BTS 2025 Wraps Up: A Defining Edition That Reinforces Karnataka’s Global Tech Leadership

The 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025, held from 18–20 November and organised by the Department of Electronics, IT & Bt, Government of Karnataka, concluded at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), marking one of the most impactful and globally resonant editions in the event’s history. Over three dynamic days, the Summit brought together the world’s leading innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry pioneers under the theme “Futurise”, a call to imagine, innovate, and build the next decade of technological progress.

With an extraordinary 92,478 attendees, including 46,389 business visitors, 20,680 delegates, and representation from 57 countries, BTS 2025 reaffirmed Karnataka’s position as one of the world’s foremost hubs for technology and innovation. The event featured 1,015 exhibitors, 663 speakers, and 103 knowledge sessions across 10 thematic tracks, making it one of Asia’s largest and most influential multi-sector technology gatherings.

Global Collaboration and Policy Advancements

International engagement reached new heights this year, with strong participation from GIA partner nations including Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, South Korea, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, the UK, and the USA. A significant milestone was the signing of the India–US MoU to advance collaboration in critical and emerging technologies spanning AI, defence, space, clean energy, quantum computing, and telecommunications.

On the policy front, Karnataka unveiled two major frameworks, the IT Policy 2025–2030 and the Space Technology Policy 2025–2030—reflecting the state’s ambition to drive sovereign digital capability, deep-tech leadership, and advanced R&D.

Highlighting Global Voices & Sector Leaders

The Summit featured an exceptional and diverse roster of global and Indian leaders who shaped the dialogues across AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, frontier technologies, sustainability, innovation policy, and digital ecosystems. Prominent speakers included Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Prashanth Prakash, Debjani Ghosh, Dr. V. Narayanan (ISRO), Shri S. Gopalakrishnan (Kris), Shekhar Kapur, Abhishek Singh, Dror Bin, Kirthiga Reddy, Gokul V. Subramaniam, Manoj Meena, Anjali Bansal, Kshitij Khandelwal, and several global industry leaders and academic experts. Their insights brought rich depth to discussions on India’s innovation trajectory, global competitiveness, and the technologies shaping the future.

Strengthening the Deep-Tech & Startup Ecosystem

BTS 2025 marked major strides in deep-tech funding and startup support. The Government of Karnataka, in partnership with leading VC firms, disbursed ₹400 crore to early-stage AI and deep-tech startups during the Future Makers Conclave, reinforcing the state’s commitment to building a world-class innovation ecosystem.

The Summit also announced 143 new Elevate awardees, bringing the total number of supported startups to 1,084, including 390 from Beyond Bengaluru. Karnataka’s expanded LEAP programmes Elevate Next (Deeptech) and Elevate Beyond Bengaluru, will offer grants of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore to 90 additional startups.

Additionally, an MoU between ESSCI, the Government of Karnataka, and Marvell Semiconductor will train 90 women in VLSI and embedded systems across tier-2 and tier-3 cities, strengthening the state’s skilled talent pipeline.

Future Makers Conclave: A Celebration of Visionaries

A standout highlight of BTS 2025 was the Future Makers Conclave, which brought together leaders shaping the next decade of innovation and culture. Among them were astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, author and entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo, tennis icon Sania Mirza, rising cricket star Richa Ghosh, Zepto Co-Founder Kaivalya Vohra, mentalist Suhani Shah, and several unicorn founders.

Unicorn founders from Zepto, Rapido, Ather Energy, Jumbotail, Navi, Bluestone, Perfios, Drools, and others were recognised for their contributions to India’s innovation economy, with a ceremonial honour that celebrated both their achievements and Bengaluru’s vibrant entrepreneurial culture.

Honouring Excellence Across Sectors

BTS 2025 celebrated excellence through the STPI IT Export Awards, IT Ratna & IT Pride Awards, SmartBio Awards, Poster Awards, Startup Ecosystem Impact Awards, and national finals of the TCS Rural IT Quiz and BioQuiz, recognising emerging innovators from across India.

As BTS 2025 concludes, it leaves behind a powerful message: India is entering a defining decade of innovation, and Bengaluru remains its engine of imagination, collaboration, and global impact.

See you at BTS 2026, as we shape the next decade of global innovation together.