“Building Karnataka as a Strategic Global R&D Hub highlighted at the CII Karnataka R&D Conclave 2025”
Bengaluru, 18 July 2025: Delivering the keynote address at the Second edition of the CII Karnataka R&D Conclave 2025 held in Bengaluru today, Mr Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT & Biotechnology & Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Government of Karnataka remarked ” Karnataka is not just India’s innovation and investment capital, we are steadily positioning ourselves as a global strategic R&D hub. With a deep talent pool, robust infrastructure, and progressive policy ecosystem, our state is primed to lead in high-impact research and future technologies globally. We are committed to inclusive innovation that uplifts every region and sector of Karnataka, while powering global progress. To truly realize this vision, we must strengthen industry-academia partnerships, attract private investments into deep tech and emerging sectors, and create a fertile ground where ideas can scale into global solutions. Together, we can make Karnataka not only a beacon for R&D excellence but a launchpad for transformative change.”
Mr Rabindra Srikantan, Chairman CII Karnataka State Council 2025-26 & Chairman CII Karnataka R&D Summit 2025, Founder & Managing Director, ASM Technologies Ltd stated “The second edition of the CII Karnataka R&D Conclave reflects our continued commitment to positioning Karnataka as a global R&D powerhouse. By fostering deeper collaboration between industry, government, and academia, we aim to accelerate innovation, enable knowledge exchange, and drive inclusive, technology-led growth across the state.”
Dr Gopichand Katragadda, Co Chair CII Karnataka R&D Summit 2025 & CEO, Myelin Foundry Pvt Ltd emphasised “With the Central Government’s ₹1 lakh crore push for Research, Development and Innovation, it is imperative for Karnataka to lead from the front not just from the capital, but by nurturing inclusive R&D ecosystems across the state. Large corporations must play a pivotal role by matching government investment in innovation and collaborating with academia and startups, turning this national momentum into tangible economic growth and global impact.”
Dr Pankaj Chandra, Vice Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Management, Ahmedabad University remarked “To build a globally competitive R&D ecosystem, we must align talent, investment, and purpose. It’s not just about funding research, but about backing the right projects, enabling experimentation, and translating innovation into impact. India needs a collaborative roadmap linking universities, industry, and government, to drive outcomes, build capability, and strengthen our global competitiveness.”
The conference featured a workshop on “Transforming R&D in Indian Firms” that explored strategies to enhance research capabilities, foster innovation culture, and drive global competitiveness among Indian enterprises. The sessions over the day discussed taking R&D beyond Bengaluru to build regional innovation hubs, accelerating deep tech lab-to-market pathways, and strengthening strategic R&D in defence, aerospace, and space. It emphasized enabling investments through patient capital, specialized talent, and strong IP frameworks. A keynote on Karnataka@2030 outlined the vision to position the state as a global R&D destination, while sectoral roundtables under the Innovation Grid focused on defining priorities and opportunities in healthcare, mobility, and ESDM to drive Karnataka’s innovation-led growth.
Leading industries and institutions including; Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T. Government of Karnataka, Hitachi Energy Ltd, ASM Technologies Ltd, Bosch Ltd, Myelin Foundry Pvt Ltd, 3M Ltd, Mphasis Ltd, Hind High Vacuum Pvt Ltd and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) shared and showcased their insights which was attended by over 100 industry CXO’s and stakeholders across sectors.
