Speaking to a crowd of 600 delegates at the inaugural session of the sixth edition of Mangaluru Technovanza, Gupta highlighted that the Mangaluru cluster of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) has added over 60 new technology firms and more than 13,000 employees in the last three years.
He said that more than one million square feet of Grade‑A office space is currently under construction in the cluster, underscoring the rapid physical expansion that is supporting the talent influx.
Gupta outlined KDEM’s long‑term vision: a coastal knowledge economy worth $10 billion that would host 200,000 technology jobs, generate ₹40,000 crore in technology exports, nurture 4,000‑plus startups, attract 80‑plus Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and establish ten Centres of Excellence.
According to the CEO, the ecosystem already accounts for ₹35,000 crore in total exports, with 35,000 professionals working on‑site and another 20,000 employed remotely, indicating a scaling momentum that he described as “already under way.”
Industry veteran Rohith Bhat, founder of wrkwrk, 99Games and Robosoft, recalled the region’s grassroots origins and said that in the past three years startups have grown by a third, two home‑grown firms have gone public in the last six weeks, and a government‑backed accelerator now holds ₹9.5 crore in support, complemented by an angel network of 25 investors and a budding hardware ecosystem with international partners.
The Technovanza event featured 70 startups, 60 GCCs and more than 20 investors, and KDEM data show that the broader Mangaluru region now hosts over 300 tech companies, more than 400 startups and a technology workforce exceeding 50,000 professionals.