ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

ADVANTAGE www.advantagekarnataka.in | June - July 2022 | Vol - VIII | Issue - 1

Two Decades of Thriving Indo-Bavarian Ties

‘The Aim is to build a Sustainable and Futuristic Karnataka’

Interview with Dr. Murugesh R Nirani Minister for Large and Medium Industries Government of Karnataka Page No :17

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EDITORIAL The Government Envisions a 'New Karnataka for New India'

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aunching the Global Investor Meet’s (GIM 2022) theme ‘Build for the World’, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called on the industrialists to be the "leaders of change by investing in Karnataka". With state assembly election set to be held next year, the government is highlighting the investment capabilities of the state and that was evident when the Chief Minister returned to Bengaluru after attending the World Economic Forum Meet in Davos in May when he succeeded in drawing total investments of about Rs.60,000 crores in various sectors by signing agreements with multinational companies.

Bommai said that the investors have always believed in Karnataka and created the capability for the state to host a Global Investors Meet. The Karnataka government aiming to attract investments from across the world in flagship three-day investor event to be held from November 2 and a technology summit from November 16 to 18 in Bengaluru. The post-Covid economic growth is the right time to invest in Bengaluru which is not only an IT, BT hub but also a financial hub.

Karnataka is a state rich in natural resources and at the forefront of technological innovation. It provides a range of opportunities for investors across industries. A cosmopolitan culture and a highly responsive administration makes the state the ideal destination for businesses to flourish. The state aims to bring in a broadspectrum and holistic investment across sectors - semiconductors, electronics, defence, aerospace, energy, biotechnology, IT, manufacturing, MSMEs, cottage industries; investments that percolate down the economy.

The GIM will showcase the robust industrial-friendly ecosystem of Karnataka, attract huge investments from global players, and spread industrialisation across Karnataka. The theme ‘Build for the World reflects on the role Karnataka aims to play in the global supply chain. With the government having acquired sufficient land banks for the investors and the state being home to 400+ R& D centres, 85+ chip design houses, Karnataka is a key player in the supply chain for the global markets.

However, it is important for the government to ensure that the investment deals do not stop at the mere signing of MoUs but they will materialise into projects from genuine investors and showcase them at the GIM. Apart from creating favourable cost economics for the companies to invest in the state, the government should work on providing a complete ecosystem to its investors. The industrial fraternity has the crucial role of upholding Karnataka in the top position. Like Chief Minister Bommai said, the aim must be to envision a 'New Karnataka for New India' creating new 21st century industrial townships and corridors.

Advantage Karnataka wishes the best for the state government and the industries department in hosting the GIM-2022.

Email : info@advantagekarnataka.in Tel : + 91 94805 51925 |+91 81298 80971 www. advantagekarnataka.in

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Content

08 ‘Invest Karnataka 2022’ event all set to be a grand affair 12 LuLu Group to invest Rs 2,000 cr in Karnataka; will set up four malls 14 IDD puts Thrust on Speedy and Balanced Development 17 ‘The Aim is to build a Sustainable and Futuristic Karnataka’ 20 INDIA – BAVARIA Two Decades of Thriving Ties 28 Driving Business Growth through Human Motivation 31 7-Eleven Launches Global Solution Center in Bengaluru 32 Pralhad Joshi reiterates the vision of realizing Aatmanirbhar Bharat 33 Higher Education Minister visits the renowned university 34 Karnataka emerging as a vibrant manufacturing hub in the country 36 ZEE unveils its technology and innovation Centre in Bengaluru 38 Karnataka’s Polish Bonds Bolster Indo-Poland Ties

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‘Invest Karnataka 2022’ event all set to be a grand affair The theme of the upcoming Global Investor Meet (GIM) in Karnataka is ‘Build for the World’ reflecting the role the state aims to play in the global supply chain. As part of GIM, a curtain raiser event was held in Delhi in April, followed by a launch at the World Economic Forum in Davos in May.

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he Karnataka government led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is making preparations for holding a Global Investor Meet (GIM) titled ‘Invest Karnataka 2022’ at Bengaluru during November 2-4, 2022. The Chief Minister has already launched the logo and theme for the three-day event.

The theme of the 2022 edition of GIM is ‘Build for the World’ reflecting the role Karnataka aims to play in the global supply chain. As part of GIM, a curtain raiser event was held in Delhi in April, followed by a launch at the World Economic Forum in Davos in May. Roadshows are also being conducted in major cities and abroad.

By organising the event, the Karnataka government aims to attract investments from around the world. Karnataka previously hosted a GIM in 2016, which concluded with 1,201 approved projects and MoUs valued at Rs 3,08,810 crore.

During the launch of the theme of the GIM 2022, the Chief Minister said, "Investors have always believed in Karnataka and created the capability for the state to host a GIM. The post-COVID economic growth is the right time to invest in Bengaluru which is not only an IT, BT

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hub but also a financial hub."

Bommai called upon Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Large & Medium Scale Industries, to bring in a broad-spectrum and holistic investment across sectors - semiconductors, electronics, defence, aerospace, energy, biotechnology, IT, manufacturing, MSMEs and cottage industries. "The aim is to envision a 'New Karnataka for New India' - creating new 21st century industrial townships and corridors," Bommai said.

GIM will comprise plenary sessions, panel discussions and multiple networking opportunities. Over 50 business, political and thought leaders will deal themes and sectors crucial to Karnataka's growth story. More than 5,000 senior delegates across sectors including Manufacturing, Infrastructure, IT, Energy, Education, Tourism are expected to participate.

The Karnataka Government points out that the state has an outstanding industrial ecosystem for all major industries. For instance, Karnataka is known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and is home to over 400 MNCs with global R&D centres. Moreover, Bangalore alone produces 60% of the total value of machine tools manufactured in

India. Similarly, Karnataka is the second highest producer of special purpose and heavy electrical machinery in India.

Karnataka is also the second largest chip design hub in the country, the largest software exporter in India and has a GSDP of US Dollars 230 billion.

The state is also the first in total exports among all Indian states and is the fourth largest technology cluster in the world.

It enjoys the first position among R&D Centres in India, in Renewable Energy and in India Innovation Index. In fact, it is home to 400 Fortune 500 Companies.

With 65% of India’s Aerospace-related exports originating from Karnataka, the state is a preferred investor destination for Aerospace & Defence companies.

Karnataka is a leading contributor to the success of Pharma, Biotech and medical devices in the country also.

Karnataka is a global innovation and startup hub too, with more than 400 global R&D centres and 4000+ startups in Bangalore. No wonder, the state has been ranked first In NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index. Now, the third highest number of startups globally is based in Bangalore.

Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj S Bommai, Industries ​ Minister ​ Dr. ​ Murugesh​R​Nirani, Additional Chief Secretary in the department of Industries Dr.EV Ramana Reddy, CM’s Principal Secretary N Manjunatha​Prasad​and Commissioner in the department of Industries Gunjan Krishna in the Karnataka Pavilion at World Economic Forum (WEF) meet held at Davos, Switzerland.

Karnataka attracts investments worth Rs 59,350 cr at Davos A delegation led by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to the recent World Economic Forum meet held at Davos, Switzerland carried out fruitful talks to attract investments to the state

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hief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai led a delegation from the state to the World Economic Forum (WEF) meet held at Davos, Switzerland recently. During the event, the members of the Karnataka delegation engaged in talks with several global corporate leaders to attract investments to Karnataka.

Karnataka has been among the states attracting the largest investments in India and the WEF meet also proved to be a success. At WEF, two major companies inked MoUs with the Karnataka Government to invest a total Rs 52,000 crore, which is the biggest investment flow to the state in the recent past. In total, the Karnataka Government succeeded in

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explaining the attractive incentive packages to invest in pharma and FMCG sectors in the state with major focus on the FMCG Park being developed in Dharwad.

Meanwhile, Hitachi Energy has expressed interest in setting up EV charging infrastructure, renewable energy and digitalization projects in Karnataka.

attracting investments worth Rs 59,350 crore with its participation at the WEF Meet in Davos.

“These investments are a proof of the immense trust and faith Karnataka enjoys among the top corporates of the world,” said the Chief Minister.

ReNew Power to invest Rs 50,000 cr One among the two companies is ReNew Power Pvt. Ltd., which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an investment of Rs 50,000 crore spread over the next seven years for setting up renewable energy, battery storage and green hydrogen units which would create around 30,000 employment opportunities.

The company intends to implement the projects in two phases. In the first phase, the projects which are already under implementation would be modernised within two years with an investment of Rs 11,900 crore. In the second phase, renewable energy and green hydrogen units would be set up over the next five years at Rs 37,500 crore.

The second company investing in Karnataka is LuLu

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Group International, which signed an MoU for investing Rs 2,000 crore. The company would be opening four shopping malls, hypermarkets and export-oriented agroproducts stores in the state with employment potential for more than 10,000 persons.

“These MoUs complement the growth of industrial and energy sectors in the state providing employment for more than 40,000 persons,” said Bommai.

Apart from ReNew Power and LuLu, several other companies have evinced keen interest in

investing in Karnataka. They include Jubilant Group, Hitachi Energy, Siemens, Ab Inbev, Dassault Systemes, Nestle, Arcelor Mittal and Bharti Enterprises.

Jubilant Group, Hitachi Jubilant Food Works will set up its new centralized kitchen and Jubilant Biosys has agreed to set up its R&D Centre in Devanahalli on a 10 acre plot. About 9,000 persons are already employed by the company.

A detailed presentation was made for the company

Siemens Healthineers The company is undertaking R&D in healthcare projects focusing on magnetic imaging and diagnostics with an investment of Rs 1,300 crore.

The state government has assured special incentives for setting up advanced manufacturing of medical devices to cater to the local market with an investment of Rs 300 crore, and so the company is keen to invest a total of over Rs 1,600 crore in Karnataka.

