The minister was commenting on Bengaluru Rising, a data report published by the nonprofit UnboxingBLR Foundation, released by chief minister Siddaramaiah, Dy CM DK Shivakumar and himself at the inaugural of the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
State’s startup vision group chairman Prashanth Prakash also heads the nonprofit and its report promises a 360-degree view on India’s top cities.
The report, Kharge said, provides actionable insights to shape better policies and initiatives. By leveraging a wide range of data sources this study provides a comprehensive, evidence-backed view of our cities, he added.
The data-reality gap was starker for Bengaluru as it was a small town that entered the big city club in recent decades unlike Delhi and Mumbai that have grown over centuries, Prakash, who is also a founding partner at the VC firm, Accel, said.
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“Away from the tech world, as a Bangalorean when I looked at the city, it seemed to be living in a pre-historic data era. This often weighed on my mind as I looked at Bengaluru as a city. India’s tech hub and startup capital has been growing rapidly. The growth has brought in dramatic multi-layered shifts—for good and for worse—within the city. But often, patchy, dated or even non-existent data has meant that there is a huge gap between perception and reality,” Prashanth said, explaining why the Foundation planned on the data report.“In the digital era, data is a powerful tool to bridge the gap between perception and reality. Bengaluru, our vibrant tech and startup hub, has experienced rapid, multi-layered growth—but outdated or patchy data often clouds decision-making. Bengaluru Rising was born from a desire to change this. By harnessing real-time insights, we aim to illuminate trends, inform policy, and spark healthy competition among India’s top cities. Ultimately, this is about building a better, more data-driven future for Bengaluru and beyond,” he said.
Foundation CEO Malini Goyal said the report offered a nuanced, data-driven lens to understand the city’s evolution and challenges. It was not just a tool for policymakers but a guide for anyone invested in India’s urban future.
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