So,
Bangalore is India’s IT city. But now it’s moving into another bigger
league. With every MNC and Indian company worth its salt setting up
development centres in the city, it’s turning into a genuine high-tech
cluster - India’ first Technopolis. Bangalore has often been compared
with technology clusters like Silicon Valley, Boston Route 128, Cambridge
and Hsinchin.
Technology investments by MNCs in Bangalore
Three to four years from now, Bangalore will be home to several
development centres, each housing 3,000-5,000 people working on
the latest technologies.
Bangalore averaged $300 million a year in terms of technology
investments. In 2000, the city got close to $1 billion. In 1999,
the government cleared big projects worth Rs 3,500 crore and the
figure soared to Rs 13,000 the following year.
In 1999, 400,000 sq. ft. of land was leased to companies. In
2000, 400,000 sq. ft. was leased every quarter.
Apart from development centres, huge technology parks are being
set up.
Reliance is investing Rs 1,600 crore to build a technology park
and has bought 25 acres already for the purpose.
The second stage of the International Technology Park (ITPL)
is coming up with an investment of Rs 160 crore and is expected
to be ready by 2002.
Industry observers expect Venture Capitalists to invest about
$10 billion in the country over the next three years. According
to venture capital firm Walden International, Bangalore will receive
50% of the risk capital, which is approximately $5 billion.
These days it is common to find Indian companies in the Garden
City working on contemporary technologies - Bluetooth, 3G, MPEG,
DSL and so on, besides handling full product development.
IBM is investing $100 million (Rs 450 crore) in Bangalore over
the next three years.
Cisco plans to invest $200 million (Rs 900 crore) in its development
centre in the city over the next three years.
Sun Microsystems is building its largest engineering centre in
the world here. At present, it will employ 250 people, 900 by 2002,
3,000-5,000 by 2005.
Motorola has bought land at Whitefield to expand its development
centre. It will invest $40 million (Rs 180 crore) on the centre,
which will house 1,500 developers.
Texas Instruments (TI), the first MNC to start a development
centre in Bangalore, will invest Rs 200 crore, doubling its engineers
to 1,000.
Huwei Technologies, a Chinese telecom firm, set up an R&D centre
in the city six months ago and now has 280 people on its rolls.
Why has Bangalore seen a sudden burgeoning in technology investments
by MNCs? The biggest strength of this city is the breeding grounds
for expertise that it is constantly throwing up. Besides, Karnataka
has 73 engineering colleges and Bangalore has 18. There are 103
R&D institutions in the city. With such a vast pool of highly skilled
manpower, who have proved that they are capable of working on large,
complex projects, the city offers great opportunities. As far as
Bangalore is concerned, the best is yet to come!
4:34:17 AM 
So,
Bangalore is India’s IT city. But now it’s moving into another bigger
league. With every MNC and Indian company worth its salt setting up
development centres in the city, it’s turning into a genuine high-tech
cluster - India’ first Technopolis. Bangalore has often been compared
with technology clusters like Silicon Valley, Boston Route 128, Cambridge
and Hsinchin. 
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