Karnataka, India: The Critical Differences
Challenge
Karnataka was well endowed with the major categories of institutions
essential to growing a high performance economy, despite the
complexities and difficulties of operating in India. However,
it had not yet taken advantage of these qualities to build
a high performing economy.
Solution
An assessment of the national laboratories in the locality
by local consultants revealed a high concentration of capabilities
with a lesser degree of direct connection to industry, local
or national. Similarly, the impressive educational system
of the region, with its extensive polytechnics, private colleges,
state universities, and a national technical university, was
identified as a major asset that delivered a large supply
of engineers into the marketplace. The financial services
sector—a diverse amalgam of public and private banking
and industrial finance institutions—was found increasingly
ready to serve the marketplace but did not have experience
with the instruments for financing or for exiting from investments.
ICF International staff brought process and a strategy to the
region that helped these institutions identify how they could
link better with clusters and potential clusters.
Benefit
In the course of the strategy process, working groups consisting
of consultants, industry, and higher education institutions
resulted in proposals, both for reforms of operations and
for new partnerships with regional industry, that have enhanced
the region's supportiveness of enterprise formation growth
and attractiveness to domestic and international businesses.
Today Bangalore's companies are serving rapidly expanding
domestic markets for computers and software and have expanded
international operations.
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