“HDB To Become One of Karnataka’s Strongest Engines of Technology-Led Growth” – Said Shri Priyank Kharge, Cabinet Minister for Home, IT/BT and E-Governance at Government of Karnataka at the 6th edition of HDB Techceleration 2026
“The Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi (HDB) region is emerging as one of Karnataka’s most promising technology, manufacturing and investment corridors. The region has a strong industrial base and is now seeing growing capabilities in technology, advanced manufacturing and innovation.
HDB is building capabilities across semiconductors, Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM), electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, deep tech, Industry 4.0 and advanced engineering. This gives the region a strong foundation to build a larger technology and manufacturing ecosystem.
The three cities bring different strengths to this ecosystem. Hubballi has a growing technology and entrepreneurial base, Dharwad has strong academic and research institutions, while Belagavi has an established base in aerospace, precision engineering and advanced manufacturing. Bringing these strengths together can create a strong ecosystem for innovation, investment and enterprise.
The response to HDB Techceleration 2026 has been very encouraging. The summit brought together more than 700+ delegates, 100+ startups and 25+ investors, along with industry, academia and technology stakeholders. The overwhelming participation is a clear indication of the interest and confidence that is building around HDB and its potential.
This is at the heart of our Beyond Bengaluru vision – to build strong technology and innovation
ecosystems across Karnataka and create opportunities closer to where talent, institutions and industry are already present. HDB has many of the ingredients needed to make that vision a reality. The focus now has to be on taking this forward.
We will make it easier for companies to establish and scale in the region, strengthen innovation and advanced manufacturing, and connect HDB to national and global markets. HDB has the industrial base, institutions and technology capabilities to play a much bigger role in Karnataka’s growth. We want to build on these strengths and create an ecosystem where companies can grow, startups can scale and more high-quality opportunities are created in North Karnataka.”
Key Highlights – HDB Techceleration 2026
- HDB Techceleration 2026 brought together 700+ delegates, 100+ startups and 25+ investors, alongside industry, government, academia and ecosystem leaders, reinforcing HDB’s emergence as a key Beyond Bengaluru technology and innovation corridor.
- HDB Vision sets an ambitious 3–5 year roadmap to attract 35 large companies, 5 ESDM companies, 10 GCCs and 100 startups, with industry-led execution identified as critical to translating the region’s potential into sustained growth.
- Around 2 lakh sq. ft. of GPC infrastructure is targeted for development in Belagavi within the next six months, strengthening the region’s physical infrastructure for technology and business growth.
- 100+ startups participated in HDB Techceleration, while three local technology companies have been acquired by larger players, signalling growing maturity and external interest in the region’s innovation ecosystem.
- 25 Crore Cluster Fund Opens a New Funding Avenue for HDB’s Emerging Businesses, aimed at accelerating innovation, strengthening the local ecosystem and attracting targeted investments to the region.
- Karnataka’s three-pathway skilling framework aims to integrate employability skills into higher education, including a 50:50 theory-experiential learning model.
- 17 Government Engineering Colleges are being brought into the Super 100 Industry-Academia Adoption Program, strengthening direct industry engagement.
- The AI Talent Imperative- Reimagining Skills, Education & Industry for an AI-First Future examined the changing requirements of an AI-led economy and the need to align education, skills and industry capabilities for the future workforce.
- EV Component Manufacturing – Retooling Existing Lines for the EV Supply Chain explored opportunities for HDB’s existing automotive and precision-engineering base to transition into emerging EV component manufacturing.
Hubballi, September 03, 2026: India’s digital economy is entering a decisive new phase defined not just by scale, but by geography. As Bengaluru’s technology and innovation ecosystem matures, the momentum is increasingly visible through the Government of Karnataka’s Beyond Bengaluru Mission, which is creating new engines of investment, talent and enterprise across the state’s regional clusters.
Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi (HDB) has emerged as a strong expression of this vision, bringing together decades of industrial capability with growing strengths in technology, advanced manufacturing and innovation. Reflecting this transition, the sixth edition of HDB Techceleration 2026, the flagship initiative of the Government of Karnataka’s Beyond Bengaluru Mission that was inaugurated today in Hubbali -brought the region’s evolving ecosystem into focus, with 700+ delegates, 100+ startups and 25+ investors, alongside policymakers, industry leaders, academia and technology stakeholders.
Anchored by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the two-day summit explored opportunities across advanced manufacturing, electronics, deep tech, artificial intelligence, EVs, startups, skilling and MSME innovation, while examining how HDB can build globally connected capabilities across engineering, design, embedded systems, semiconductors and EV supply chains.
The summit opened with “Talk of the Town,” featuring Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), who welcomed participants and set the context for the discussions ahead.
Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), said “The Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi region has reached an important inflection point, evolving from a nascent technology ecosystem into a cluster with a growing base of industry, startups, talent and institutional capabilities. Over the last four to five years, KDEM has worked with industry, academia and ecosystem partners to build the foundations for sustained growth, and we are now seeing tangible outcomes. The region now has 158 IT companies and 800+ DPIIT-recognised startups, with 38 companies looking to establish operations, supported by ₹56 crore in government support across Centres of Excellence and a 24-acre IT park. With Japanese investments, emerging opportunities linked to Airbus and Boeing, and iMerit’s presence with around 1,000 employees, HDB is increasingly attracting technology and high-value industrial opportunities. The focus now is execution, getting new companies operational, strengthening the IT and startup ecosystem, and converting our 25,000-strong annual talent pipeline into industry-ready jobs. By connecting these assets across Hubballi, Dharwad and Belagavi, HDB can become a cluster where companies come not only to invest, but to build and scale.”
Bringing the industry perspective into the discussion, the Hubballi & Belagavi Lead Anchor Address featured Santosh Huralikoppi, Lead Industry Anchor- Hubballi and MD & CEO, NS Infotech, and Venkatesh Patil, Lead Industry Anchor-Belagavi and MD, Belgaum Oxygen, who reflected on the region’s progress and ambitions for its next phase of growth.
Setting the regional context, Venkatesh Patil, Lead Industry Anchor – Belagavi and MD, Belgaum Oxygen, said,“Over the last few years, HDB has evolved into a cluster model bringing together industry, academia and government across Hubballi, Dharwad and Belagavi, supported by a growing network of institutions and initiatives. The region is increasingly attracting participation from beyond its borders, with 40–50% of startups at HDB BLUE coming from Bengaluru, Gujarat and other parts of India, 30–35% of Elevate participation coming from HDB, and growing interest across technology, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. Our roadshows across India, Europe and the US have also helped position HDB as an emerging destination for investment and innovation, but there is still a long way to go. The next phase will require greater industry participation, KDEM can create the platforms and enabling environment, but industry must work with academia, build talent and create opportunities to turn this momentum into sustained economic growth.”
The conversation then moved from vision to action, with fireside chats, panel discussions and industry-led dialogues examining how HDB can build on its industrial foundation to develop globally competitive capabilities across technology and advanced manufacturing.
Building Global Manufacturing and Tech Ecosystems from HDB
The event played host to a critical fireside conversation between Aravind Melligeri, Executive Chairman & CEO, Aequs, and Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, KDEM, explored how Belagavi’s globally certified aerospace and precision manufacturing ecosystem demonstrates the potential to anchor sophisticated supply chains beyond metropolitan centres. The conversation also examined the role of talent, infrastructure, logistics, cost competitiveness and long-term industry-government collaboration in enabling HDB to build an ecosystem that can scale.
The discussion highlighted Aequs’ journey of building global customer relationships from Belagavi, with its Airbus engagement growing from an initial US$200,000 order for 30 parts to around US$60 million annually, demonstrating the potential to scale global manufacturing from the region. It also highlighted the significant headroom for India’s aerospace ecosystem, with the country currently accounting for around 2% of the global aerospace supply chain.
The session identified deepening the regional supplier ecosystem, attracting global component manufacturers, improving ease of doing business and strengthening private investment-led industrial clusters as key priorities for HDB’s next phase of growth. KDEM and Aequs also discussed working together to identify and target specific global companies that can strengthen the region’s manufacturing and technology value chains, while focusing on 2-3 strategic sectors where HDB can build globally competitive capabilities.
Levers to Realize HDB Vision
An insightful conversation between B. V. Naidu, Chairman, KDEM, and Chaitanya Kulkarni, Founder & MD, CGK Constructions and Real (CCARE) at the event today further reiterated the potential of HDB’s existing capabilities across talent, industry, startups and institutions into a sustained growth engine. Drawing from Bengaluru’s technology ecosystem journey, the discussion emphasised that HDB’s next phase will need to be industry-led, mission-driven and supported by strong implementation frameworks, while building a distinct identity for the region through the Beyond Bengaluru approach.
The session outlined the HDB Vision targets of 35 large companies, five ESDM companies, 10 GCCs and 100 startups, with the speakers emphasising that realising these ambitions will require sustained collaboration between industry, government and KDEM. The discussion also underscored the importance of strengthening both physical and soft infrastructure to support the region’s growth, including the commitment to develop around 2 lakh sq. ft. of GPC infrastructure in Belagavi within the next six months, alongside measures to attract and retain talent and enable businesses to scale.
The conversation also highlighted the growing maturity of HDB’s innovation ecosystem, with 100+ startups participating in HDB Techceleration and three local technology companies acquired by larger players, reflecting the increasing visibility and commercial potential of capabilities emerging from the region. The ₹25 crore cluster fund was also highlighted as an important enabler to support the next phase of ecosystem development.
- V. Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), said, “I thank the Government of Karnataka for the continued support extended to the Beyond Bengaluru initiative and for enabling the region’s growth. The state government and KDEM have created the platforms and support needed to build this momentum, and we are now seeing HDB’s growing potential as a technology and innovation cluster. The next step is stronger industry participation, with industry, academia, entrepreneurs and government working together to leverage initiatives such as the ₹25 crore cluster fund, strengthen local capabilities, attract investment and build HDB into a thriving technology and innovation cluster with a strong identity of its own.”