‘Beyond Bengaluru’ Under the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ programme, the state government is inviting investments in other cities such as Tumakuru, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysuru.

Among the firms investing

that they would be investing in various sectors in the state.

“I am pleased to announce that @IKEAIndia will be opening their flagship store in Nagasandra in June 2022.

We are also in talks with the organisation to encourage local manufacturing, thus boosting employment and economic growth,” tweeted the Chief Minister.

in places outside Bengaluru is Nestle, which is set to expand and modernize its existing instant coffee unit in Nanjangud with an investment of Rs 700 crore.

Ab InBev also intends to set up a non-alcoholic beverages unit in the state with an investment of Rs 50 crore.

“Discussed #BeyondBengaluru opportunities with #Siemens at the #WEF22. I look forward to a fruitful partnership that will encourage growth in healthcare R&D and medical device manufacturing,” said Bommai in a tweet.

from this, they hope to work on our smart city projects and in the space of educating our students in cutting edge technologies,” said the Chief Minister.

Other investments Schneider Electric is planning to consolidate its six facilities in Attibele to a single unit in Jigani with additional capacity for manufacturing new models of Data Centre UPS and energy efficient devices with an

investment of Rs 300 crore.

Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal would be setting up a solarwind hybrid project with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore.

Another investment is by Bharti Enterprises, which is planning to set up a Mega Data Centre in Karnataka in addition to their existing Data Centres.

Apart from these companies, Adani Group, Dalmia Cement, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, IBM, Ikea Stores, PayPal and Axis Bank have announced

Breakfast meeting Heads of major multinational corporations and prominent non-resident Indian entrepreneurs participated in the breakfast meeting hosted

by Chief Minister Bommai at Davos. They included founder of Indiaspora in the USA M R Rangaswami; Chairman of Indorama Corporation in Singapore Prakash Lohia; Managing Director of Hitachi Japan Bharat Kaul and Chairman of VPS Healthcare in UAE Shamsheer Valayil.

Discussions with these corporate leaders dealt with opportunities for setting up mega Textiles Park at Bijapur/ Kalaburagi, production of Metro train coaches and setting up pharma units.

The Chief Minister also held deliberations with the

Dassault Systemes Global firm Dassault Systemes has evinced interest in investing in electric vehicles and modern production systems in association with CMTI; industrial training for students in Digital 4.0 technology and Smart City project in Karnataka with total investments of Rs 300 crore.

“Dassault Systemes is keen to partner with Karnataka to set up a centre of excellence for electric vehicles and a manufacturing institute. Apart

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head of Isha Foundation Sadguru Vasudev on the state government’s initiatives for conservation of environment and soil fertility.

Industries minister Murugesh Nirani, Education, IT, BT minister CN Ashwathnarayan, Additional Chief Secretary in the department of Industries Dr.EV Ramana Reddy, CM’s Principal Secretary N Manjunatha​ Prasad​ and Commissioner in the department of Industries Gunjan Krishna were part of the Karnataka delegation.

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LuLu Group to invest Rs 2,000 cr in Karnataka; will set up four malls

uLu group, the biggest retailer in the Middle East region, will open four shopping malls and hypermarkets in Karnataka, mainly in tier-2 cities, with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. An MoU was signed in this regard at Davos in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chairman of LuLu Group M A Yusuff Ali. Discussions were earlier held between teams led by Bommai and Yusuff Ali over the details of the investment.

LuLu’s projects in Karnataka are expected to generate more than 10,000 employment opportunities.

Apart from shopping malls and hypermarkets, export-oriented food stores will also come up in the state as part of the project.

The agreement was signed

by Additional Chief Secretary for Industries, Karnataka E V Ramana Reddy and LuLu Group Director A V Ananth Ram in the presence of Bommai and Yusuff Ali. Bommai led a delegation

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai, Chairman of LuLu Group M A Yusuff Ali and Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani. from Karnataka to the World Economic Forum meeting at

Davos in Switzerland, where several other agreements were

also signed for investments in the southern Indian state.

Kannada film by former MLA is a tribute to selfless service by nurses ‘September 13’, scripted and produced by senior political leader Ivan Nigli, is a family entertainer that would make viewers pause and think

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he Kannada film ‘September 13’ will be released in theaters around India this summer. The film revolves around a young nurse and the trials of the nursing community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conceptualized and scripted

by Ivan Nigli, the film is a wholesome family entertainer.

Ivan, a senior political leader and former MLA of Karnataka, has always taken up the causes of the nursing community.

For instance, he instituted the Florence Nightingale Awards to recognize excellence in nursing services in Karnataka. The award is the first-of-its-kind in India and has for the last 20 years celebrated the unsung heroes among the healthcare providers.

During the pandemic, the challenges faced by nurses were immense and many of

them sacrificed their lives while saving people. Their unflinching dedication helped millions around the world recover.

Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, Ivan’s movie explores various themes including family, loss, friendship and the coming together of an entire community.

Ivan mobilized his friends and well-wishers and produced the film under the banner of Ruby Films, his own production house. The film is directed by popular director Rajah Balakrishnan who is known for the documentaries he made for UNESCO. The film boasts of a star cast with veteran actors like Jai Jagadish, Vinaya Prasad, Yamuna Srinidhi and debutants Shriya and Chaitanya playing important roles.

‘September 13’ also features former minister U T Khader, who plays an MLA.

Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj S Bommai releasing the poster. Dr. K. Sudhakar, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ivan Nigli also seen.

“This film is my tribute to frontline health workers.

Through the movie, I hope to draw attention to the challenges nurses continue to face while serving our society. ‘September 13’ will make you laugh, cry and more

importantly make you pause and think!” said Ivan about the forthcoming film.

Fun challenges involving nursing students around Karnataka accompanied the music release of the film.

Nari Shakti Puraskar: Karnataka Women Honoured by President

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resident Ram Nath Kovind presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar for the years 2020 and 2021 on the occasion of International Women’s Day at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President honoured 29 women. Among the awardees were Nivruti Rai and Shobha Gasti from Karnataka.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai congratulated the awardwinning duo for their achievements in their respective fields.

Nivruti, who is the Country Head of Intel India, won the award for the year 2020. She

developed semiconductor chips that consume less power using a technique called error correcting codes and also a new rural connectivity solution that uses overhead electric cables to deliver costeffective highspeed broadband connection.

She launched AI-Youth, AI-Ready Generation, AIBlockchain, ‘AI for All’ programme. Nivruti dedicated herself for high-impact technology-led initiatives and built a platform for diagnostics and analytics based on AI, genomics and co-morbidities to combat COVID-19. Her work has empowered more

than 1.5 lakh students across 7,000 schools in the country.

She found a place in the Fortune India’s Most Powerful Business Women 2020 list.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar was awarded to her for excellence in the field of technology, truly representing the 21st Century Women and empowering students to build Artificial Intelligence enabled HiTech future for India.Shobha started Mahila Abhivrudhi Mattu Samrakshana Samasthe (MASS), an NGO that works in 360 villages across three talukas in Belgaum, Karnataka.

MASS was effective in mainstreaming

3,600-plus devadasis in the Belgaum district, putting an end to the practice of forced Devadasi. She has strategically desecrated symbols of ritual sanction to the practice of devdasi system by publicly appealing to people and through campaigns that focus on ensuring the dignity and education of girl children by preventing child marriage, child trafficking, and child abuse.

The Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2021 was awarded to her for remarkable efforts and exemplary contribution for the cause of empowerment of women and girls.

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IDD puts Thrust on Speedy and Balanced Development The Government of Karnataka has the vision to make the state a vibrant aerospace hub and is committed to developing Karnataka as a globally recognized aerospace destination with a mission to achieve substantial progress in investments, to create proportionate employment opportunities, and enable sustainable ecosystems for the startups/businesses across all sectors.

With a thrust for the speedy and balanced industrial development of all the regions of the state and emphasis on backward areas, the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) is committed to achieving the goals of faster connectivity, ushering in balanced economic development, and transforming the landscape of Karnataka as a well-connected and futuristic state in the country.

Basavaraj S. Bommai Hon'ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Karnataka

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nfrastructure investment has a strong impact on economic growth of any state in India, however simply investing in infrastructure is insufficient. It needs to be the right kind of infrastructure that has transformative outcomes for the people and the economy. In short, infrastructure should be sustainable, resilient and inclusive.

Karnataka, over the last few years,

V. Somanna Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Infrastructure Development, Govt. of Karnataka

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has been witnessing this kind of transformative infrastructure expansion under the supervision of the state infrastructure department.

With a thrust for the speedy and balanced industrial development of all the regions of the state and emphasis on backward areas, the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) is committed to achieving the

goals of faster connectivity, ushering in balanced economic development, and transforming the landscape of Karnataka as a well-connected and futuristic state in the country.

Karnataka is a name for many firsts and is a state with many opportunities, achievements in many spheres. Amongst the many, the state is home to India’s Aerospace industry. Aerospace activities commenced in the city of Bengaluru in

Gaurav Gupta IAS Additional Chief Secretary, Infrastructur Development, Ports & Inland Water Transport Department, Government of Karnataka.

1940 with the establishment of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). In the next few decades, the subsequent establishment of defense public sector undertakings and R&D institutions positioned Karnataka as a prime location for the Aerospace industry in India. The state has become a landmark destination by being Silicon Valley of India and housing top companies in IT/ITES and electronics hardware industries too.

The Government of Karnataka has

the vision to make the state a vibrant aerospace hub and is committed to developing Karnataka as a globally recognized aerospace destination with a mission to achieve substantial progress in investments, to create proportionate employment opportunities, and enable sustainable ecosystems for the startups/ businesses across all sectors.

In the context of the Aerospace industry, it is well-known that Karnataka has two International Airports, one at Bengaluru, Kempegowda International Airport, and another at Mangaluru, namely Mangalore International Airport.

