‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative helps draw investment to North Karnataka

HUBBALLI: The Karnataka government’s push towards decentralising industrial investment in the state through its ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative appears to be yielding desired results, going by the rash of investments that North Karnataka has been attracting recently.
More companies are evincing interest in investing in the region, with eight IT companies setting up shop in Hubballi alone in the past year. The sustained campaign to ensure that the Hubballi Infosys campus remained in the city, which concluded successfully, too appears to have played a role in encouraging other such companies to come to Hubballi.
Chief executive officer of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), Sanjeev Kumar Gupta confirmed that the Hubballi-Dharwad cluster had attracted investments from eight IT companies. “The cluster is acting as a catalyst in shoring up the capabilities of existing IT companies in the region. For instance, I Merit company, which previously had only 50 employees at the Hubballi office, has now increased its personnel strength to 200, with plans of increasing it further to 2,000. Efforts are under way to help Five Flash Digital expand its operations in Hubballi. We are also extending assistance to companies such as IonIdea, Systematic and Gombi, which are facing problems in acquisition of land. KDEM was also instrumental in helping Belagavi obtain approval for the Global Emerging Technology Centre, funds for which were earmarked in the State Budget. We have also reserved up to Rs 25 crore to assist the Hubballi-Belagavi cluster to assist start-ups,” Gupta said.
Pointing to the meeting convened on August 28 in Hubballi, at which Dharwad MP and Union minister Pralhad Joshi was in attendance, Gupta said that stakeholders from educational institutions, including those from the International Institute of Information Technology, infrastructure sector, et al, participated, and discussed various issues concerning bolstering North Karnataka’s potential as an investment destination.
IT entrepreneur, Santosh Huralikoppi and industrial advisor to KDEM, Santosh Huralikoppi said, “Companies such as iTrianble and Zeliot, have started operations in the Hubballi-Belagavi cluster. These units will offer jobs to the local youngsters, and nurture innovation. With Infosys in Hubballi commencing operations, there is optimism in the corporate sector about investing in the region.”
Sources in KDEM said that, ThirdEye Data, a company based out of the United States of America, was likely to invest in Hubballi in the foreseeable future.