Key Infrastructure & Ecosystem Highlights <> HDB Cluster at a Glance
The HDB region has rapidly evolved into one of India’s fastest-growing digital economy clusters, powered by education, entrepreneurship and enterprise.
- Cluster Coverage: The HDB cluster comprises six districts-Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Gadag and Haveri.
- Economic Contribution: The cluster has an estimated economy of ₹2.79 lakh crore, accounting for approximately 11% of Karnataka’s GDP.
- Technology Employment: The region currently supports approximately 30,000 tech and tech-enabled jobs.
- Startup Ecosystem: HDB has 850 DPIIT-recognised startups, with a long-term ambition to scale the regional startup ecosystem further.
- IT/BT/ITeS Presence: The Hubballi–Dharwad urban area has 128+ IT/BT/ITeS companies onboarded, spanning IT services, engineering design, embedded systems, product and deep-tech startups, R&D and innovation enterprises.
- ESDM Ecosystem: The cluster has a modelled ESDM revenue of ₹350 crore, with five ESDM setups currently operating.
- Electronics Manufacturing Infrastructure: 5 acres have been secured for EMC 2.0 at Kotur–Belur, positioning it as a flagship electronics and hardware manufacturing hub for the region.
- Aequs Electronics Cluster: Aequs is developing an approximately 400-acre electronics cluster in Dharwad, building on the region’s growing manufacturing capabilities.
- Anchor Hardware Investments: Nidec Corporation has committed ₹600+ crore towards its anchor hardware manufacturing operations in the region, while Tsuyo has committed ₹250+ crore.
- State Support for Innovation Infrastructure: ₹56 crore has been committed towards state support for TBIs and Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in the region.
- Cluster Seed Fund: A dedicated ₹25 crore Cluster Seed Fund for HDB has been committed to support early-stage startups and innovation.
- Talent Pipeline: The region produces 35,000+ graduates annually from more than 200 colleges, providing a substantial talent pool for emerging industries.
- Startup Recognition: 21 startups from the HDB region were recognised as Elevate winners in the last one year, strengthening the region’s pipeline of high-potential ventures.
- Regional Focus Sectors: HDB is emerging as a multi-sector cluster with strengths across Agri-tech, Electronics and Manufacturing (EMC), MSME-tech, Automotive and EV, Component Manufacturing and VLSI Design.
Programme Highlights – ‘Harness, Develop, Breakthrough’
Across two days, the programme brought together policy engagement, startup showcasing, investor interactions, technology masterclasses, industry discussions and ecosystem-building sessions. Day 1 featured Beyond Bengaluru BLUE, an AI & Technology Masterclass, an Angel Investor Masterclass, the Tathyakosh data ecosystem session and an Industry Leaders Engagement Roundtable, alongside industry interactions and cultural networking.
From Product Innovation to Market-Ready Solutions: Four products developed in the HDB cluster were launched, reflecting the region’s growing product innovation capabilities.
- Kruise: Enterprise intelligence platform bringing operational, process and data intelligence onto a single screen.
- Visual Vidya: AI-powered learning platform enabling personalised learning before, during and after class.
- Plazmo: Motion-powered gaming console that turns any television into an active play zone.
- AI: Enterprise AI platform for customer operations across voice, chat, SMS and vision, with 1.2 million interactions handled.
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Strengthening Innovation Through Institutional Partnerships: Four digital-health and med-tech startups entered into Memoranda of Agreement with DREAM TBI-DIMHANS, connecting emerging solutions with institutional expertise and pathways to deployment.
- SparcoLife Digital Healthcare Technologies: SAFE-X, an AI-enabled multimodal psychosocial risk screening and triaging platform.
- Cognitive Grid: AI-driven, post-quantum secured platform for early screening of neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Wichal Research:Biomedical instrument for pre-diagnostics and pro-screening.
- Manasu: Mind Evolution Hub.
Recognising HDB BLUE Winners: Three ventures selected through HDB BLUE, the cluster’s flagship startup programme, were recognised for their potential to scale from HDB.
- Imbos Mould Technologies Private Limited
- Trividhi Labs Private Limited
- Kriyavers Private Limited
Recognising Elevate Winners: Seven ventures from the HDB cluster were recognised under Karnataka’s flagship Elevate startup grant programme including – Anucharith, Neuroanalog, Trio, Ckelp, Specksyn, Pravartya Labs and SLM Infratech.
The summit concluded with the Valedictory Session, featuring event impact highlights from the KDEM team , including product launches, BLUE winners, Elevate winners and new industries followed by closing remarks and a vote of thanks by KDEM- reinforcing the ambition of Karnataka’s Beyond Bengaluru Mission to build globally competitive technology and manufacturing ecosystems across the state, enabling regional clusters to leverage their distinct strengths while connecting to national and international markets, capital, technology and talent.