Kempegowda International Airport is the first successful Greenfield Airport developed under PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) basis, currently

Hephsiba Rani Korlapati IAS Joint Secretary, Infrastructure Development, Ports & Inland Water Transport Department, Government of Karnataka.

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the third largest airport in terms of passenger traffic and one of the busiest airports in India with an ultimate capacity of 55 million passengers per annum.

There are several domestic airports at Mysuru, Hubballi, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Bidar cities. About 81 Routes have been commissioned from/to seven airports by five airline operators – Indigo, Spice Jet, Alliance Air, TruJet, Star Air. International operators include Air India, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, British Airways, Indigo, AirAsia,

Singapore Airlines, Malaysia, Sri Lankan, Vistara, Spicejet, Ethiopian, and Malindo Air. The Government of Karnataka under the department of Infrastructure, Ports, and Inland Water Transport Development has identified the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (KSIIDC) as the Nodal Agency for the development of major infrastructural facilities in the state. KSIIDC was established in 1964 and has an unparalleled performance

record of more than 50 years in the industrialization (Medium and Large-Scale Industries) of the State.

IDD has also expanded over the years and diversified into multi-modal transport infrastructure, development of large-infrastructure projects on a PPP basis, crosssectoral convergences, and developing more sustainable business models for achieving comprehensive development in the State.

KSIIDC has selected strategic locations for the establishment

of Airports / Airstrips and other allied infrastructure in line with the objectives of the Central Government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik – Common Citizen of the country flies) and balanced regional development.

It has garnered the support of developers, Air Service Providers (Chartered Flights, Non - Scheduled Operators, etc.), and tour operators to provide comprehensive aviation services.

BEML exhibited its latest Products and Technologies at EXCON – 2022

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EML Limited a Schedule ‘A’ company under Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India, showcases its products at EXCON 2022 show, the 11thInternational Construction Equipment and Construction Technology Trade Fair held at Bangalore International Exhibition Center (BIEC), Bengaluru from 17th to 21st May 2022.

The equipment being showcased are Model ‘BD85’ and ‘BD50HST’ in Dozer

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Category, Model ‘BG505I’&‘BG405A’ in the category of Motor Graders with emission norms compliant BSIV engines and Model ‘BL30-1’ in Loaders category.

The following are the technical features of the construction equipment displayed: (a) Dozer Model ‘BD50 HST (HydroStatic Transmission)’: India’s first Heliportable Dozer powered with 90 FHP (67 kw) @ 1750 rpm BEML diesel engine and Hydrostatic Transmission. The

equipment can be carried with the help of Helicopter to higher altitude areas.

The total dismantling and assembling of the equipment can be carried out in 15 minutes. (b) Dozer Model ‘BD85’: Powered with 230 HP BEML turbocharged direct injection powerful diesel engine fitted with Power-shift transmission and Straight Tilt Dozer Blade

‘The Aim is to build a Sustainable and Futuristic Karnataka’ Karnataka has emerged as one of the country’s most attractive investment destinations due to the many progressive reforms of the government. The policies, programs and schemes are directed towards building all sectors, throughout the state.

“I strongly believe that our aim is to build a holistic, sustainable, and futuristic Karnataka by utilizing the immense opportunity and innovation the state has to offer. We are one of the most important global industrial centres and we also need to make sure to keep up with technology and trends and maintain a standard that helps us compete with international industry leaders. We will offer full support and cooperation to make our state an ideal destination to make investments,” said Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Large Industries, Govt. of Karnataka. In an interview with Advantage Karnataka, the minister talks about the state’s thriving industrial sector, the growth-driving policies and projects of the government and his vision for making Karnataka a top investment destination in the county.

Dr. Murugesh R Nirani Minister for Large and Medium Industries Government of Karnataka As the industries minister of one of the most investor-friendly states in India, what are your priorities and plans to make Karnataka No. 1 in the country?

Today, Karnataka has emerged as one of the country’s most attractive investment destinations due to the many progressive reforms of the government. For two successive quarters of the fiscal year 20212022, Karnataka has attracted the highest FDI in the country, close to 46 percent (Rs 2.29 lakh crore) of the total FDI inflow to India.

Good news for the investors and industrialists in Karnataka with the introduction of “10-year Lease-cum-Sale” of Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) land allotted for the

industries.

We have identified 22,655 acres of land that will be acquired for industries, making this the biggest such activity in recent times.

Our department has fast-tracked the land acquisition process considering the demand from industries. Our priority is giving a big push to growth. The Karnataka industries department has approved 88 industrial projects worth Rs 2,367.99 crores that are expected to generate jobs for over 10,904 people in the state.

The government recently approved 48 industrial projects worth Rs 2,062 crore.

How do you look at this?

At the SLSWCC meeting, the Karnataka government has approved 48 industrial

projects worth Rs 2,062 crores that would create massive employment opportunities.

The new projects, each with an investment of more than Rs 15 crores but less than Rs 50 crores were cleared. These projects are valued at Rs 724.87 crores. They are expected to generate employment for more than 6,393 people in the state.

Karnataka continues to attract investments in various sectors and has remained a sought-after investment destination in the country. How did the pandemic affect the industrial sector of the state and what are the initiatives taken by the government for the revival?

I am proud to say that Karnataka was one of the first states in the country to reopen

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operations and restart supply chains during the lockdown. We understand that our state is the epicentre of global value chains and an abrupt halt to all operations would have cost irreparable damages to industries.

Essential incentives and easing regulatory processes to were introduced in order to keep our economy going and make sure our businesses do not suffer.

Karnataka took many bold measures and unique initiatives to facilitate investments and help our economy recover from the unprecedented pandemic we were all forced into. A revolutionary industrial policy for 2020 – 2025 was introduced.

The policy aims to boost productivity, create good jobs, and increase the people’s purchasing power throughout our state with investment in infrastructure, skills, and innovative technologies.

Karnataka Industries (Facilitation) (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 was promulgated to facilitate manufacturing industries and enterprises in the state. This was brought about to simplify regulations and reduce procedural requirements and create a conducive investment environment.

The Large and Medium Industries Ministry has been successful in creating an entrepreneurial environment and enhancing investor-friendliness in the

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state, attracting investment proposals through measures such as the Industrial Infrastructure Amendment, Land Reform Act Amendment, Faster Approval of Business Proposals, and Emphasis on Flexible Business, Affidavit Based Approval, and Deregulation of Regulations. Sectionwise policies like ESDM Special Incentive package, Updated EV policy, ER&D (Engineering Research and Development) policy provide best in class incentives.

and futuristic Karnataka by utilizing the immense opportunity and innovation the state has to offer. We are one of the most important global industrial centres and we also need to make sure to keep up with technology and trends and maintain a standard that helps us compete with international industry leaders. We will offer full support and cooperation to make our state an ideal destination to make investments.

You recently held a discussion with a Taiwanese delegation highlighting that Karnataka is an ideal destination to make an investment. How does the government promote foreign investment in the state’s industrial sector?

Karnataka is an ideal destination to make investments. Karnataka and Taiwan share many similarities as both focus on major industries like ESDM, Electric Vehicles, Auto & Auto Components, Healthcare, Engineering & Machine tools, and Innovation. Karnataka is also home to major Taiwanese companies including $30 Bn Wistron Corporation, MediaTek, Delta Electronics, and D-Link.

The policies, programs and schemes are directed towards building all sectors, throughout the state. I strongly believe that our aim is to build a holistic, sustainable,

Ease of Doing Business (EODB) is an important factor in promoting the industrial sector. How do you assess the implementation of the EODB policy in the state?

We continue to work hard on building simpler Ease of Doing Business processes like Affidavit Based Clearance System and Central Inspection System which are sure will help investors. Enhanced Ease of Doing Business – are approvals relaxed with a 3-year moratorium. Through Affidavit Based Clearance (ABC) System, we have ensured that any approved project can start the next day without waiting for any downstream approvals. With this the amendment, investors are not required to obtain approvals/clearances from different government agencies, for 3 years or until commercial operations begin.

Meanwhile, we are planning to include ITeS and Logistics as part of Affidavit Based Clearance. Various initiatives in easing out the “Doing Business” in the State have been introduced. Through e-Udyami, the Single Window Portal of Karnataka, the approvals/ clearances; including renewals, can be sought from various line departments.

Karnataka is one the leading hubs of the aerospace industry, which is on a constant path of growth. How do you propose to boost the growth in the sector?

With robust technology and innovation ecosystem in place, Karnataka continues to be a leader in the establishment of knowledge-based industries such as information technology, biotechnology, engineering, etc. The State is recognized as the fountainhead of global research and development with over 400 multi-national companies having their global research and development Centres in Bengaluru including GE, GM, Intel, Texas Instruments, Motorola, SAP, Oracle, IBM, etc. perhaps the largest concentration of such centers anywhere in the world. United Nations has ranked Bengaluru as the fourth largest technology cluster in the world after Silicon Valley, Boston, and London.

Specifically for the Aerospace and Defense sector, Karnataka is the first state in India to announce an aerospace policy in the country. Karnataka has also been recognized as the equipment design and manufacturing hub in India. The state has approved 33 project proposals with a proposed investment of Rs. 14,720 crores with an employment potential for about 10,584 persons. The policy also aims to enhance the contribution of the Aerospace sector towards increasing the share of industry in the State’s GDP from 30% to 32%.

Karnataka is planning to release the updated Aerospace and Defence Policy 2021-26 to attract INR 45,000 Cr investment and generate additional employment of 60,000 persons.

IT industry in Karnataka is another major area that brings in investment. Could you explain the plans made by the Government to make conditions more favorable for IT companies, including start-ups, to function in the State?

