Kumar Bahukhandi
The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) today felicitated Shri B.V. Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), with the First STPI Commendation Award at the STPI Awards Ceremony held during Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2025 facilitated by Dr. Sanjay Tyagi, Jurisdictional Director, STPI. The recognition honours Shri Naidu’s decades-long leadership in building Karnataka’s global technology prominence and his sustained contributions to India’s IT, innovation, and digital economy landscape.
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Shri B.V. Naidu, Chairman, KDEM, was awarded the First STPI Commendation Award for his contributions to Karnataka’s tech and innovation ecosystem
The award celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional, long-term impact on India’s technology ecosystem—through institution building, industry development, policy leadership, and innovation-driven economic transformation. Shri Naidu, one of Karnataka’s most respected technology leaders, has been instrumental in shaping the state’s IT narrative for over three decades, driving landmark initiatives across government, industry bodies, and emerging tech clusters.
Shri Naidu’s legacy includes several prestigious honours, including the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and the TiE Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award, recognising his role in accelerating entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and regional technology development across the state.
The selection for the STPI Commendation Award was undertaken by a distinguished jury panel comprising senior industry leaders, policy experts, and technology institution heads. The award ceremony at BTS 2025 highlighted the collective contributions of national technology champions who continue to drive India’s digital transformation.
During the ceremony, senior industry members reflected on Shri Naidu’s impact in shaping Karnataka’s technological rise—from steering the growth of Bengaluru’s IT export ecosystem to driving the state’s regional tech expansion through the Beyond Bengaluru mission. His leadership has been pivotal in enabling the development of future-ready tech clusters, fostering industry–government partnerships, strengthening deeptech, startups, GCCs, and expanding Karnataka’s impact on global innovation and engineering ecosystems.
Speaking on the recognition, Shri B.V. Naidu, Chairman, KDEM, said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the First STPI Commendation Award. This recognition belongs to the countless innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and ecosystem builders who have worked together to shape Karnataka’s technology leadership. Our collective mission has always been to build globally competitive tech clusters, strengthen digital capabilities across the state, and ensure Karnataka remains at the forefront of India’s innovation-led growth. I remain committed to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, engineers, and institutions that will define India’s digital future.”
This honour further reinforces Shri Naidu’s continued efforts through KDEM and other national platforms to accelerate India’s digital economy, create high-value jobs, and build sustainable innovation ecosystems that contribute to nation-building.
