Minister for Information Technology and Bio Technology Priyank Kharge has hinted at implementing the ‘Elevate-100’ project separately for those centres outside Bengaluru in the second phase.
Responding to a query during an interaction after the inauguration of the two-day entrepreneurial summit ‘TiECON-2018’ and ‘Women’s Conclave’, Mr. Priyank Kharge said, while he could not promise to have the scheme ‘Elevate-100’ aimed at promoting 100 most innovative ideas in the state, launched specifically for Hubballi, he could have the scheme for moffusil centres,outside Bengaluru.
Earlier elaborating on the scheme during his address, he said in two weeks’ time they had received 1,800 ideas and of them 350 were from woman entrepreneurs and 400 from moffusil centres. “In the whole exercise executed with the assistance of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), 111 innovative projects were selected for funding by venture capitalists and investors and they got a funding of Rs. 24 crore.”
Elaborating on how Karnataka had been far ahead in terms of attracting investments, Mr. Kharge said: “Karnataka is now ranked fourth best Research and Development Destination with 400 out of 500 Fortune companies having their R&D centres in the State. Karnataka is also ranked second in the world in terms of innovations. Probably that is the reason we have 10,000 start-ups functioning in the State now.”
Mr. Kharge said the IT, BT Department had already got 5,500 registered startups and now it was providing networking support to them. “Karnataka is the first State to have a startup policy with Rs. 400 crore earmarked for it. And it is the only State where Rs. 10 crore is earmarked for woman entrepreneurs”, he said.
Listing out the initiatives taken up by his department, he said much was being done to help young graduates to develop their skills. He said very soon a 200-acre Woman Entrepreneurs Park would come up near Hubballi.
Central assistance sought
Considering the huge number of startups registered in the State, Mr. Priyank made an appeal to MP from Dharwad Pralhad Joshi, who was on stage, to help Karnataka in getting funds under the “Make In India’ programme of the Central government.
Responding to his plea, Mr. Joshi requested him to come to Delhi with the proposal and they would together place the proposal before the concerned minister.
More flights
Mr. Joshi also announced that Hubballi had attracted bids from 9 aviation companies in Udaan-II scheme and hopefully by April more flights would start operating from Hubballi. He also emphasised the need to built better urban infrastructure and the need to market Hubballi to increase economic activities.
MLAs Aravind Bellad and Prasad Abbayya spoke. President of Hubballi Chapter of TiE, Sandeep Bidasaria, Convenor of the event Vivek Nayak, convenor of Women’s Conclave Veena Daniel and others were present.
