Rohith Bhat, lead industry anchor, Mangaluru Cluster of KDEM, speaking at the sixth edition of Mangaluru Technovanza at T.M.A. Pai International Convention Centre in Mangaluru on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) Sanjeev Kumar Gupta said here on Wednesday that the Mangaluru cluster of the KDEM has added over 60 new technology companies and more than 13,000 workers over the last 36 months.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the sixth edition of Mangaluru Technovanza – 2026, he said that more than one million sq. ft. of Grade-A office space is under construction in the cluster.
“Our vision is to build a cluster with 2,00,000 technology jobs, ₹40,000 crore in technology exports, 4,000-plus startups, 80-plus Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and 10 Centres of Excellence, backed by a $10 billion coastal knowledge economy. This is not aspirational, it is already under way,” he said.
Mr. Gupta added: “Mangaluru’s strengths are in safety, healthcare, and quality of life. About 15 GCCs, 102 global brand showrooms and a growing technology workforce provide a strong foundation for this vision.”
Mr. Gupta said that with â‚ą35,000 crore in total exports, 35,000 on-site professionals and 20,000 professionals working remotely, the technology ecosystem in the Mangaluru region is scaling rapidly.
Setting the industry perspective and regional context, Rohith Bhat, founder, wrkwrk, 99Games, and Robosoft, said: “Three years ago, a small group of us sat in a room and decided we wouldn’t wait for someone else to give this region its direction. We dreamed big: two lakh IT professionals, 4,000 startups, five unicorns, and a GDP leap from $20 billion to $100 billion — all by 2034. Today, that dream has roots. Startups have grown a third over, two homegrown companies have had IPOs in the last six weeks alone, and what started as a handful of passionate volunteers has become a movement — a Startup Accelerator backed by ₹9.5 crore in government support, an Angel network of 25 of our own writing the region’s first checks, and a hardware ecosystem taking shape with international partners.”
The event brought together 600 delegates, 70 startups, 60 GCCs and over 20 investors.
The KDEM said the city and surrounding region now have 300-plus tech companies, over 400 startups and a 50,000-plus technology workforce.
Published – September 23, 2026 09:27 pm IST