Silicon City remains at the forefront

of tech-driven innovation, with the city possessing all the ingredients in terms of manpower, infrastructure, and know-how to keep this a vibrant destination for the start-up ecosystem today.

Our industrial policy has recognized key thrust areas that would help us create a next-generation technology hub Industry 4.0, Research & Development, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Technology Adoption & Innovation, Cluster Development Initiatives, and Sustainable Industrialization.

The government has taken many initiatives to enhance its stature as one of the leading high-tech industrialized States in the country and is at the forefront of attracting investments from across the country and abroad in disruptive technologies viz.

Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, 3D Printing, and Robotics, etc.

For a city to produce successful entrepreneurs, it needs to provide the right policy support and allied infrastructure that can nurture innovation. With the creation of the Start-up Vision Group-Karnataka under the Start-up Karnataka program, we have aimed to bring together the brightest minds in the ecosystem to help set up a robust framework for policy generation that can be both flexible in its reaction to disruptive technologies but at the same time fair to all stakeholders that are involved.

Which are the key industrial sectors targeted by the government to promote growth. How do you forecast growth in each one of them?

Karnataka has a vibrant industrial ecosystem, and we have the right ingredients to be a global leader in various sectors. We are one of the most important global industrial centres and we also need to make sure to keep up with technology and trends and maintain a standard that helps us compete with international industry leaders.

We have released Industrial Policy

2020-25 in Aug-2020, to focus on the development of key sectors such as Automobiles & Auto components, Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices, Engineering, and Machine Tools, Knowledge-based industries, Logistics, Renewable Energy, Aerospace & Defence, and Electric Vehicles, Industry 4.0, advanced manufacturing, R&D - aimed at becoming an integral part of the global value chain.

The policy and the programs and schemes are directed towards building all sectors, throughout the state. I strongly believe that our aim has to be to build a holistic, sustainable, and futuristic Karnataka by utilizing the immense opportunity and innovation the state has to offer. Statewide development can happen only when the development of all sectors takes place.

What are the steps being taken for skill development, generation of new jobs, and making the students employment-ready?

The Large and Medium Industries Ministry aims to utilize the existing talent base, create additional employment opportunities, and empower the secondary and tertiary sectors. The recent initiatives like ‘Udyami Aagu, Udyoga Needu’ (‘Be an Entrepreneur, Become an Employer’) in October were a huge success. The event aimed at attracting professional youth and students to entrepreneurship and employment generation where around 10,000 people attended the event. The idea is to make them job-providers instead of jobseekers. After Bengaluru, the program was a huge success in Kalaburagi and will be organized at Belgaum, Mangalore, Mysore, and Tumkur.

What are the government’s plans to support investments in Tier-2 cities? Could you talk about the ongoing projects and future plans?

The global investors’ meet in Bengaluru, scheduled in November, is expected to attract over ₹10 lakh crore in investments and create over 10 lakh jobs. The government is committed to creating a pro-business atmosphere in Karnataka. We will not concentrate only on Bengaluru but on the whole State. The State government will implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of ‘one district – one product’ in the right spirit. This will help promote the growth of districts and create equal opportunities.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

INDIA – BAVARIA Two Decades of Thriving Ties Bavaria is Germany’s largest and southernmost state that is not only an economic powerhouse but also a land rich in natural beauty, cultural heritage, lively traditions and warm hospitality. The state is a major driving force in the fast-growing trade, economy and cultural ties between India and Germany. Since the inception of the Bavarian State Office in India in 2001, it has played a pivotal role in intensifying the bilateral relationship between India and the State of Bavaria. The office has acted as a bridge between the Indian and Bavarian business communities. Over the last two decades, the office has been instrumental in helping nearly 120 Indian companies to set up their offices in Bavaria.

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r.HubertAiwanger, Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister said that, “Over the last 20 years, the State of Bavaria India office Invest in Bavaria has acted as a Bridge between the Indian and Bavarian business communities and politics. As a result, we have been able to support numerous companies from a wide range of sectors such as ICT, aerospace, engineering, media, biotechnology and automotive who have made Bavaria their home and vice versa. In addition, multiple bilateral political and economic trade missions, participation in trade fairs and individual B2B meetings illustrate the value of

Mr. Hubert Aiwanger Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister the close working relationship.

The State of Bavaria is aware of the great potential India and the Indian economy have

Mr. Roland Weigert State Secretary Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development & Energy to offer as a partner. The State Ministry remains committed to strengthen the relationship with India and we endeavour to support and intensify

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

the exchange and cooperation between the ecosystems”.

Indo-Bavarian Ties Over the last seven decades, India and Germany have become strong partners with close relations in economics, politics and society at large.

With India and Germany having celebrated the 70th anniversary of ßits bilateral ties in 2021 amid the world surviving from the impact caused by the Covid pandemic, both countries look forward to further boosting the economic and trade links and Bavaria undoubtedly has a prime role in achieving it.

The Bavarian State Office in India, which celebrates its 20th anniversary will be spearheading Indo-Bavarian ties through a range of activities & collaborative projects.

John Kottayil, Executive Director, State of Bavaria -India Office, said that what started as an idea in 2001, has sparked a journey of discovery and growth between two regions – Bavaria and India and only great good can come out of a stronger collaboration between the two regions.

The post pandemic and post Brexit world holds

Dr. Edmund Stoiber, Minister President of Bavaria meeting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his India visit in 2007.

State of Bavaria - India office inauguration in 2001 by Mr. Erwin Huber, Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. Prof. B.K. Chandrasekhar, IT Minister, Govt of Karnataka also seen.

Prof. Dr. Winfried Bausback, Bavarian State Minister of Justice on the 15th year celebration of Bavarian State Office in India.

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Mr. John Kottayil Executive Director State of Bavaria India Office

many challenges as well as opportunities for collaboration between European and nonEuropean countries. Bavaria, with its strategic location is one of the best places to be for Indian companies to explore the large European Economic region. Bavaria’s strength in R&D, technology and manufacturing are unparalleled and makes it the perfect place to find suitable partnerships.

Dr. Edmund Stoiber, Minister-President of Bavaria with the Chief Minister of Karnataka, H.D. Kumaraswamy after signing the MOU in 2007.

Karnataka & Bavaria: Strong relationship Karnataka and Bavaria are tech capitals of India and Germany. Both are considered as great investment destinations for the Technology companies.

Both the States signed a MoU in 2007 for enhanced State-to State cooperation in the fields of commerce, industry, technology, research, infrastructure, tourism and other related areas.

Indo-Bavarian Trade and Economic Ties The State of Bavaria could well be considered as an engine-within-engine driving the overall Indo-German relationship. The capital city of Munich is in the heart of Europe and has proved itself to be a valuable gateway to Central and Eastern

Ms. Emilia Mueller, Bavarian State Minister for Federal and European Affairs visits India and had meeting with Mr. B. S. Yediyurappa, Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2009.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

European markets. In 2020, Indo-Bavarian trade volume amounted to €2.49 billion, with exports to India being €1.27 bn and imports from India being €1.21 bn.

India is one of Bavaria’s top 10 trading partners and the Indo-Bavarian trade volume is 15% of the total Indo-German trade. India has also steadily gained its importance as a potential market for Bavarian exports.

Bavaria is now home to a strong Indian community with more than 30,000 Indians.

120 Indian Technology companies have set up their operations in Bavaria. 1500 business relationships between Bavarian and Indian companies and over 350 Indo-Bavarian joint ventures have been established. 15 Direct Flights per week are now available from Munich to India.

Bavaria-based companies have traditionally considered India as a reliable and promising economic partner.

Besides encouraging German companies towards India, Bavaria is also very keen to project the state as a preferred destination for potential Indian investments.

At present, more than 120 Indian companies have their presence in Bavaria and some of the renowned names are: Infosys, Wipro, Samvardhana Motherson Group, Hero MotoCorp, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., TCS, HCL, L&T InfoTech, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, QuEST Global, Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., Graphite India Ltd, Torrent Pharma etc.

Why Bavaria Germany’s largest and southernmost state of Bavaria is not only an economic powerhouse but also a land rich in natural beauty, cultural heritage, lively traditions

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Dr. Murugesh R. Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka visits Bavaria and signs action plan with Bavarian Government, at the Global India Business Meet (GIBM) 2009 in Munich.

Mr. Martin Zeil, Deputy Minister President, and Economic Minister, Bavaria with Karnataka Chief Minister Mr. D. V. Sadananda Gowda in Bangalore in 2012.

Dr. G Parameshwara, Home Minister of Karnataka signing an MOU during his visit to Bavaria with a delegation in 2016.

and warm hospitality. The picturesque villages, medieval towns and the Bavarian capital city of Munich are the epitome of authenticity. Opera festivals and Oktoberfest,pretzels in a beer garden are now world famous.

Economy One of the strongest economic regions in Europe, Bavaria’s GDP is €610.2 billion (2020) which is the 2nd highest in Germany. The per capita GDP in Bavaria is €46,498 which is well above

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

German per capita of €40,088 and EU region per capita of €29,800.

As a globally active market, Bavaria is home not only to global players such as Adidas, Allianz, Audi, BMW, MTU Aero Engines, MAN and Siemens, but also to a strong basis of small and medium sized businesses in industry, trades and the service sector.

Investors thus encounter a broad spectrum of competitive suppliers, potential customers and cooperation partners.

In both Europe and Germany, Bavaria takes a top-ranking position in numerous future fields for high technology. An outstandingly constructed transportation, telecommunication and energy infrastructure provides for an optimal supply of necessary goods and services, linkage to the global market and direct access to nearly half a billion consumers.

Cross-Industry Innovation is the Future In Bavaria, radical out-of the box thinking is shaping new and exciting business ideas by leaving silo-thinking behind.

When it comes to the successful development of cross-industry innovations, collaborations between startups and established companies in Bavaria are to a certain extent the no longer quite secret recipe.

