Governor Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana delegation joined government officials of Karnataka Monday to establish a sister-state relationship between the two states, strengthening cooperation with the goal of increasing economic, educational and cultural ties.
“As the first Indiana governor to travel to India, I was thrilled to work with the Karnataka government to establish a sister-state relationship with one of the most dynamic and technologically advanced states in India,” Governor Holcomb said. “Today, we laid the groundwork for closer cooperation, and I look forward to our future collaboration as we work to advance business and educational opportunities to serve Hoosiers and the people of Karnataka.“
The agreement, signed between Governor Holcomb and Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology and Tourism, focuses on advancing economic development and investment, workforce development, academic cooperation, information and communications technologies, advanced manufacturing and materials, life sciences, agriculture and agriculture technology, automotive and aerospace and aviation. The governor and Secretary of Commerce also met with Vajubhai Vala, the Governor of Karnataka, to discuss future cooperation.
Karnataka is located in southwest India along the Arabian Sea and its capital, Bangalore, is a tech hub of India. Karnataka is one of the largest technology clusters in the world and also supports vibrant biotechnology, automotive, aerospace, agribusiness and engineering industries.
Through partnerships with companies like Infosys and Wipro, Indiana has become closely linked to the India-based state. Earlier this year, Infosys, which is headquartered in Bagalore, announced plans to establish a tech and innovation hub in central Indiana, investing $8.7 million and creating up to 2,000 new, high-skilled jobs. And in 2015, Appirio, a Wipro Company, announced plans to move its corporate headquarters to Indianapolis and grow its headcount from 150 to 577 associates by the end of 2020. The global cloud services provider was acquired by Bangalore-based Wipro in November 2016 and maintains its growing headquarters in Indianapolis.
Indiana also shares sister state partnerships with Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, which Governor Holcomb visited in September, and Zhejiang Province in China, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of its partnership with Indiana this year.
About IEDC
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts, helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a 15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.