Bengaluru: Organised by the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, and Software Technology Parks of India, Bengaluru, the 26th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Karnataka in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka on November 29.

The inaugural event was hosted by key figures from the Indian industry, including Rishad Premji; Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Prashanth Prakash, Nivruti Rai, BV Naidu, and Arvind Kumar, Director General of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

The theme of the summit is “Breaking Boundaries” and aims to serve as the catalyst for a dynamic gathering of people from more than thirty nations, including tech industry executives, startups, investors, and research labs. India’s research and development organisations, such as DRDO, ICMR, CDAC, BIRAC, IIAP, IIIT-B, and NRDC as well as other organisations are participating as exhibitors in the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023.

It was extremely demoralising—and I am thoroughly disappointed—to observe that such institutions as the DRDO and ISRO have simply set up stalls on the premises of this prestigious and widely acclaimed Summit, where the general public can merely pass by and view the models, without anyone present to provide explanations, interpretations, visuals, or informational pamphlets—indeed, even inspire a spark of curiosity in viewers to seek further knowledge of the items on display.

It seems as though these organisations have utilised public funds only to fulfil a statutory obligation. The individuals occupying these stalls appeared to lack not only the necessary expertise, but also the motivation to inspire visitors, and may have been present merely as ‘window-dressing’ of the venue. This is a rather disheartening situation at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which should ideally serve as a platform to showcase significant technological advancements rather than focus on displaying photographs of politicians.

The event management team demonstrates a lack of professionalism. There is a noticeable absence of informative posters highlighting the programme itinerary, as well as a lack of proper signage directing attendees to the respective halls and their activities. The overall execution of the event management reflects a significant level of inadequacy and unprofessionalism.