Cross-Industry Innovation, which is about finding perfect new matches, is the most ideal platform for developing future markets and Bavaria has its unique popularity of being the Hub of Cross- Industry Innovation and Gateway to Europe.

Apart from the capital city Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg and Wuerzburg are the other major cities in Bavaria.

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at vestors and th centives for in in l so ia al ec d sp an e m s plan fers so their business Nuremberg of viduals as per di in om fr ry may va s as well. pe‘s top ICT es for start-up nd and Euro tla ar special incentiv he With n tio s innova digitalization.

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P being genera tio D lu G l so ta l to ta ‘s gi di ria va unities for rt po over 1/4 of Ba op t ea gr re. base offers rong market he this industrial s” will find a st ur , a state-wide ts ne lis re ia ep ec tr sp en “Digital ly-qualified gh hi of well as the ol po s a universitie as g in Bavaria offers at uc in ed d n which result searching an and innovatio network of re ch to ar es se gi re lo no of pport ture tech consequent su bination of fu ation and com tr en nc co a both Europe. ue throughout an extent uniq e ria India Offic State of Bava ria va Invest - in - Ba der e of Bavaria un Who We Are: ncy of the Stat d ge an A t n io en ot m op om s Pr onal Devel gi Re , As the Busines irs d fa an af y German of Economic mpanies from co the Ministry ts n or tio pp ca su lo l the idea in Bavaria ctors in finding Energy, Invest t se en of e om m ng e ra e th a wid right from ul sf es cc India and from su be that they can in Bavaria, so an . es considering re t for compani they settle he ac an nt of co es of t ag in st st po ners in all We are the fir s, e reliable part on gi ar re d , an es ni ria pa va Ba tween com be e investment in ac st rf te co fin -o d free cision. As an confidential an e investment de id ov pr e w politics, economy and the globe. e offices across e. tiv ta en servic es pr re ork of 25 We have a netw help you: of cost services We are here to fidential | Free on C | d ise m to Cus

Contact us: State of Bavaria India office - Invest-in-Bavaria Prestige Meridian 2, 12th Floor, Unit 1201, 30, MG Road, Bangalore - 560 001, Telephone: +91-80-4096 5025 Email- director@invest-in-bavaria.in web: www.invest-in-bavaria.com

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

Driving Business Growth through Human Motivation Headquartered in Bengaluru, Xoxoday is a startup whose genesis to growth has been in Bengaluru, nurtured by the energetic startup environment of the city. It is a rapidly-growing fintech Software as a service (SaaS) firm that propels business growth while focusing on human motivation. The company aims to make growth stories rewarding through its mission of providing technology infrastructure for rewards, engagement, and loyalty for businesses worldwide. “Xoxoday is well placed to take a leadership position in the Rewards, Incentives, Payouts, Perks, Loyalty, and Engagement (RIPPLE) sector and emerge as a formidable global player in the next 2-3 years. Through our RIPPLE effect, we plan to touch and impact the lives of 100 next billion users of the web,” said Sumit Khandelwal, Co-founder & CEO, Xoxoday. In an interview with Advantage Karnataka, he talks about the company’s latest business operations and future plans.

Sumit Khandelwal Co-founder & CEO Xoxoday Xoxoday is engaged in creating the RIPPLE (Rewards, Incentives, Payouts, Perks, Loyalty and Engagements) effect.

Could you elaborate?

Our vision is to make growth stories rewarding through our mission to provide technology infrastructure for rewards, engagement, and loyalty for businesses worldwide. Driven by our vision and mission, Xoxoday has been building the technology infrastructure to enable businesses to automate rewards, incentives, perks, engagement, & payouts processes across the value chain. We raised our first institutional round of funding from Giift, backed by Apis Partners Growth Fund II and have added loyalty to our kitty. The time was RIPPE for a RIPPLE. As children, we enjoyed creating ripples.

Xoxoday is functioning at the intersection of delight and creating RIPPLES that help businesses grow holistically. Today our product suite comprises SaaS solutions for rewards, engagement and loyalty, helping organizations achieve holistic business

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growth by enabling the growth of all the stakeholders: consumers, employees, and sales & channel partners.

Could you name some of your major customers?

We work with 1500+ clients including many companies from the Fortune 500. Shell, Adobe, Nielsen, Mindtree, Freshworks, Kantar, H.M., Capgemini, Cleartrip, Ola, Dunzo, Pepsi, and Freshworks, to name a few.

Could you recall how Xoxoday was formed and also how you decided on the name of the firm?

Xoxoday was formed in 2017 after we decided to dedicate our entrepreneurial journey to our vision and mission. Our tagline is: We make growth stories rewarding. We believe that business growth is not a one-dimensional variable but a compound function that encompasses growth with an organization’s employees, customers, sales and channel partners.

Therefore, each product addresses one aspect of the growth variable: employees, customers, and sales & channel partners.

As mentioned earlier, we function at the interface of delight, and delight evokes feelings of happiness and deep appreciation. In a light-hearted way, these are expressed as XOXO. The way we have a Monday or a Tuesday, why not a Xoxoday every week if not every day?

Could you tell us about the benefits of connecting to the Xoxoday API solution?

The Xoxoday API feature is one of the sophisticated and scalable APIs. It allows users to automate rewards instantly via the application of their choice. With APIs, users can view catalogues based on their country, region, and preferences. Our API feature also supports webhooks, thereby bringing efficiency to management.

You are now joined by Giift. What would be the impact of this partnership?

As mentioned earlier, our funding from Giift has been the driver of the RIPPLE. Our

partnership allows us to cover the length and breadth of the Rewards, Engagement and Loyalty space, helping us accomplish our vision through a comprehensive SaaS Product Suite.

Could you elaborate on the India operations of Xoxoday? Also, could you inform us about your association with Karnataka?

We are headquartered in Bengaluru, and

we are a startup whose genesis to growth has been in Bengaluru, nurtured by the energetic startup environment of the city.

Apart from being influenced by the culture of Karnataka, which places great emphasis on learning and growth, we are active participants in the startup community.

We are also proactive members of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Tell us about the international operations of the company. What are your future plans?

Xoxoday is well placed to take a leadership position in the Rewards, Incentives, Payouts, Perks, Loyalty, and Engagement (RIPPLE) sector and emerge as a formidable global player in the next 2-3 years. Through our RIPPLE effect, we plan to touch and impact the lives of 100 next billion users of the web.

FY 2021-22: HAL Scales New Peak, Records Revenue of Over Rs. 24,000 Crores

H

R. Madhavan CMD, HAL.

AL records highest ever revenue of over Rs. 24,000 crores (provisional and unaudited) for the financial year ended on March 31, 2022 registering a 6% revenue growth over the previous financial year. The corresponding figure for the previous year stood at Rs. 22,755 crores.

“Despite the challenges of the second wave of Covid-19 during the first quarter of the year and the consequent production loss, the Company could meet the targeted revenue growth with improved performance during the balance period of the year”, said Mr. R. Madhavan, CMD, HAL.

The second wave of Covid-19 had compelled the Company to declare a phased lockdown at various Divisions during April and May 2021. The employees had put in additional hours in June and July 2021 to compensate for the loss of man hours due to the lock down.

Further, based on the improved financial performance and cash flow position, the Credit Rating Agencies CARE Ratings and ICRA Limited have upgraded the Company’s credit rating from AA+ Stable to AAA/Stable during the financial year.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

BEL achieves record turnover of Rs. 15000 Crores

Anandi Ramalingam CMD,BEL

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avratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has achieved a turnover of about Rs.15000 Cr (Provisional & Unaudited), during the Financial Year 2021-22, against the previous year’s turnover of Rs. 13,818 Cr, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and global semiconductors shortage.

BEL’s Order Book as on April 1, 2022, is around Rs. 57000 Cr. In the year 202122, BEL secured significant orders worth (approx.) Rs.18000 Cr. Some of the major orders acquired during the year were

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System (EOS CoMPASS), Solar Hybrid Power Plant, Data Link, ElectroMechanical parts, Low Band Receivers (LBREC), Medical Electronics, Spares for Radars, etc. BEL’s Chairman & Managing Director, Anandi Ramalingam, said: “Realising our country’s goal of achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat is of paramount importance. BEL will make concerted efforts to achieve self-reliance through Make in India initiatives, indigenisation, import substitution, outsourcing to Indian private industry and enhanced thrust on MSME and GeM procurement. The Company is all set to expand its wings and increase its global footprints by making all-out efforts to tap new markets across the globe. BEL will continue to explore new growth opportunities through diversification, capability enhancement and competitiveness, modernisation, etc. BEL has ventured into new potential businesses such as Arms & Ammunition, Medical Electronic Devices, Unmanned System Platforms, etc., and is poised to make significant headway in these segments in the years to come.”

Government will go any miles to support Startups: Chief Minister

hief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated India’s first global conference on Startups, India Global Innovation Connect in Bengaluru. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Bommai said Karnataka is at the forefront of startup innovation.

Bengaluru is home to 400 of the Fortune 500 companies and no other country in the world has as many such companies.

“Startup is not new to Karnataka and Karnataka is the top destination for startups and not one of the top states,” he said.

“The Karnataka government will go any miles in supporting startups. We are not worried about the competition. It keeps us going and growing. We convert the competition into acceleration,” he

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Avionics Pack for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite for Fighter Aircraft, Instrumented Electronic Warfare Range (IEWR), Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) & Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), Cdr TI- T90 Tank, COMINT System, Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) & Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) for C-295 Programme, Electronic Gun, IoT Gateway, etc.

Some of the flagship projects executed during FY 2021-22 were Missile Systems (Air Defence Weapon System & LRSAM), Command & Control Systems, Communication and Encryption products, various Sonars, Electro-optic Systems, Fire Control Systems, Gun Upgrades, various Radars, Electronic Warfare Systems, Coastal Surveillance System, Un-manned Systems, Home Land Security Systems, Smart City projects, K-FON, Medical Electronics, etc.

