Priyank Kharge (right), Karnataka Minister for Information Technology & Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, on November 25, 2023 addresses the media on the Bengaluru Tech Summit. Photo: Special Arrangement
One of the highlights of this year’s edition of Karnataka’s annual tech exposition, Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), scheduled to begin on November 29, will be the Chandrayaan-3 ISRO-Industry Pavilion, symbolising India’s significant presence in space exploration.
The pavilion will not only showcase ISRO’s achievements but will also emphasise the crucial contributions of SMEs, start-ups, and private industries in ensuring the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. For the first time, a 1:1 scale model of Chandrayaan-3 lander will be on display. Also, in a specially erected geodesic dome, using AR/VR technology, an immersive experience will created to learn about lunar missions, space science, and technology behind Chandrayaan, said Priyank Kharge, Minister for Information Technology & Biotechnology and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj in a media briefing on Saturday.
The four-day tech extravaganza, between November 29 and December 1, under the theme ‘Breaking Boundaries’, will attract tech leaders, start-ups, investors, and research scholars, and government representatives from over 30 countries.
The expo will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar; Minister for Large & Medium Industries M.B. Patil; Minister of Science & Technology, Minor Irrigation N.S. Boseraju, and Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma.
The inaugural session will feature Bagdat Mussin, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan; Mark Papermaster, EVP & CTO of AMD, and recorded messages from Sari Multala, Minister of Science and Culture of Finland and Volker Wissing, Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport of Germany.
Captains of the local industry, Rishad Premji, Executive Chairman of Wipro Limited; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, Vision Group on Biotechnology; Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, Vision Group on IT; B.V. Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, and Arvind Kumar, Director General of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) will be present.
Some of the key dignitaries and speakers include R.A. Mashelkar, former Director-General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Nobel Laureate and American biologist H. Robert Horvitz, among others.
The GIA track in the conference will have around 17 engaging sessions curated by the partner nations and regions, including Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Poland, Austria, Germany and NRW, Japan, Switzerland, Lithuania and EU.
Senator Franziska Giffey, Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, Berlin; Stephan Keller, Mayor of Düsseldorf, Germany; Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economy, Job Creation and Trade, Ontario, Canada will be speaking in the GIA sessions.
BTS probably is the only event in the country that has been brought together by all leading cross-sectoral industry apex bodies such as NASSCOM, IESA, ABAI, ABLE, TiE, USIBC etc.
Steps taken to hold it green
This edition has taken a significant stride by committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the upcoming years. This goal involves integrating eco-conscious practices in procurement to minimise waste generation and establishing a sustainability advisory for various stakeholders, the organisers explained.
The focus on key pillars such as carbon, water, energy, waste, food, and experience underscores BTS’s commitment to sustainability—a pioneering initiative and the first of its kind event in India, they claimed.
