Notable figures, including Dr. R.A. Mashelkar and Nobel Laureate Dr. H. Robert Horvitz, addressed the attendees among the 4773 delegates and key dignitaries present. The overwhelming response saw enthusiastic participation from diverse backgrounds, including tech professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials, and students.

The Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 has been a global standout, with participants from 45 countries, 83 sessions, and insights from 401 speakers. The event featured 553 exhibitors and 258 startups across various fields, facilitating connections through 427 physical B2B meetings and 1981 virtual connect sessions. With a strong attendance of 8606 business professionals and 18,592 registered Business Visitors, the summit also recorded an impressive 50,000 Expo Footfalls. Noteworthy contributions came from countries like Australia, Denmark, South Korea, and Japan in the GIA Expo, as well as major academic institutions like Amity University and industry leaders like Infosys, Biocon, Microsoft Startup, and more. The summit, with its Lab2Market Pavilion and various other pavilions, emerged as a vibrant hub for global innovation and collaboration.

Throughout the summit, groundbreaking technologies, solutions and policies were unveiled, promising to reshape industries and societies. Renowned innovators, scientists, and tech evangelists from around the world actively participated, emphasizing the transformative potential of technological advancements. The Global Innovation Alliances (GIA) track featured 20 countries including Australia, Finland, Netherlands, South Korea, Israel, Austria, France, UK, Japan, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Switzerland, Thailand, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria and witnessed the participation of ambassadors from SIX countries - Australia, Finland, Germany, UK, Netherlands and Lithuania.

Summary of the Three-Day Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023:

At the Bengaluru Tech Summit, the Government of Karnataka unveiled a revised policy for Biotechnology and a new Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) policy to drive economic development in these sectors. The Biotechnology Policy aims for exponential growth, building on Karnataka's status as the 'Biotechnology Capital of India.' The AVGC-XR policy seeks to leverage the state's IT and BPM strengths to establish global leadership, emphasizing talent development, job creation, exports, and sustainability.

During the GIA track's opening session at the India-US Tech Conclave, a significant MoU was signed between the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Government of Karnataka's Department of Electronics, IT, Bt. Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon'ble Minister for IT & Bt and RD&PR, Govt. of Karnataka, highlighted the collaboration's importance in fostering a vibrant economic partnership and addressing common challenges.

An MoU was signed between Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB) and the Association of Biotechnology LED Enterprises (ABLE) to gear towards fostering technology and technology-based foreign direct investment, boost global competitiveness for companies in both regions. This collaboration is poised to advance biotechnology in both countries and foster mutually beneficial collaborations.

On Day 1 there was an interesting Fireside Chat between Infosys Founder Shri N.M Narayana Murthy, moderated by Zerodha CEO Nikhil Kamath, discussing the theme "Legend, Legacy, and Leadership." Shri N.M Narayana Murthy portrayed Bengaluru as a diverse innovation hub, emphasizing the transition from socialism to compassionate capitalism. Advocating for ethical business practices, he called for simplified regulations, increased foreign investment, and highlighted the importance of infrastructure and education. Murthy expressed confidence in India surpassing China's GDP through innovation, urging unified efforts for a prosperous future.

On Day 2, a lively fireside chat on "Basic Research to High-Impact Innovation," by Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Nobel Laureate Dr. H. Robert Horvitz explore India's investment focus in scientific research. Dr. Mazumdar-Shaw advocated for government support in fundamental research, while Dr. Horvitz emphasized the importance of a balanced research portfolio. He highlighted the transformative impact of research on patient recovery and stressed the need for an open-minded, opportunistic career approach. The dialogue underscored the necessity of diverse research investments, governmental backing for fundamental research, and the value of adaptability in shaping a fulfilling professional trajectory.

The Department of Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T, Government of Karnataka unveiled 37 ground-breaking products and solutions developed by startups during the 26th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2023. The second edition of Startup Product Launch was held at the Startup Innovation Zone over the 2nd and 3rd day of the summit. This initiative reflects the state's commitment to fostering innovation across a diverse spectrum of industries.
Uber unveiled its global flagship electric vehicle service, Uber Green, offering residents convenient access to eco-friendly rides through their app that was launched by Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister of IT, Bt, RD&PR, and Uber India President Prabhjeet Singh during the Bengaluru Tech Summit.

The national finals of the 24th edition of 'TCS Rural IT Quiz’ were open to students in classes 8 to 12 across India. The winners of this program, Udit Pratap Singh from BSP Senior Secondary School, Bhilai Chhattisgarh claimed the first place, while Vignesh Nauso Shetye from Dr. K.B. Hedgewar Vidyamandir, Bicholim, Goa and Amrut Uppar from The Forbes Academy, Gokak Karnataka were the runners-up.

The Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, have officially announced a strategic partnership with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) during the formal launch of Phase II for two flagship innovation programs. One program is dedicated to the agriculture domain, while the other focuses on startup acceleration to scale up the rapidly growing biotech startup community in the state.

For the first time in BTS 2023, there was a UAE Investor session for startups named, ‘Investor Startup Connect’ to further assist the startups in their growth journey. Around 20+ Startups pitched in front of VCs from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The startups were from various sectors like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Augmented Reality, Med Tech, FinTech and 3D Printing.

The three-day Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 witnessed a pivotal moment with the third edition of the India-USA Tech Conclave, serving as a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration between the two nations. This conclave focused on fostering future innovations and exchanging ideas, with sessions delving into key areas like Commercial Space, e-Commerce, Supply Chain and logistics, Healthtech, AVGC, and more.

One of the summit's highlights was the Chandrayaan 3 ISRO-Industry Pavilion, a symbol of India's prowess in space exploration. The pavilion not only showcased ISRO's achievements but also highlighted the crucial contributions of SMEs, startups, and private industries to the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. A 1:1 scale model of Chandrayaan 3 Lander and an immersive AR/VR experience in a geodesic dome provided visitors with an enriching learning experience about lunar missions and space science.

Another significant stride was the Green BTS initiative, demonstrating the summit's commitment to achieving Net Zero in the upcoming years. This ambitious goal involves integrating eco-conscious practices, including sustainable procurement and the establishment of a Sustainability Advisory, emphasizing key pillars such as carbon, water, energy, waste, food, and experience. This year BTS goes green with the tagline '#Green BTS,' achieving zero waste to landfill, cutting plastic use by 95% YoY, and setting new sustainability standards with partners 'EcoMorphosys,' segregating 6400 kgs of waste, evaluating a carbon footprint of 0.65 kgs per capita, assessing a water footprint at 3.4 litres per capita, and generating 90 kgs of biogas from food waste. The summit 2023 thus not only showcased technological advancements but also underscored its pioneering commitment to sustainability, making it a first-of-its-kind event in India.

As the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 concludes, the echoes of innovation and collaboration are sure to resonate far beyond the event. The insights shared, partnerships forged, and technologies showcased have laid the foundation for a future where India continues to be at the forefront of global technological advancements. With the BTS 2023 chapter concluding, the dates of 27th & 28th edition that is to be held in 2024 and 2025 were also announced as 19-21 November.