BEL achieved Export sales of around US$ 32.26 Million during FY 2021-22.

Major products exported included Coastal Surveillance System, Trans-Receive (TR) Modules, EO-IR Payload System, Compact Multi-Purpose Advanced Stabilization

said during his conversation with Claude Smadja, President of Smadja & Smadja advisory after inaugurating the two-day conference.

Stating that Karnataka is the first state in the country to introduce a startup policy, he said, the seeds of startup revolution were sowed by the Maharaja of Mysore who supported industrialization, banking and innovation much before the country attained independence.

The inauguration was also attended by a galaxy of international investors, private equity firms, entrepreneurs and innovators from Singapore, Israel, Switzerland, the US, Japan, Korea and Germany.

Declaring the conference open, Claude Smadja, President, Smadja & Smadja, said, “India has always been a land of

great entrepreneurial promise for me. As the 4th Industrial evolution has begun, it is pertinent to acknowledge that India will play the role of a catalyst especially with its ability to innovate solutions for itself and the world. India now has the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem.

As a result, the India Global Innovation Connect highlights the potential of how India’s start-up and innovation story is becoming global. Its emergence as the new Silicon Valley of the world will lead to a greater, safer, and stronger tomorrow.”

The event was organized by Smadja & Smadja, a Switzerland-based strategic advisory firm, in a strategic partnership with Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), Catamaran Ventures, and Tata Digital.

7-Eleven Launches Global Solution Center in Bengaluru •

Convenience store chain’s first tech center outside the US will focus on product development, IT services, information security

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-Eleven, Inc., the global convenience store chain, has launched the 7-Eleven Global Solution Center (GSC) in Bengaluru. This is the company’s first such center outside the U.S. The center will play a key role in 7-Eleven’s strategy by developing products that support business activities at the stores.

The GSC will accelerate digital strategy

and expand internal IT capabilities in the areas of information security, networking and data science. The GSC’s mission is to be a trusted resource for 7-Eleven, providing capability and dedicated expertise to deliver high-quality, innovative services.

Access to the right talent makes Bengaluru a strategic location for 7-Eleven to elevate digital innovations. Currently,

the GSC has more than 150 employees and expects to double in the next year with growth across functions like IT, information security, finance and accounting roles. The GSC will only service 7-Eleven®stores in the U.S..

Jennifer Goschke, Vice President and Country Leader, 7-Eleven Global Solution Center, said: “The GSC in Bengaluru is an important resource for our Dallas-based core technology team. Our India and U.S. offices complement each other and support innovation to enhance our services.

Bengaluru was a natural choice for us, as it is India’s technology talent hub. Our aim is to deliver a seamless experience for our stakeholders and 7-Eleven customers while providing exciting career opportunities to emerging technology talent in the country.”

The first 7-Eleven store in India opened in October 2021 in Mumbai. 7-Eleven stores in India were opened by 7-India Convenience Retail Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Limited and a master franchisee of 7-Eleven International LLC.

Karnataka to host “Bengaluru Design Festival” in November

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he Government of Karnataka is set to formulate and implement a Design Policy and will host World’s Largest Design Festival - “Bengaluru Design Festival”- along with Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS 22), Scheduled to be held in November, Dr. Aswath Narayan, Minister for IT/BT and S&T, said in London.

During the meeting with the officials of the World Design Council ( WDC), World Design Organisation ( WDO), and UK Design Council in London, Minister confirmed the state’s interest to formulate and implement the design policy for Karnataka. The policy will attribute inputs from the national design policy and seek

inputs from WDC to come up with a framework and structure, he added.

Speaking on the occasion Narayan said that the WDC has extended its support to implement state design policy and to integrate the “Design Thinking” as a part of the school and college curriculum in Karnataka. Further, he said, “The pilot project for the design thinking in school project can be done in selected government schools and based on the impact can scale up the project across the state. The IT department will take the lead to formulate and implement the design policy for the state.” “The proposed Design Policy, Design District and Design Education will

put Karnataka in the global design circle, and it will help to drive investments and jobs creation in the creative sector of the state” claimed Paula Graham Gazzard, Chair of Council, World Design Council.

Minister invited the officials to the state for further discussions and proceedings.

Prof. Pradyumna Vyas, Member of Board of Directors, World Design Organisation (WDO) and Mrs. Anne Boddington, Trustee, UK Design Council, Tom Joseph, ED, Arun Balachandran, Director (Digital Division), John Xavier, Director, Novel Initiatives of International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC) were present.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

Pralhad Joshi reiterates the vision of realizing Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Stakeholders’ Outreach Programme on India-UAE CEPA & India-Australia ECTA at Bengaluru

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epartment of Commerce, Government of India, in coordination with The Industries and Commerce Department, Government of the State of Karnataka, the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), and other Apex Industry Bodies, Export Promotion Councils, Local Chambers of Commerce and Industry, organized a Stakeholders’ Outreach Programme on India-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in Bengaluru .

Addressing the gathering, Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines of Government of India highlighted the various initiatives and reforms being undertaken by the Government of India to further improve the ease of doing business; the significant milestones achieved in the form of the record-high annual exports of goods and services in the current year of around US$ 674 billion; reiterated the vision of realizing Aatmanirbhar Bharat and how exports play a crucial role in this process; and finally delineated the immense advantages of the State of Karnataka.

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Delivering the welcome remarks, Dr Abhay Sinha, Director General, SEPC provided an overview of the two recently concluded landmark trade agreements, viz., India-UAE CEPA and IndiaAustralia ECTA and succinctly highlighted the benefits that can accrue to the exporters from the State of Karnataka.

Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, delivered a comprehensive presentation, which elaborated on the various aspects of the Trade Agreements and explained in detail the concessions on goods and services exchanged by India with the UAE and Australia, measures incorporated for facilitation of bilateral trade, safeguards that have been placed to protect the Industry, and projected gains in exports, GDP, and employment across various sectors, particularly the labour-intensive ones. A need to diversify India’s services export basket, presently dominated by IT/ITeS, was emphasized and potential benefits in various services sectors arising from these FTAs were highlighted. These include Professional Services, Business Services, Audio Visual Services Education Services, Health Services, Fintech etc.

Dr E.V.Ramana Reddy,

Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, provided an overview of the Industrial profile of Karnataka and also spoke about the huge latent potential of the State, which is already a powerhouse of IT/ITES, ranking first in the country in IT/ITES exports. He also expressed optimism at the prospect of the State deriving benefits from these Trade Agreements on the back of its own immense advantages.

He also shared a statistical snapshot of Karnataka, including an overview of the macroeconomic indicators, external sector performance, and a summary compilation of top goods and services exported from the State.

States’ outreach programmes are part of a series of concerted and coordinated efforts being made by the Department of Commerce, Government of India, to sensitize and create awareness amongst exporters across the country on the conducive platform and the favourable trade ecosystem that is being created with the conclusion of these landmark Trade Agreements with partners countries exhibiting significant trade complementarities with India. This outreach event was exclusively meant for local industry and

exporters, particularly from the MSME sector, in the State of Karnataka. Given the importance of the event and the potential for immense benefits for the industry participants, the event witnessed the participation of over 200 businessmen from the State of Karnataka, cutting across industry segments and sectors.

As part of the event, twopanel discussions were also conducted with the participation of Industry representatives. The panellists discussed ways and means of leveraging the strengths of Karnataka, as a leading export hub and optimizing the gains from the Trade Agreements in exports of both goods and services. Further, there was participation from various sectors of industry such as Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Gems and Jewellery, Textiles, IT&ITES, Mining & Minerals, Education services, R&D etc.

Participants at the event exhibited enthusiasm at the prospects of deriving immense benefits from the Trade Agreements and committed to forging newer trade relationships with importers in these partner countries with an objective to increase their market shares across sectors and Industries.

Higher Education Minister visits the renowned university Dundee University keen to collaborate with Karnataka in Life Sciences

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r.C.N.Ashwath Narayan, Minister of Karnataka for Higher Education, visited Dundee University, which is renowned the world over for studies in Life Sciences.

During the discussion with the minister top officials of the university said, “Our team will visit India in coming September.

We are keen to collaborate with Karnataka it the state government evinces interest and centers can be set up in many varsities”.

The University which is 140 years old has courses in advanced Image Analysis, Data Communication, Science Communication, Data Science, and Machine Learning and also houses required higher-end expensive machines & equipment.

“The collaboration will create ample opportunities for students of Karnataka to enhance their capabilities. In addition, we also contribute to design updated programmes for degree, post-graduate and Ph.D. education” the university representatives claimed.

Officials also apprised the minister that the Dundee University had already established such collaboration with a few other countries including China and Singapore. Further, they said, under this collaboration, the faculty of the university will go to the respective countries for teaching for a period of two years and later students will be facilitated to attend classes at Dundee University.

G.Kumar Nayak, ACS, Department of Higher Education, P.Pradeep, Commissioner, DCTE, Dr.Gopal Joshi, ED, State Higher Education Council (SHEC), and Dr.Bhanu Murty, VC, BASE, Tandava Gowda, Administrator, SHEC were present.

The minister’s delegation met Martyn Day, Member of Parliament, UK, and discussed various matters. During this visit, Martyn Day hosted the dinner for the delegation. His spouse Nidhin Chand who is of Kerala origin was also present.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

Karnataka emerging as a vibrant manufacturing hub in the country

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arnataka is emerging as a vibrant manufacturing hub in the country. To increase the GSDP, the Karnataka Government is introducing new initiatives to bolster the manufacturing sector and increase the share of exports from the State.

The EXCON demonstrated the manufacturing potential of the State with the large presence of OEMs and components industries participating in the South Asia’s’ largest construction equipment trade Fair at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru, recently.

