Belagavi’s bid to emerge as a future hub for technology and innovation gained traction with the launch of “Belagavi First,” the city’s first exclusive IT-BT review and stakeholder meeting, organised by Belagavi MLA Asif Sait.
The meet brought together IT and technology-enabled firms, engineering colleges, students, and members of the Belagavi Technology Companies Association (BeTCA), providing a common forum for government, industry, and academia to discuss the city’s technology roadmap. It was attended by Minister for IT & BT Priyank Kharge, KEONICS Chairman Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, and MLA Ganesh Hukkeri, reflecting the state government’s renewed thrust on spreading Karnataka’s technology growth beyond Bengaluru.
Push to decentralise IT growth
Addressing the gathering, Kharge said Karnataka’s IT-BT expansion cannot remain concentrated in Bengaluru and stressed the need for targeted policy and infrastructure support for tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Belagavi.
“Karnataka’s IT-BT growth cannot be Bengaluru-centric. Cities like Belagavi must receive their due share of opportunities,” he said. Acknowledging that Belagavi had remained on the fringes despite its strategic location, strong educational base, and available talent, the Minister admitted earlier efforts had faced hurdles but assured quicker execution and better inter-departmental coordination in the future.
BeTCA to shape the roadmap
Kharge appreciated the role played by BeTCA, describing it as a key representative of Belagavi’s technology ecosystem, and said an MoU would be signed between BeTCA and the IT-BT Department to formalise cooperation.
BeTCA has been asked to prepare a detailed roadmap covering infrastructure and facility needs, scalability plans, and space requirements for startups, GCCs, MSME-linked IT services, skilling centres, and innovation hubs.
“IT development is not confined to large parks alone. Startups, GCCs, skilling centres, and innovation spaces are equally vital,” Kharge said, adding that Belagavi could emerge as a cost-effective, talent-rich alternative for companies expanding beyond Bengaluru.
Land and infrastructure focus
KEONICS Chairman Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda directed officials to furnish details of available land parcels suitable for IT-related projects. It was also decided that the Belagavi Urban Development Authority (BUDA) would engage with BeTCA to identify viable land options for future IT infrastructure.
Kharge said coordination among departments such as revenue, urban development, industries, and local bodies would be strengthened to speed up approvals for IT parks, plug-and-play facilities, and incubation centres. “Land availability, infrastructure, and clearances will be reviewed to ensure projects do not remain stuck in files,” he said.
Stakeholder participation
The ‘Belagavi First’ meet saw active participation from stakeholders across the local technology ecosystem, who conveyed strong interest in growth and investment. The Minister assured that ground-level feedback would directly inform policy decisions and that Belagavi’s proposals would be reviewed at the state level with defined timelines.
He also said MLA Asif Sait would oversee coordination and follow-up locally to ensure implementation of the decisions taken. “Our objective is to make tier-2 cities investment-ready, not merely policy-ready,” Kharge said.
With government support, structured industry involvement, and an emphasis on execution, ‘Belagavi First’ marked an important step towards positioning Belagavi as an emerging technology and innovation centre in Karnataka.
Members of BeTCA, along with professors, principals, students, and entrepreneurs, participated in the meeting.
