Bangalore is all set to topple Silicon Valley in the US and take pole position as the world’s IT capital by 2020.

In his inaugural address at CeBIT India and Bangalore ITE.biz 2014, which kicked off at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, on the outskirts of the city, Srivatsa Krishna, IT Secretary, Karnataka Government, said: “Bengaluru is the unquestioned Silicon City of India and our only competition is the original Silicon Valley in the US. By 2020, we are on track to be the largest IT cluster globally, employing the highest number of IT professionals.”

The statistics doled out on Karnataka’s capital are impressive: Bangalore contributed $45 billion, or 38 per cent of India’s total IT exports, including domestic consumption, last fiscal. Of this, $33 billion was from exports alone, compared with $18 billion from Tamil Nadu and $15 billion from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Karnataka alone created 73,000 new jobs in IT, last fiscal year and employs 10 lakh people directly and 30 lakh indirectly. This number is expected to double to 80 lakh direct and indirect jobs by 2020.

The country’s first Internet of Things lab will come up in Bangalore and three locations have already been short-listed for the facility: Electronics City, Airport Road and Silk Board. Bangalore will also get a 3D Planetarium on the outskirts of the city, which will be set up at a cost of ₹25 crore.

ITIR: the next big thing

Stating that Bangalore has added another feather to its IT cap by bringing the IT business event CeBIT to India for the first time, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said: “When the ITIR (IT Investment Region near Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bangalore) is complete in 2032, it is expected to bring in investments of over $20 billion, create 1.2 million direct jobs and 2.8 million indirect jobs.

The annual revenue generation is expected to be over $40 billion as per the estimates made through a consultant study.”

CeBIT India and Bangalore ITE.biz 2014 have attracted over 400 exhibitors, 600 brands, and 127 start-ups from 21 States and 35 nations from around the world.

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