Delivering his inaugural address at the 11th edition of EXCON, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the infrastructure sector is receiving an intense push from the Government, propelling India’s overall development and GDP. The new policies announced by the

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Record turnover for BEML in 2021-22

EML Ltd has achieved its highestever turnover of Rs 4,143 crore during financial year 2021-22, against the previous year’s Rs 3,557 crore.

According to a statement of the company’s standalone and consolidated audited results for 2021-22 released

by Chairman and Managing Director Amit Banerjee, BEML also recorded the highest-ever value of production of Rs 3,993 crore during the financial year. The figure for the previous financial year was

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Government of India would ensure the time-bound creation of world-class infrastructure in the country, making it India’s new identity globally, Chief Minister said.

He said that the construction sector will have a major contribution to Prime Minister's vision to make India a USD five trillion economy. To achieve this goal, the government is embarking on major infrastructure and industrial projects worth Rs 100 lakh crore.

“Though our major focus should be growing exponentially in the country by advancing our technologies, inclusion of people at the bottom of the pyramid is also critical since they are the movers of the economy. We urge the industries to collaborate with them to further enable the CE sector,” the Chief Minister said.

Bommai mentioned that the State presents huge business opportunities for the construction industry, as it is embarking

on major infrastructure development projects in roads & flyovers, industrial infrastructure and power.

Meanwhile, inaugurating ‘NIRMAANA 2022’ , a two-day international conference on Tunneling & Underground Construction organised by INSTRUCT – Institute for Research Development and Training of Construction Trades And Management, a professional registered body of Engineers & Architects headquartered at Bengaluru, the Chief Minister said Karnataka is recognised for its tunneling and underground construction from ancient times.

"We have lots of underground tunnels and structures which stand as a testimony even today, people during those days have built it without modern technology for their requirement but with the pace in which our cities are growing and with advent of new technology we are facing many challenges everyday and me being an engineer I thoroughly understand the difficulties and challenges in such constructions”, Bommai said.

He emphasised the importance of underground construction as most of the activities are taking underground routes, be at metros, fuel, gas, service and other utilities gaining the importance of underground mobility in India.

"Karnataka has been a pioneer and will remain so as we have many mega projects lined up, we have the required expertise and manpower to make us world leaders", the Chief Minister added.

Rs 3,556 crore, the CMD added.

“This was achieved despite challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic and resultant supply chain disruptions,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the profit before tax of the company having its registered office at Bengaluru has grown to Rs 206 crore in 2021-22 from Rs 93 crore in 202021 and profit after tax stands at Rs 135 crore in 2021-22 against Rs 75 crore in 2020-21.

The CMD also revealed that the

company’s order book as on March 31, 2022 stood at Rs 9,192 crore. During 2021-22, BEML exported products to a new country, Madagascar, adding to its list of exports to 68 countries.

Major milestones achieved during 202122 include successful commissioning of 190 T electric dump trucks at NCL Singrauli, supply of 81 numbers of medical oxygen plants by standing with the nation to tide over the COVID19 pandemic and flagging off MRS 1 Driverless Metro Cars for Mumbai Metro.

Karnataka Making Mangalore as a FinTech Hub is becoming reality

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ontinuing with its mission to contribute to India’s $1trillion digital economy with a robust innovation and start-up ecosystem, the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) welcomed Illumifin’s (Illumifin India LLP - Fintech Startup) new office in Mangalore. They are a fintech-based company supplementing KDEM’s objective of making the Mangalore cluster a fintech focus hub.

The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) has set up a fintech task force led

by Harshil Mathur, the founder, and CEO of fintech unicorn start-up Razorpay. The task group works toward creating a roadmap for the growth of the industry, identifying the opportunities and challenges faced by the fintech ecosystem in the state, leverages the partnering institutions and government to solve them and attract more fintech companies. In this direction, Illumifin’s new office at Mangalore is KDEM’s prowess in intensifying its drive to build a robust Fintech ecosystem in the region while spotlighting skill development, employment generation, and overall development across Karnataka.

The BFSI and FinTech sector is a booming industry, and the engineering and management graduates can benefit from the immense opportunities it offers to the digitization of this sector. KDEM is very happy with the triparty agreement

signed by Illumfin in this regard and thus thase initiatives are aimed to bring about a necessary change in the outlook of promoting niche departments at the grassroots level in cities beyond Bengaluru for the right social and economic impact to make its mark.

The synergy between KDEM, academic institution and industry is a step towards harbouring a Fintech ecosystem at the grassroots level The Beyond Bengaluru program of KDEM is spearheading the mission of proliferating the growth of the digital economy in clusters beyond Bangalore by identifying potential clusters in the state. The program aims at building a community of key industry players, entrepreneurs, start-up owners, academia, accelerators, and the student community, the Beyond Bengaluru program of KDEM is steering towards getting investments and generating employment in the state. The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) has recognized the growth potential of the FinTech industry, and this MoU with FinTech Industry has enabled many such companies to get a foothold in this region.

Speaking on this development, Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, KDEM said - “Karnataka Digital Economy Mission is delighted to welcome Illumifin its Mangaluru cluster, under the Beyond Bengaluru initiative.

The ecosystem of the Mangaluru cluster is dynamic and vibrant with innovation and rich entrepreneurship culture. Together with our ecosystem partners like Sahyadri, we are spearheading the objective of attracting 500+ IT companies and creating 30,000 jobs by 2026. We aim at leveraging the competitive advantage of Mangaluru being a cradle of banking & financial institutions and making it a hub of Fin-Techbased operations. We welcome Illumifin to start its operations from Mangaluru and accelerate its development journey from #Beyond Bengaluru.”

Commenting on this partnership, Chairman, Sahyadri institution, Mangalore said – “This partnership between the industry and the academia is a critical milestone for India’s fintech ecosystem.

As KDEM cements Karnataka’s place as a global fintech hub, it gives me immense pleasure to be a part of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission’s journey to unlock new areas of innovation and growth. With KDEM’s reach and our expertise, we are very hopeful of enabling an enriching platform to the ascending start-up environment of Karnataka. “

Rapido launches Captain Welfare Fund to uplift its Captains and dependents

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apido, India’s largest bike taxi platform, announced the launch of Captain Welfare Fund, to uplift its driver-partners, Captains. The first-of-its-kind welfare programme has been launched to assist the Captains economically, beyond salaries

and incentives. As part of the Fund, Rapido contributes a certain fixed amount from its end along with a part of the commission received by Rapido for every ride completed by the Captains, towards the benefit of the Captains and their families.

The first three recipients of this fund were Harish B. and Arumugam E. for Children Education and Kallesha Naik, for Medical Treatment. In its very first event to honor the Captains, Rapido organized a fun event in Bangalore for the Captains and their families. The City Manager rewarded the shortlisted Captains with the Welfare Fund cheque. The event also witnessed the families spend quality time at the function which concluded with a scrumptious lunch.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

ZEE unveils its technology and innovation Centre in Bengaluru

Mr.Basavaraj Bommai - Chief Minister of Karnataka (centre) inaugurates the ZEE Technology and Innovation Centre in the presence of Mr. Nitin Mittal, President - Technology & Data, ZEE (Left) and Mr. Amit Goenka, President - Digital Businesses & Platforms, ZEE (Right)

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ee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE), a leading media & entertainment powerhouse, recently announced the launch of its technology and innovation centre in India’s tech capital – Bengaluru.

The company said the state-of-the-art tech centre will strengthen its technology, innovation and data capabilities.

ZEE said it onboarded 700-plus tech experts to build cutting-edge, world-class products.

The facility was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr. Basavaraj Bommai, in the presence of Mr. Amit Goenka, President – Digital Businesses & Platforms, ZEE and Mr. Nitin Mittal, President – Technology & Data, ZEE. The sprawling 80,000 feet centre will be the company’s epicentre to build a strong cohort of tech, data and talent.

Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, Mr. Thawar Chand Gehlot also paid a visit to the tech-centre and interacted with the tech experts, blessing the company’s initiative, that will create employment opportunities for the young professionals in the state.

Through the capabilities being built at this centre, the company intends to leverage behavioural and derived data to personalise content and delivery, thereby increasing its reach across platforms.

The centre will build the metaverse network for the Company

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with the help of AR, VR and NFT led delivery models and will focus on a futuristic tech stack which will enable omnipresent delivery of entertainment across platforms Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Bommai said, for decades, the state of Karnataka has maintained its position as the technology capital of the country and Bengaluru, its capital city, has now become the Silicon Valley of the nation.

The ecosystem that Bengaluru has created, is difficult to replicate and has been created by none other than the citizens of the city, he said.

"The government of Karnataka is extremely delighted to be a part of ZEE’s initiative and I am confident that the Technology & Innovation Centre set up by ZEE will help to accelerate the growth prospects of the state. Public – private partnership is essential for the growth and long term success of any state and we will ensure that we walk shoulder to shoulder with ZEE in this journey", the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Thawar Chand Gehlot said the coming years promise fast paced growth & development for the state of Karnataka, mainly due to the evolution of the IT and start-up ecosystem in Bengaluru.

"The capital city has been consistently ranked among the Top 30 Global Start-up Ecosystems and we are glad that Corporates like ZEE are focusing their investments on India’s Silicon Valley. I congratulate ZEE on launching the tech centre and firmly

believe that it will assist in propelling the state to a global stage and uplift the lives of professionals in the tech industry", he said.

Nitin Mittal said: “At the Tech & Innovation Centre, we are building ability for ZEE to leverage digital technologies to improve our reach and engage our customers anytime, anywhere across all devices. We have been a frontrunner in creating engaging content for more than 1.3 billion viewers and are currently focused on building Web 3.0 entertainment platforms. This Centre will build the metaverse future of ZEE including AR, VR, NFTs and relevant data models to our digital platforms.”

