Australian Consulate-General
Chennai, India

Media release

 

26 May 2016                                                                                                                                                                                   PA-CN/16/17

 

        Australia to Pursue Innovation Exchange with Government of Karnataka

Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu concluded a three-day visit to Bangalore, capital of Karnataka State.  Bangalore’s role as a hub for innovation, science and technology was a central theme of the visit, during which Ms Sidhu toured Infoys’ remarkable Bangalore campus at Electronic City and visited NASSCOM’s 10,000 Startups Warehouse.

High Commissioner Sidhu said ‘Innovation is increasingly important for both the Australian and Indian economies.  The Australian Government’s innovation agenda seeks to harness new sources of growth to deliver the next age of economic prosperity in Australia.’

The Australian Government has funded projects worth AUD 6.8 million in the state of Karnataka under the aegis of the flagship Australia-India Strategic Fund (AISRF). Bangalore is a hub for projects supported through the AISRF, particularly the highly regarded Indian Institute of Science, which hosts 17 out of 26 projects in Karnataka.

The High Commissioner discussed Bangalore’s many advantages as a landing pad for innovative start-up companies in meetings with Karnataka’s Chief Minister, the Hon Siddaramaiah and Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, the Hon RV Deshpande.  Bangalore hosts the largest technology cluster in India and has been ranked 15th in the 2015 Compass Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking, but with the second fastest growth rate. 

The High Commissioner said ‘Since the 1980s, Bangalore has attracted high-tech companies and a talented, educated workforce.  I am deeply impressed at Bangalore’s innovative spirit.’

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