Set up tech R&D center in B’lore, Krishna tells Gates

BANGALORE: Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna has requested Microsoft

chairman Bill Gates to consider Bangalore to set up its technology research and

development center. In a letter to Gates, Krishna has extended an invitation to

the Microsoft chairman to visit Bangalore when he comes to India next. Krishna

also had a 45-minute exclusive meeting with Gates in New Delhi on Thursday.

"Bangalore has over 75,000 professionals in IC design, communication

software, wireless application software etc. 12 out of the world's 22 SEI-CMM

Level-5 companies are located in Bangalore. Jack Welsh (of GE) is opening the

India Technology Center at Bangalore on September 17. Many other MNCs have

R&D centers in Bangalore. The government of Karnataka will provide all

possible assistance for the Microsoft Technology R&D Center," said the

chief minister in his letter requesting Gates to set up a technology R&D

center in Bangalore.

Krishna has proposed that Microsoft could be the strategic partner in setting

up a center for e-governance. The project is estimated to cost $15 million. The

center will provide technical and managerial support for several IT projects in

public domain like computerization of land records, land registration,

decision-support system for the chief minister, agricultural price information

system etc.

The chief minister has requested Gates to support Karnataka’s plans of

establishing learning centers in all the engineering colleges in the state. Each

center will have 50 workstations, servers and Internet facilities. These centers

will enable the faculty and students to keep abreast of the latest developments

in technology, access the best digital libraries in the world and facilitate

students taking certification courses. The investment needed for this project is

about $10 million.