‘Techwaves 2025’ charts Mangaluru’s path to becoming India’s next ‘Silicon Beach’

Techwaves 2025 Sparks a Bold New Vision for Mangaluru’s Tech Future

Signalling a new era in its economic evolution, Mangaluru took a confident leap toward becoming India’s next major tech hub with the successful hosting of “Techwaves 2025: Rise of the Silicon Beach of India” at Vertex Five, Kadri, on Friday, April 25. Organised by Vertex Workspace, the landmark event drew industry leaders, innovators and policymakers in a vibrant celebration of the city’s growing stature in the IT and innovation space. Among the distinguished speakers were Captain Brijesh Chowta, Member of Parliament for Dakshina Kannada, and Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, MLA and Chairman of KEONICS.
Captain Chowta acknowledged that while Mangaluru possesses exceptional potential, it had missed the earlier IT wave.
“Mangaluru has a unique convergence of industry, academia, investment and entrepreneurship. We should now aim for homegrown companies engaged in deep tech,” he said.
Citing the global success of Mangaloreans, he highlighted his ‘Back to Ooru’ initiative to engage the diaspora in building a robust local IT ecosystem.
“I’ll be travelling widely to connect with global Mangaloreans and help create the infrastructure backbone. We must think beyond IT services and step into deep tech,” he urged.
He also spoke of the city’s growing opportunities, noting plans by the New Mangalore Port Authority to set up a Maritime University, ONGC’s ₹40,000 crore petrochemical complex, and other upcoming central government projects.
“You should plug into these and create smart solutions. Let’s build synergies between the diaspora, the ecosystem and the local talent pool. Don’t wait—rise to the occasion and write our own Mangaluru story,” he encouraged.
Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda praised Vertex for sparking this timely dialogue on the city’s tech future. He stressed that talent is the true magnet for IT—not infrastructure alone.
“Companies come here not for the good weather or food, but for talent retention,” he said, citing the region’s strong network of engineering colleges.
He announced KEONICS’ plans to launch a major IT complex in Mangaluru, modeled on Bengaluru’s Electronic City:
“We have 3.5 acres and hope to launch by June. The facility will span at least 4 lakh sq. ft. and be ready in 2–3 years, subject to clearances.” He added that the government is ready to cover up to 75% of infrastructure costs, along with rental, internet and power subsidies.
He further lauded the region’s high-value IT firms and highlighted how even global tech giants missed the AI revolution, while startups led the change.
“Innovation happens in MSMEs and SMEs. We want micro and nano Global Capability Centers (GCCs) to operate from Mangaluru,” he said.  

Panel Discussions: Thought Leadership in Action

Techwaves 2025 featured four engaging panel discussions:
• The Rise of Global Capability Centers (GCC) and Their Role in Mangaluru
– Moderated by Divyashree Gatti (UnifyCX)
– Panelists: Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, Anand Fernandes (EG India), Ashith Hegde (Arkieva), Roopalaxmi Pedamale (NCR Atleos Corp), Manikandan Subramanian (Everi India)
• The Rise of Deep Tech in Mangaluru
– Moderated by Johnson Tellis (Sahyadri College and InUnity)
– Panelists: Namith Padmaraj (BOSE Professional), Sathyanarayana Nadsar (Impelsys), Shashir Shetty (Niveus Solutions), Anant Pandit (Omnenest Technologies)
• Mangaluru’s Dominance in the IT Services Industry
– Moderated by Mohammed Azzan Patni (Pace Wisdom Solutions)
– Panelists: Captain Brijesh Chowta, Lanwin Lobo (MResult), Dikshith Rai (Codecraft Technologies), Shible Khader (NPOWA Solutions), Shihab Kalandar (Novigo Solutions)
• The Importance of World-Class Workspaces in Mangaluru’s Growth
– Moderated by Mahesh Shetty (Vertex Workspace & Mukund MGM Realty)
– Panelists: Architect M. Venkatesh Pai, Ashutosh Kharangate (MARC), Gaurav K Punjabi (K DEM), Amit Nuggehalli (ANAROCK)  

Felicitations of Tech Leaders

The event also witnessed the felicitation of tech leaders:
• Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda honoured:
– Koki Kato (Kobayashi Create India)
– Takashi Miyasaka (NIDEC Advanced Technology) (in absentia)
• Captain Brijesh Chowta felicitated:
– Jagath Biddappa and Navajith Karkera (Sonic Lamb) as Best Emerging Startup
– Shyamprasad Hebbar (UnifyCX / Diya Systems) with the Outstanding IT Achievement Award  

About the Organisers: Vertex Managed Workspace

Vertex Managed Workspace has played a pioneering role in shaping Mangaluru’s tech landscape by offering high-quality managed workspaces for emerging tech companies. • 1,900+ professionals
• 35+ companies (60% IT firms) Their upcoming Ashoka Business Center at Bejai, with a capacity for 2,250 professionals, signals the growing demand for world-class workspaces in the city. The event was spearheaded by:
• Gurudatta Shenoy (Managing Partner, Vertex Workspace & Mukund MGM Realty)
• Mahesh Shetty (Managing Partner, Vertex Workspace & Mukund MGM Realty) with Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) and the Beyond Bengaluru initiative as strategic partners.