BENGALURU : The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) units of Karnataka exported ₹36,459 crore in the three months, during the nationwide lockdown, indicating that the state’s IT industry stayed afloat even during the covid-19 crisis, STPI said.
“STPI was the first organisation to enable work-from-home facility to its member units well before the national lockdown was declared," Omkar Rai, director general, STPI said on the occasion of 29th STPI foundation day.
To help startups during the lockdown, the government has waived off rentals for startups operating out of the STPI for a period of four months from 1 March - 30 June 2020. “18 startups in Karnataka have benefited from this…and STPI Bengaluru has nurtured over 148 startups so far," STPI said in a statement.
STPI Bengaluru is also in the process of setting up an Atal Incubation Centre focusing on healthcare domain, supported by NITI Aayog. The centre will be mentored by cardiologist Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, who will guide startups at the Atal Incubation Centre. The centre will help startups bring new technological solutions in the healthcare domain.
The STPI Bengaluru centre was set up in 1991 and today it has four sub centres in Mysuru, Hubballi, Mangaluru and Manipal under its jurisdiction. Exports from Karnataka has grown from ₹5.6 crore in 1991-92 to ₹174,894 crore in 2018-19, which is 41% of the total current national exports. The units of STPI have generated employment of 6.84 lakh.
“Today, the $191 billion IT industry, comprising around 18,000 plus firms that directly employ 4.14 million strong workforce, that contributes 7.7% of GDP is a testimony to the STPI’s resolute in transforming Indian IT industry into a global outsourcing destination for software exports," said Rai.
STPI has also embarked on setting up 28 centres of excellence (CoEs) across India to transform the Indian IT industry and startups towards the next wave of industrial revolution and to build India’s leadership in emerging technology areas like internet of things (IoT), blockchain, artificial intelligence/machine learning, augmented reality/virtual reality, fintech, medical electronics, industrial automation, electronics and semiconductors.
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