Good morning to all of you.

I am very, very proud to sit before Mr. Bharataratna, Professor C. N. R. Rao, and Madam Indumati. My salutations, on behalf of the Government of Karnataka, to all of you.

My colleague, Mr. Priyank Kharge, who has been leading this for the last three years as the Minister for IT & BT, and who has also served in this role earlier. Professor B.L.V.Prasad, Director of Center for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences [ CeNS ] Bengaluru we have honoured him with the CNR Rao Bengaluru India Nano Science Award, and I am very proud. He is part of the executive.

I think Mr. Anil Kumar is here from the Indian Institute of Science, Dr. Manjula, and I am very happy that Dr. Prabhu also came out with a lot of important points while representing CeNS. I think he was very clear about the contribution and what is going on in Bengaluru.

I would like to thank all of them, and again, all the dignitaries on the stage, scientists here, industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and my young friends whom I can see have come from various institutions. It gives me great pleasure to inaugurate Bengaluru INDIA NANO 2026, one of India’s most prestigious platforms celebrating science and technology.

You all know that I don’t want to discuss much about Bengaluru. You all know Bengaluru. You live in Bengaluru. You work in Bengaluru. You help build Bengaluru. You breathe Bengaluru. It is a great city. It has been recognised as India’s technological capital, and today we are taking another important step in strengthening that identity.

So I decided that instead of lighting the lamp myself, it would be better to have Professor Rao light the lamp because if you forget the roots, you will never get the fruits. So I thought the lamp should first be lit by him.

Today, nanotechnology is no longer confined to research activities, as our CeNS Director said. It has become a foundational technology transforming healthcare, electronics, energy, agriculture, mobility, defence, aerospace, and many other sectors.

The future will not be built on technology alone. It will be shaped by artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology, quantum technology, semiconductors, and advanced materials.

We in Karnataka are determined to lead this technological transformation. Our state already possesses tremendous strengths. We have world-class institutions.

Recently, about four or five days back, I was in Mysuru with the Prime Minister at the Ramakrishna Ashrama. I reminded the Prime Minister of the story of Swami Vivekananda and Jamsetji Tata. They had travelled together by sea, and Tataji had asked why India was so poor.

The story goes that Swami Vivekananda encouraged him to establish a great scientific institution in India. Later, he requested the Maharaja of Mysore to support the idea, and the Maharaja granted hundreds of acres of land in Bengaluru. That became the Indian Institute of Science, which is here today. The Government also supported it financially, and Tataji took it forward. That is the history of Bengaluru.

It is not something that began today. We all know how technology has grown here. I am not talking only about Silicon Valley comparisons, aerospace, or other sectors. The Indian Institute of Science laid the foundation for all of this.

I am very proud of everyone working in science. You are investing, developing, and creating. Today, nanotechnology is not just about making things smaller; it is about creating a bigger future for all of us.

Today, nations are competing for investment, but nanotechnology has become a foundational technology for transforming healthcare, agriculture, electronics, and many other sectors.

The future will not be built by nanotechnology alone. It will be shaped together with artificial intelligence. Karnataka is determined to lead.

Let us all work together. These small ideas at the nanoscale can create extraordinary change for humanity. Nanotechnology has no limits.

Karnataka’s ecosystem is positioned to become one of the world’s premier destinations for deep technology.

Let me tell you one important thing. You all know that Bengaluru has been recognised globally for IT, biotechnology, startups, and innovation.

I was telling one of my friends last week that California has about 1.6 million IT professionals, whereas Bengaluru has about 2.6 million IT professionals in this one city.

We have more than 260 engineering colleges, producing over one lakh engineering graduates every year. That is the scale of our talent.

In medicine, we have nearly 14,000 students graduating every year from around 70 medical colleges in Karnataka. That is among the highest in the country.

This is our greatest strength.

About 20 to 25 years ago, after the September 11 attacks, many world leaders and multinational companies wanted to establish major operations in Bengaluru.

