Mysuru: Karnataka has unveiled a series of initiatives to position Mysuru as a major digital economy and electronics manufacturing hub, including the formation of district digital economy committees, a Rs 100-crore upgrade of the LAHARI electronics testing facility, and the development of a new govt technology centre (GTC).Speaking at the Beyond Bengaluru dialogue, organised as part of the seventh edition of the Mysuru Big Tech Show 2026, Dr N Manjula, secretary to the govt, department of electronics, IT/BT, and science & technology, said the state has constituted district digital economy committees to strengthen governance and accelerate digital economy growth across Karnataka.The committees, headed by the respective deputy commissioners, will coordinate with industry leaders, the industries department and the skill development department to drive district-level initiatives. The DCs have also been empowered to induct local industry champions into the committees to support district-specific digital economy programmes. She urged industry stakeholders to work closely with the Karnataka digital economy mission (KDEM) to become part of these committees and contribute to policy implementation.“District administration will identify 50 acres of land for the expansion of the IT and related initiatives in Mysuru,” she said. To further strengthen Mysuru’s technology ecosystem, the govt has established a Govt Technology Centre (GTC) as an anchor project to attract IT and digital economy companies. The facility offers nearly 1.5 lakh sq ft of office space, and several companies have already expressed interest in occupying the premises even before its formal inauguration.Dr Manjula announced that the LAHARI advanced electronics test facility will be upgraded at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore in partnership with the Govt of India. The enhanced testing and certification facility is expected to support emerging electronics industries by providing advanced product testing and certification services.She also showcased NIPUNA, KDEM’s corporate skilling programme, under which industries identify the required skills, training partners and candidate numbers while KDEM bears 40% of the skilling cost. Around 6,000 candidates have already been trained under the programme.Another panellist, Selvakumar S, principal secretary, department of commerce and industries, said land availability has emerged as one of the biggest challenges for Mysuru’s industrial expansion. With industrial development spreading across the region, new investments are now moving beyond Nanjangud due to increasing demand for industrial land.Selvakumar said Kochanahalli has been identified as an electronics manufacturing cluster, where 252 acres have been developed with plug-and-play infrastructure for electronics manufacturing. The ready industrial ecosystem is expected to attract investments from printed circuit board manufacturers and other electronics companies, strengthening Mysuru’s position as a key electronics manufacturing destination and catalysing large-scale industrial investments.
