Bengaluru: The city is looking beyond its long-running tech rivalry with Hyderabad and seeking greater collaboration between the two ecosystems to strengthen India’s artificial intelligence and semiconductor capabilities and compete globally.
Speaking at the 29th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit roadshow hosted in the city, Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, chairman of Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS), said Bengaluru and Hyderabad share deep cultural ties, linguistic connections and economic aspirations that position them as natural partners.
Addressing industry leaders, Gowda said Indian tech hubs must look beyond regional borders to collectively compete with emerging international innovation centres such as Berlin and Hanoi.
Kavitha C, director of the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Hyderabad; Cyient president PNSV Narsimhan; Dr Manjula N, secretary to the Karnataka government, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology; Jitendra Chaddah, member of the IT Vision Group, Government of Karnataka; and Dr Avinash Menon Rajendran, managing director of KITS, were among those present at the Hyderabad roadshow, along with startup founders, industry representatives and academic experts.
Highlighting the economic strength of the two southern hubs, Gowda said Bengaluru and Hyderabad together account for more than 60 per cent of the Global Capability Centres operating in India. The two ecosystems also generate more than 60 per cent of the country’s total IT exports.
Outlining Karnataka’s economic roadmap after the completion of the government’s first 100 days, Gowda reiterated the state’s ambitious target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2037.
Karnataka’s economy currently stands at approximately Rs 36 lakh crore (USD 0.3 trillion), with the IT and technology-enabled services sectors contributing nearly 40 per cent, or Rs 12 lakh crore. Achieving the USD 1 trillion target will require the state’s tech sector output to grow fivefold to Rs 60 lakh crore, with sovereign AI infrastructure expected to play a key role.
Recalling a lesson from India’s technology history, Gowda referred to the country’s early semiconductor ambitions, noting that India established its first chip design and manufacturing facility in Chandigarh in 1985, well before Taiwan developed its dominant ecosystem.
However, a fire at the facility stalled operations, allowing global competitors to move four to six generations ahead before India’s ecosystem could recover. Gowda warned that in today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, India cannot afford to lose momentum even for a fraction of a second.
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, Gowda outlined a five-layer sovereign AI stack aimed at achieving greater technological self-reliance.
The strategy includes energy independence to power large-scale data centres; local semiconductor and GPU manufacturing using rare-earth mineral reserves in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; physical data infrastructure; domestic foundation AI models to reduce dependence on foreign frameworks; and robust application development.
Emphasising the expansion of AI into the physical world, including AI-driven robotics, Gowda called for seamless sharing of data, capital and ideas across state borders.
Summing up the objective of bringing the roadshow to Hyderabad, Gowda said, “Bengaluru is no longer competing with Hyderabad; Bengaluru is competing with Hanoi. Hyderabad is not competing with Bengaluru; Hyderabad is competing with Berlin. The play is not just for a city or a state — it is for national tech sovereignty.”
The summit is scheduled to be held from November 17 to 19 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). It is expected to bring together more than 1,800 exhibitors, 25,000 delegates, 1,000 tech startups and over 60,000 business visitors from more than 75 countries and 30 states and Union territories.
The three-day summit will feature multiple thematic tracks, including AI and DeepTech, fintech, health and biotech, spacetech, the India-US Tech Conclave and global collaboration. Other focus areas include digital infrastructure and data centres, circular economy, orange economy and electric mobility.
| 
