Entrepreneurs, startup founders and investors in Bengaluru have urged the newly elected government to give acceleration to the ongoing infrastructure projects including the metro rail extension and bridge construction in order to ease the state’s traffic congestion.
Commenting on this, K Ganesh, promoter of Big Basket and a serial entrepreneur said, “The new government needs to create more investment opportunities and jobs, not just in Karnataka but in India, for which Bengaluru can lead the way. The state is very well suited for emerging areas like defence, aerospace and artificial intelligence. And the government needs to set up Centers of Excellence (CoEs), and promote research and development (R&D) with grants to further innovation in those areas.”
He further added, “Bengaluru has now become a brand and is touted as the Silicon Valley of India, unlike earlier when it was referred to as the land of elephants and snake charmers, but more needs to be done.”
Ankit Nagori, Founder, Curefoods said, “Bengaluru has been the destination where foreign direct investments (FDI) have been top-notch. The new government should make sure that this continues.”
In addition to this, Mohandas Pai, former Infosys director and Co-Founder of Aarin Capital, emphasized on the need for the state’s infrastructure to improve drastically, especially the public transport network in Bengaluru.
He further suggested that the government adds 10,000 e-buses and builds 250 kilometers of the metro. He also called for the city to be cleaned and made more pedestrian-friendly.
The startup and investment industry proposed that Karnataka should create a Rs 1,000 crore research and development fund along with a Rs 5,000 crore fund for startup investments in the next 5 years.
They further called upon the voters to put in the effort to vote in order to help make Bengaluru a smoother environment for the startup ecosystem. K Ganesh emphasized on the importance of voting, highlighting the low polling percentages during previous elections.
The startup ecosystem including investors in Bengaluru are positive that the newly elected government will definitely accelerate infrastructure projects which will boost the state’s economy, and will create employment.
