Karnataka's IT minister, Priyank Kharge, is thinking beyond Bengaluru; he is putting his money where his mouth is. At Technovanza 2025, he announced a 3.5 lakh sq ft tech park to be built over 3.25 acres of land. It will have a working capacity of 3,500 people. This plan aims to give the coastal city of Mangaluru its largest-ever tech park and position the city as the 'silicon beach of India'. The tech park is slated to spread across 3.25 acres with 2.5 lakh square feet of built-up space. Proposals for the same will be presented to the Cabinet this week. The idea is simple: if Bengaluru is bursting at the seams, why not build another one? "Mangaluru generated close to ₹3,000 crore in IT exports last year," Kharge pointed out, adding, "We want to set up another Bengaluru in Mysuru or Mangaluru, but it will take time." Time, though, isn't something the state is willing to waste. The tech park comes with the promise of firmly pushing the coastal belt into the startup and IT map. However, not everyone agrees with the idea of making Mangaluru the next Bengaluru. In a panel discussion at the event, Bhaskar Verma, regional director at NASSCOM, said, "Mangaluru must become an original Mangaluru." Read to find out why. Karnataka's Startup Engine Kharge used the stage to rally VCs behind Karnataka's startup engine, reminding them how the state government-backed Elevate 100 programme, initially designed to support and fund 100 innovative startups, had expanded to Elevate 500 in just a matter of months. Now, he's upping the ante again in the form of Future Makers Conclave, part of the upcoming Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 in November. "My intention is to get at least 20,000 entrepreneurs under one roof from all over India," he said. "We can have a section for AI—Elevate AI 500 or 100, whatever the industry decides. I'm ready to pledge ₹5 crore for it." Moreover, he wants investors to match his enthusiasm rupee for rupee. "Get me the top 25 VCs across the country. Let them pledge another ₹5 crore with me." Early conversations are already underway. Kharge is simultaneously steering AI into rural Karnataka. At Cypher 2025, he spoke about using AI to verify flood-damage claims and "muscle printing" cattle noses for livestock tracking. It's a different picture from Bengaluru's unicorns and GCCs, but for farmers waiting on compensation or subsidies, the stakes are higher. "We don't want to do with AI what happened with YouTube—it took 18 years to reach my mother. We must make sure AI reaches the masses faster, but responsibly," he said. AIM NETWORK >> Meanwhile, as Bengaluru tackles potholes and congestion, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has written to Wipro founder Azim Premji, requesting limited vehicular access through Wipro's campus in Sarjapur to reduce peak-hour congestion by 30%. | 
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