Bengaluru Airport City to get a global innovation hub: Here are the details of technology, industries that will be part of it

The Government of Karnataka, Bengaluru Airport City Ltd (BACL), and ANSR have joined forces to launch the Global Innovation Hub District 1 in Bengaluru Airport City, which is expected to give a significant boost to the country’s innovation ecosystem.

District 1 will serve as a central platform to accelerate deep tech entrepreneurship, enterprise-driven innovation, and the commercialisation of academic research. It will bring together Global Capability Centres (GCCs), IT service providers, accelerators, corporate labs, startups, venture capitalists (VCs), academia, and public institutions.

It will also focus on technologies such as AI, quantum computing, blockchain, and customer experience technologies. The hub will also foster innovation in critical industries, including aerospace, space tech, smart cities, retail, BFSI, manufacturing, telecom, and defence, where the IT city of Bengaluru already has an edge.

District 1 will be an integral part of Bengaluru Airport City’s expansive 28 million square feet of development. Business Park cluster. The aim is to have a dedicated Education and Health District, a mix of hospitality, entertainment, and lifestyle offerings.

Bengaluru Airport City already has operational facilities, such as a central kitchen and a 3D printing unit, in place. There are also plans to establish India’s first airport-based Concert Arena and a modern Convention and Exhibition Centre. Additionally, there are projected 5,200 hotel rooms, including the Taj Bangalore with 370 luxurious rooms and the under-construction combo hotel featuring 775 rooms under the Vivanta and Ginger brands.

The Bengaluru Airport City has a renewable energy-poweredenergy-powered campus with an IGBC Green Cities Platinum rating, featuring sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting and infrastructure aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Bengaluru Airport City is also being developed as a smart city. Its global innovation hub will act as a launchpad for startups and a commercialisation engine for academic research.

District 1 will bring together startups, enterprises, academia, investors, and government to accelerate entrepreneurship, commercialise research, and drive enterprise-led innovation. The innovation hub aims to create high-value jobs, generate intellectual property (IP), and position Bengaluru as a leading global hub for advanced technologies such as AI and quantum computing.

Interestingly, the Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bangalore International Airport Limited, BIAL (operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru). The BACL was founded to develop the Airport City at Bengaluru Airport. It will feature business parks, technology hubs, a health district, a convention and exhibition centre, a knowledge park, hospitality facilities, a central Park, and a multipurpose concert arena, among other amenities.

ANSR is a company that specialises in establishing and operating Global Capability Centres. It has apparently established over 175 GCCs for more than 100 Fortune 500 companies across key innovation hubs in India, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia.

 

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