The 14th year of BangaloreIT.biz was kick-started today in the city with speakers such as former President of India, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan, Executive Co-Chairman, Infosys Ltd and Chairman, Vision Group on IT, urging the IT industry to look beyond traditional IT and software.

Inaugurating the event, Mr Kalam said that the software industry should concentrate more on knowledge. "The decade from 2011 to 2020 should be one when the industry takes on the challenge of convergence of technology, which leads to national economic development," he said.

While praising the Indian IT industry, Mr Gopalakrishnan also pointed out that IT needed to do more. "We need a new model for development. We should improve the lives of citizens."

Mr Gopalakrishnan said that the IT industry in India has shown its ability to create jobs. "With 23 lakh IT professionals, we have the second largest collection of IT professionals in the world and Bangalore is home to 40 per cent of them," he said.

Citing a report from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Gopalakrishnan said that since October 2008, directly or indirectly, the IT industry had led to the creation of 15 lakh jobs in the country. “This is five times of what has been created by industries such as mining, textiles, auto, and other industries,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister of Karnataka, said his government was looking to boost the Rs 10,000 crore animation and gaming industry. "We are working on a policy for this industry," he said.

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