Priyank Kharge on Karnataka’s plans to drive tech growth beyond Bengaluru

Karnataka’s Beyond Bengaluru policy spreads technology investment, startup opportunities, and jobs across the state. Its central idea is simple: take investment to places where skilled people already live, instead of forcing talent to move to Bengaluru. This is intended to reduce pressure on the capital and unlock growth in other regions.

The government is using targeted policies, infrastructure, entrepreneurship programmes, and regional centres of excellence. Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi-Belagavi-Dharwad already record significant IT exports. The state is also supporting manufacturing, global capability centres, biotech, agritech, and semiconductor design activity outside Bengaluru.

The policy is already producing measurable results, according to Priyank Kharge. Mysuru delivers close to Rs 4,000 crore in IT exports, while Mangaluru delivers close to Rs 3,500 crore. Hubballi-Belagavi-Dharwad contributes close to Rs 3,000 crore. New regional facilities could broaden Karnataka’s technology economy further.

The cited figures show that technology activity outside Bengaluru is already substantial. Mysuru contributes close to Rs 4,000 crore in IT exports. Mangaluru contributes close to Rs 3,500 crore. Hubballi-Belagavi-Dharwad contributes close to Rs 3,000 crore.

Taken together, these figures amount to close to Rs 10,500 crore. That combined figure is calculated from the three amounts cited by Priyank Kharge. It shows that Karnataka’s technology economy is not limited to its capital, even though the article does not provide a statewide total or define the reporting period.

These exports are evidence behind the Beyond Bengaluru strategy. The government is using local economic acceleration programmes, infrastructure, and region-specific policies to build on existing capability. The figures also suggest that cities outside Bengaluru can support further startups, global capability centres, manufacturing, and specialised technology work.

Karnataka is building a network of specialised growth locations beyond Bengaluru. The article names Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Belagavi-Dharwad, Raichur, Kalaburagi, and Bagalkot. These places are being developed through investment, infrastructure, entrepreneurship programmes, and centres of excellence.

The centres are matched to local strengths. IIIT Dharwad and IIIT Raichur have artificial intelligence centres of excellence. Kalaburagi has an agritech centre, while Bagalkot is getting a horticulture centre. Belagavi has precision manufacturing linked to an Apple supply chain partner, and semiconductor design companies have been acquired in Belagavi and Mangaluru.

The mechanism is regional tailoring. Kharge said policies are designed around each area’s geography, demography, and talent. The aim is to support innovation where skilled people already live. This approach could help each city develop a distinct technology or industry profile instead of copying Bengaluru’s model.

If investment follows talent across Karnataka, Bengaluru may no longer carry as much of the state’s technology growth. More jobs and opportunities could emerge closer to skilled workers in cities such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Dharwad. That is the intended direction of the Beyond Bengaluru policy.

The article gives concrete signs of wider activity. Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi-Belagavi-Dharwad together record close to Rs 10,500 crore in cited IT exports. Manufacturing units, global capability centres, semiconductor design companies, and startup acquisitions are also appearing outside Bengaluru. Regional centres support AI, agritech, and horticulture.

This could make Karnataka’s economy more geographically diverse and give local founders stronger opportunities. It could also help the state build several specialised hubs rather than one dominant centre. The article presents these as policy goals and current developments, not as guaranteed future outcomes.

The main driver is the Karnataka government, through its Beyond Bengaluru Mission and local economic acceleration programmes. It runs dedicated entrepreneurship programmes for startups outside Bengaluru and is building centres of excellence around regional strengths. The state has also announced a Bioeconomy Mission covering biotechnology and agritech.

Private organisations are adding momentum. NTT acquired two Udupi-based startups, while acquisitions involved semiconductor design companies in Belagavi and Mangaluru. One of Apple’s supply chain partners operates from Belagavi in precision manufacturing. Manufacturing units and global capability centres have also come up across the state.

Several institutions anchor the regional model. IIIT Dharwad and IIIT Raichur host AI centres, Kalaburagi has an agritech centre, and Bagalkot is getting a horticulture centre. Together, these programmes and organisations connect public policy, talent, startups, industrial activity, and specialised research outside Bengaluru.

A single-city model concentrates investment, jobs, and innovation in Bengaluru. A multi-hub model distributes those opportunities across Karnataka. It allows cities with strong local talent or suitable industries to develop their own technology identities. That can create more entry points for founders, workers, companies, and institutions.

The article illustrates this with different regional specialisations. Dharwad and Raichur have AI centres of excellence. Kalaburagi focuses on agritech, and Bagalkot is developing horticulture expertise. Belagavi has precision manufacturing and semiconductor design activity, while Mangaluru also has semiconductor acquisitions and strong IT exports.

This is an alternative because growth does not need to follow one template or one location. The government tailors policies to geography, demography, and talent. If the approach continues, Karnataka could have connected but distinct hubs, with each region contributing through its strongest sectors rather than competing only to imitate Bengaluru.

IT exports are technology services or products sold to customers outside the market where they are produced. They can indicate how much revenue a region’s technology sector earns from external demand. The article uses IT export figures to show activity in Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Hubballi-Belagavi-Dharwad.

Global capability centres, commonly called GCCs, are company-operated centres that provide specialised functions for an organisation across markets. They can support technology, operations, research, or other capabilities. The article says GCCs have come up across Karnataka, but it does not identify their specific functions or give their economic value.

Together, exports and GCC presence suggest that a region has companies, skills, and infrastructure able to serve wider markets. They are useful indicators, but they do not describe every part of a technology economy. Karnataka is pairing them with startups, manufacturing, biotech, agritech, and regional centres of excellence.