SM Krishna: Why techies in Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley and IT capital, should thank him

“Computers and IT are my two key weapons to transform Karnataka into a modern state,” SM Krishna said in 1999, just months after becoming chief minister. These “weapons” have put the state and its capital Bengaluru on the global map of technology-driven innovation. And much of the credit for transforming Bengaluru into a global IT hub goes to SM Krishna.

Former CM of Karnataka SM Krishna, who passed away on TuesdayHe is hailed by many as the man who helped Bengaluru transform into India’s Silicon Valley.

“The man who was instrumental in transforming Bengaluru into an IT capital,” wrote a Bengaluru resident on X.

“Sri SM Krishna took Bangalore into the future by imagining it as India’s Silicon Valley and laid the foundation for the IT capital of India,” said film producer Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, wife of late Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar.

The US-educated CM took the right turn towards the infotech highway at the right time, at the beginning of the 21st century.

Not only in the IT sector, SM Krishna played a role in revolutionizing public service delivery across the state by laying the foundation for technology-driven governance.

We will examine how the Mandya farmer’s son, who first came into contact with computers while studying law in the US, shaped present-day Bengaluru and Karnataka.

THE IT REVOLUTION IN KARNATAKA WITH SM KRISHNA AT THE LEAD

Krishna’s foresight in recognizing the potential of the IT sector in the early 21st century was crucial. He initiated policies that promoted the growth of the IT and Biotechnology (BT) sectors and made Bengaluru an international hub.

His efforts led to the formation of the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) in 1999, a panel of experts from various fields aimed at preparing a blueprint for the city’s development with a futuristic vision.

He We have brought leading companies in the infotech industry on board like Wipro CEO Azim Premji, Infosys Chairman Narayana Murthy and Microland CEO Pradeep Kar want to invest in Bengaluru.

At this point it seemed Krishna should give to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu NaiduAccording to a 1999 report in India Today Magazine, the computer-savvy CM is a run for his money.

The Krishna government’s aim was to increase software exports from Rs 3,200 crore in 1999 to Rs 15,000 crore within five years while positioning the state as a hub for hardware companies.

Not only in Bengaluru, Krishna planned cyber parks in Mysore and Hubli too.

“SM Krishna was a visionary gentleman politician who promoted IT, the new Bengaluru airport and several other fundamental ideas for the development of Karnataka,” Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy said on Tuesday, mourning Krishna’s death.

The growth of the IT sector in Bengaluru followed the real estate boom and the city’s establishment as a global gateway.

In his condolence message, former Union IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar mentioned that Krishna was among his mentors. “During his tenure, he transformed Bengaluru into a global IT hub. A gentleman politician who embodied dignity in politics, he was one of my first mentors and supported my entry into public service.”

Bengaluru-based billionaire entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw remembered Krishna as a “visionary modernizer” and “one of the great CMs of the country”.

“SM Krishna was a visionary modernizer who transformed the way Karnataka emerged as a technology leader. He founded Vision Groups, which represents a unique model around the world. I consider him one of the great CMs of the country,” Shaw wrote on X.

Today, IT exports from Karnataka are nearing $100 billion (Rs 8.3 billion) from Rs 7.55 billion in 2022. Bengaluru alone accounts for about 30-40% of India’s total IT exports and employs 10 million people directly and 30 lakh indirectly.

SM KRISHNA pioneered technology-enabled public service and e-governance in Karnataka

SM Krishna’s legacy is not just limited to the IT sector. By introducing e-governance, he implemented several technology-driven social and economic initiatives that had a profound impact on the state.

Two months after its inception in 1999, SM Krishna opened a video conferencing facility in Karnataka and connected nine districts at a cost of Rs 30 lakh. He would remain in touch with the District Collectors and the SPs through his computer.

“Soon we will take this facility to the taluk headquarters and rural sectors so that the living conditions of the people there can be improved,” SM Krishna told India Today in 1999.

Krishna decided that priority areas of application for IT would be agriculture, primary and reproductive health care, planning and management at all levels, and low-cost communications.

At the beginning of the new millennium, Krishna launched a bilingual portal, www (dot)on-linebangalore(dot)com, to communicate with his officials.

The Karnataka CM also planned to introduce IT in school curricula across the country.

In 2004, when Krishna’s term as CM of Karnataka ended, He then played a role in national politicsand eventually became India’s foreign minister. He never became CM of Karnataka again.

While SM Krishna put Karnataka on the infotech highway 25 years ago, the joys of the ride continue to benefit Karnataka and the ever-growing Bengaluru. He will always be remembered as the person who transformed Bengaluru into the Silicon Valley of India.