To address the employable talent crunch and to fill the skill gap in the IT
industry, the government of Karnataka is in talks with Australia's Deakin
University to set-up Deakin India Research Initiative (DIRI) in Bangalore. DIRI
would involve an investment of Australian $76 million. Deakin would contribute
50 percent, while Karnataka and the government of India would put in 25 percent
each.
“Currently, IT contributed 4.9 percent to the national GDP. In Karnataka, IT
contributes over 26 percent to the GDP. The government of Karnataka targets to
increase it to 50 percent by 2011,” said MN Vidyashankar, Secretary, Information
Technology and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka. Vidyashankar also
announced that DLF has invested over Rs 50,000 crore in this much-awaited IT
Park in Bidadi, which occupies 10,000 acres of land and has 25,000sq ft build in
space. The first stage of Biotech Park, spread over 109 acres, will be
inaugurated by end of February 2008. The second and third stage will be ready in
the next 18 months.