Mysuru’s ambitions stretch well beyond being Karnataka’s cultural capital. At the sixth edition of the Mysuru Big Tech Show, the state government and industry leaders positioned the city as Karnataka’s next technology hub, backed by fresh efforts to attract global capability centres (GCCs), strengthen the startup ecosystem and expand AI-led investments.
While the summit also focused on Karnataka’s ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ vision, conversations revealed how the government plans to translate that vision into investments, infrastructure and jobs over the coming years.
Speaking during the inaugural session, Karnataka IT Secretary Dr Manjula N said the state’s existing policies have matured into an execution phase, with Mysuru emerging as one of six priority technology clusters.
Later, in an exclusive interaction with AIM, Manjula said the government’s focus is not on announcing new policies but on adapting existing ones to suit regional ecosystems.
“Though policies existed, we have been tweaking them and fine-tuning them for the requirements of the local clusters, which we are trying to push. Mysore is one of the clusters.”
The Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP) forms a key part of that strategy. The ₹1,000 crore initiative, announced last year, aims to support startups through every stage of their journey, from identifying student ideas and incubation to grants, acceleration and investments.
“Here we try to focus our energies and resources for skilling local talent, even identifying student ideas which can grow into startups. Further, we are granting these startups [with funds] and eventually nurturing them through incubators and accelerators locally.”
According to Manjula, the programme aims to create five lakh jobs over the next five years.
Beyond Bengaluru Finds Its Footing
The summit itself reflected how Karnataka is trying to distribute technology-led growth beyond Bengaluru. Sudhanva Dhananjaya, Chairman and MD of Excelsoft Technologies and industry anchor for the Mysuru cluster, traced the city’s progress through the summit’s own growth.
He said more technology companies were now choosing to stay in tier-2 cities like Mysuru instead of relocating to Bengaluru because they believed they could build and scale businesses from the city.
Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) CEO Sanjeev Kumar Gupta said Mysuru’s digital economy is now estimated at $1.3 billion, supported by more than 650 startups, over ₹5,700 crore in IT exports and a growing electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
More than 100 startups showcased products at this year’s summit, while over 15 venture capital firms, electronics manufacturing leaders and GCC executives attended to explore investment opportunities.
Delegates also visited the upcoming Global Technology Centre (GTC), which is expected to become Mysuru’s flagship technology facility. “We have already set up a GTC in our Karnataka State Open University campus. We have built a 1.5 lakh square feet, A-grade building, and it is almost 95% ready,” said Manjula.
The government believes the centre will help companies expand outside Bengaluru by offering ready infrastructure. She added that companies had already begun showing interest in occupying the space as renovation work was expected to begin shortly.
Moreover, in a recent finding by the Uber Intercity Travel Index: The Great Indian Road Trip (April-June 2026), Bengaluru to Mysuru is one of the fastest-growing intercity corridors (YoY). It is also India’s third most popular intercity route by trip volume.
What Beyond a GCC Destination?
The government sees GCCs as one of the biggest opportunities for Mysuru’s next phase of growth.
During the panel discussion, officials outlined the incentives available under Karnataka’s GCC policy for companies choosing to expand beyond Bengaluru. They also pointed to initiatives such as Nipuna for skilling and sector-specific incentives for electronics manufacturing.
However, Gupta revealed to AIM a more concrete target for the city. “In realistic terms, I think we can expect at least five GCCs this financial year coming to Mysuru.”
That expansion, he said, will be supported by the GTC and a pipeline of companies already evaluating the city.
Manjula echoed that optimism, saying, “We have already started 3 GCCs here in the last 2-3 years. In the same way, we are trying to get more GCCs here and give them the opportunity to set up their business here.”
Alongside software and GCCs, the government is also investing in electronics manufacturing infrastructure.
Manjula said the Lahari testing facility in Mysuru is being upgraded with support from the Union government to help small and medium-sized electronics manufacturers test products without creating their own expensive facilities.
“We are investing about ₹97 crores.”
The upgrade is expected to strengthen Mysuru’s electronics ecosystem as Karnataka expands its semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ambitions beyond Bengaluru.
Taking Mysuru to the World
The summit also highlighted Karnataka’s efforts to actively market Mysuru overseas instead of waiting for investments to arrive organically.
During the panel discussion, speakers discussed international collaborations, including partnerships around AI and visits by foreign delegations. They also reiterated the state’s ambition of developing Mysuru into Karnataka’s second IT and AI city.
Gupta said those ambitions now require direct engagement with global markets. “The time has gone when somebody will come to you. The time has come when now we have to go to the respective geographies.”
He said Karnataka is targeting Taiwan for manufacturing investments while also engaging South Korea, Japan and Malaysia. The United States remains a priority for GCCs, semiconductors and technology investments, with Europe also on the state’s roadmap.
The turnout at this year’s Big Tech Show suggested growing interest from startups, investors and technology companies. Whether that interest translates into long-term investments will become clearer over the coming months.
For now, Karnataka appears determined to ensure that its ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ strategy becomes more than a policy slogan. If the state’s targets are met, Mysuru could soon emerge as one of the first cities to demonstrate what that strategy looks like in practice.
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