Animesh Kumar, President – HR and Transformation, ZEE said, “Our newly inaugurated Technology & Innovation Centre is an amalgam of a cross functional talent pool of likeminded individuals ready to challenge the status quo and create innovative solutions in the digital ecosystem.

The vibrant workspace is designed with a unique employee value proposition focused on culture, collaboration & innovation is bound to spark ideas and disrupt the ConTech space. We have onboarded some of the brightest tech talent in India that will create the next level of frictionless, highly personalised delivery platforms for content consumption, thereby setting new standards in the country. This is the Centre that will drive our ambition to dominate content consumption in India and for South Asians globally”.

Toyota Group signs MoU with Government of Karnataka for big investments

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n its effort to contribute to the country’s vision of “Make in India” and to enable a faster reduction in carbon emissions, out of total investment of Rs 4,800 crore, Toyota Group of Companies that constitutes of Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts has announced their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Karnataka to invest Rs 4,100 crore.

This announcement coincides with Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s 25 years of successful journey in India, by winning the hearts of millions of happy customers.

In-addition to boosting the local manufacturing eco-system, the new development will provide an impetus to employment generation and local community development. This investment will also spur the growth of local supplier base and hence result in higher investments and further job creation.

The MoU was exchanged between Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr. Basavaraj Bommai and Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar, Vice-Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, in the presence of Dr. Murugesh R. Nirani, Hon’ble Minister of Large & Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka, and Mr. Ravi Kumar, IAS, Chief Secretary of Karnataka State, among other dignitaries.

As part of the MoU, Toyota Group of Companies will systematically invest towards making India a self-reliant manufacturing hub, thus contributing towards the Government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ mission.

The investments are aimed at promoting greener technologies that will help lower dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions. This investment will also enable local production facilities to build electric powertrain parts and components, thereby cater to the electrified vehicle manufacturing in India.

As a part of the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, Toyota will continue to focus on reducing carbon emissions in a holistic manner going beyond tailpipe emissions to address manufacturing and lifecycle CO2 emissions in order to realise its carbon neutrality goals by 2050, as announced earlier.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bommai said, “Our aim is to build ‘New Karnataka for New India’ by creating new 21st century industrial townships and corridors. As a state committed to sustainable development and contributing to the nation’s progress, we want to make Karnataka a global supply-chain and manufacturing hub under our ‘Build for the World’ mission. This MoU with Toyota Group of Companies is a huge stride in

this regard, and Karnataka Government is confident of Toyota’s commitment towards sustainable growth and local manufacturing quality for Karnataka’s growth and development. Karnataka being the hub of electric vehicles, welcomes this MoU which adds another feather to State’s cap as leader in this sector”.

Sharing his views, Dr. Nirani said, “Toyota Group investments will also enhance the local supplier growth in Karnataka, further leading to higher investments and more job creation. Besides boosting the local manufacturing sector, these investments will also support local community development.”

Since its inception, Toyota has been passionate and committed to build a stable, sustainable, and competitive local supply chain and has taken significant efforts in promoting localization of auto parts and components in line with Government’s ‘Make in India’ mission. The Group has invested in strengthening and increasing supplier base through consistently partnering with them to enhance their capacities and capabilities by sharing Toyota best practices, efficient processes and skilling of manpower, by imparting world-class training program to enhance the production excellence with high quality standards.

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ADVANTAGE KARNATAKA

Karnataka’s Polish Bonds Bolster Indo-Poland Ties

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ndia and Poland have a long-standing friendly relationship marked by high-level political connections, dynamic economic participation, and traditional cultural ties. Indian investments in Poland are worth more than US$3 billion and the Indian presence there include several multi-national companies.

Karnataka itself has built strong relations with the European nation with quite a few of Polish companies having their presence in the state.

Karnataka’s Polish ties have a significant role in improving India’s bilateral relationship with Poland.

There is a dynamic relationship between the two countries when one takes into consideration both countries’

foreign direct investment.

Poland’s total investment in India is estimated at $672 million. A few important Polish companies that are present in India are as follows: TZMO S.A. (sanitary equipment $200 million), CanPack (packaging, $200 million), Famur (mining, $75 million), GeofizykaToruń (geology, $50 million), Ekolog (green technology, 50 million USD); which is located in Karnataka too, Solaris (green transport, 50 million USD),Maflow (auto parts, under review), Inglot (cosmetics, under review) and a few others.

A number of companies have invested in India and Indian companies like Wipro, TCS, Infosys, Manipal University are amongst the top companies

which are associated with Poland. The companies that have presence in Poland are ArcelorMittal, Videocon, Escorts, Strides Arcolab, Ranbaxy, EsselPropack, KPIT Cummins, Zensar Technologies Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies Ltd, Infosys and Wipro, Jindal Stainless, Indian Berger Paints, UFLEX and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Rishab Tools (acquired Lumel) and CRISIL. Many companies in India and Poland associate with each other in medical and hygiene related products, technology sector, digital services and consulting, waste management and sewage treatment.

In the education sector, Manipal University established the Centre for Polish and Central European Studies at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal in 2012. It was a bi-product of a collaborative effort between University of Warsaw, Poland and MAHE. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Poland had supported this initiative. TZMO SA merged

with Premier Enterprises in India which is now known as Bella Premier Happy Hygiene Pvt. Ltd. They are present in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerela, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi.

Infosys has a very prominent stature in Poland, being present in 4 major cities across Poland with 5 offices and more than 3,000 employees. Ekolog India private Limited is a subsidiary of a Polish company, Ekolog Private Limited, which is a solid waste and sewage management and renewable energy equipment firm. It first came into the limelight in India in 2016. They have developed over the years and are now also a consultation firm for other companies in the same field. They have successfully completed numerous industrial and nfrastructure projects.

Ekolog also engages in sewage sludge management, waste management and manufacturing of sewage treatment plants. Last but not the least, they are wellversed in the field of renewable energy.

Raghu C Rajappa Honorary Consul of Republic of Poland in Bengaluru No 42\2 8th Main RMV Extension Bengaluru -560080 080-23617805|+919845927029

Karnataka to be national capital For additive manufacturing: Dr. Ashwathnarayan

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harat Fritz Werner Group (BFW) announces the launch of India’s first commercially available Laser-Directed-EnergyDeposition (L-DED) machines with Hybrid and Robotic configurations –PHOTON 1000H and the PHOTON 1000R powered by the MELTIO.

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Dr Ashwathnarayan C. N, Minister for Higher Education, IT &BT, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Government of Karnataka, launched THE PHOTON 1000H and the PHOTON 1000R in the presence of Ravi Raghavan, MD BFW.

CM Bommai invites business leaders to invest in Karnataka • •

Several business leaders and diplomats attended the curtain raiser event of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) held in New Delhi.

CM Bommai urged everyone to join the GIM, which will be held from Nov 2nd- 4th 2022 at Bengaluru

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n a major international outreach to garner investments for the state, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met with envoys of several countries and invited them to attend the three-day Global Investors Meet (GIM) happening in Bengaluru on 2nd to 4th November and urged them to bring new business to the state.

The event held in New Delhi was attended by Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Govt of India, Murugesh Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Govt. of Karnataka along with ambassadors, trade commissioners, and other officials from several countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Romania, Finland, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom among others.

Addressing the audience, Pralhad Joshi said, “India’s ranking on the EODB index has jumped to 79th in 2020 from 142 in 2014, which is a testimony of the efforts of the Union Government to promote trade and investment in the country. Karnataka has now become one of the most preferred business destinations due to its investorfriendly business policies, excellent

infrastructure, and road connectivity, which will further boost investment and other commercial activities in the state.”.

Basavaraj S. Bommai Hon'ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “As the world is recovering from the pandemic, Karnataka has created the right kind of policies, atmosphere and infrastructure for the global companies to invest and prosper in the state. Karnataka has got a very rich heritage along with rare rich natural resources and 10 agro-climatic zones making it a land of opportunity and dreams.”

Dr. Murugesh R. Nirani, Minister for Large & Medium Scale Industries, Govt. of Karnataka said “We are delighted to have so many diplomats and industry leaders at this platform today. The Govt. of Karnataka has taken many initiatives in the recent past to attract global investment to the state. I would like to urge everyone here to participate in the global investor meet with full force to make Karnataka a vibrant economic powerhouse of India.”

Karnataka has emerged as a top investment destination in the country for the last two years in a row. The state has attracted Rs 62,085 crore investments and is a top recipient with a 48% share of total FDIs in India.

The State has emerged as a frontrunner in global manufacturing, and we are focusing on human resources, production of rich raw materials, manufacturing expertise, product design capabilities, and R&D to meet the demands of the global manufacturing segment.

This edition of the GIM will be under the theme “Build for the World” reflecting on the role Karnataka aims to play in the global supply chain.

HAL MEDICON 2022: Renowned Cardiologist Warns of Rising Cardiac Related Deaths in India

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ndia will have the notorious distinction of recording the highest number of cardiac deaths by 2030 in the world with virtually every fourth death occurring due to the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), warned Dr. C N Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular

Sciences and Research, Bengaluru.

He was speaking at the HAL Medicon 2022, the National Conference for doctors of HAL on the theme `Ensuring Healthy Workforce’. He called for a holistic integrated approach to counter this menace, which included stress

management and inculcating healthy lifestyle habits. Heart issues are growing among the young and middle-aged population and this is alarming, he said.

The two-day conference enabled HAL doctors to regroup, exchange ideas and get exposed to in-depth research, was inaugurated by Mr R Madhavan, CMD, HAL. “It is important that our doctors get specialist inputs, broaden their knowledge base to take on the challenges in the medical profession and provide better health care to our employees”, he said. He hailed the efforts of HAL doctors and the staff during the COVID pandemic.

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RNI REG. NO:KARENG/2014/57767