I remember being part of a meeting where the U.S. Ambassador had one request—that Bengaluru should have at least ten international schools. The reason was simple: they believed Bengaluru was a safe city with a great culture, high-quality manpower, and everything global companies needed.

Today, we have more than two lakh foreign nationals, diplomats, engineers, and technology professionals working in Bengaluru. That is the strength of Bengaluru, and all of you have contributed to it.

As my friend from CeNS proudly said, “I am from Bengaluru.” We are creating scientists here.

The nation needs you, and the entire world is looking to invest in Bengaluru.

Even the Prime Minister told me that world leaders are looking towards Bengaluru for semiconductors, electronics, and many other investments. We have to create good hospitals, strong infrastructure, and continue growing.

I told him that India can grow through Bengaluru, and Karnataka will continue to contribute.

Today, AI has transformed everything. You all are here to help the country. Let us all work as Team Karnataka and Team India.

If Karnataka grows, India grows. If Bengaluru grows, Karnataka grows.

I know many of you have come here from different parts of the country because of Bengaluru’s weather, culture, scientific ecosystem, engineering talent, and innovation.

We have produced remarkable scientists. Our senior scientists are the fathers of this ecosystem.

Karnataka is committed, but we need your support.

I know many important discussions are taking place today. We want your ideas, your solutions, your innovations, your research papers, and your commercial products.

We want startups. We want you to solve real-world problems, from the biggest to the smallest.

Our youngsters today are extraordinary. They are very fast learners.

Even teachers know how difficult it is today. You cannot bluff a student anymore. They immediately check their phones and say, “Sir, you are wrong,” or “Madam, you are wrong. Google says this. Meta says this. ChatGPT says this.”

Information is available everywhere.

So all of us, especially senior leaders, have to be very careful. Our young people are knowledgeable, and we must guide them well.

The research papers that you produce and the discoveries that you make will contribute greatly to Karnataka and to society.

The Government of Karnataka stands with you.

Let us improve the state together. Science and technology will always have our support.

I always say:

“Joining together is the beginning. Discussing together is progress. Working together is success.”

I hope you will bring greater change to our GCC ecosystem and to the future of Bengaluru.

Today, I am very happy to inaugurate Bengaluru INDIA NANO 2026, one of India’s most prestigious science and technology platforms.

I am honoured to receive the blessings of Bharat Ratna Professor C. N. R. Rao, and Shrimati Indumati Rao.

With your guidance and leadership, Karnataka’s scientific ecosystem will become even stronger, and nanotechnology will grow further.

I wish you all the very best.

I know Bengaluru faces challenges, especially mobility. Earlier, Bengaluru had a population of about 40 to 50 lakh. Over the past 25 years, it has grown to nearly 1.4 crore people.

We have around 1.35 crore registered vehicles. We cannot simply keep widening roads.

We are working on many mobility solutions, including AI-based traffic management, Metro expansion, satellite towns, and long-term infrastructure planning.

Our goal is to build nearly 500 kilometres of Metro connectivity in Bengaluru. We are planning big because Bengaluru deserves it.

I assure you that every citizen who lives and works in Bengaluru will be safe.

We are committed to providing good governance.

Though I have taken over this responsibility only recently, I have been in public life for the last 40 years, and I know how Bengaluru has evolved.

Scientists, researchers, and world leaders continue to look towards Bengaluru.

Even when I visited Davos, many global leaders told me they see Bengaluru as a safe destination for investment.

As Bengaluru grows, the world grows with it.

I wish you all the very best.

I hope the papers that are presented and published during this conference will make a remarkable contribution.

Innovation at the nanoscale will build solutions on a global scale.

I wish you all the very best.

Thank you.

Congratulations to all of you. Congratulations to all the leaders and organisations behind this wonderful event.

Karnataka is with you. Bengaluru is with you. Together, we will make Karnataka and India proud. Thank you.